It’s the Memorial Day weekend, and the weather couldn’t be better for today’s official opening of D.C. pools for what’s looking to be a hot and humid weekend. Mayor Vince Gray cut the ribbon at the new Rosedale Community Center in NE this morning (though he again passed on the traditional cannonball), and tomorrow through Monday the city’s 19 outdoor pools, 11 spray parks and five children’s pools will be open, starting at noon. (Normal hours of operation will kick off on June 18, though.)

Not all pools are created equal, though. And to make sure that you don’t end up at the wrong pool this weekend, we’ve come up with a list of what we think are the best public pools in D.C.

East Potomac Park: Haven’t heard of this gem of a public pool? Not only is it tucked away at Hains Point, but it offers plenty of post-swim options—putt-putt golf, a driving range, tennis, walking and cycling, and yes, cheap beer. The clubhouse and driving range sell what might be the most affordable beer in D.C.—the last time I went, $4 got me a 16-ounce can of Yuengling. And as one fan told us, it’s relative isolation—you have to drive or ride a bike to get there—mean that it’s generally teenage-free. Former Mayor Adrian Fenty was a fan, so much so that he was accused of giving the pool preference in repairs since he used to train there. (972 Ohio Drive, SW)

Banneker: For our own Andrew Wiseman, you can’t go wrong with the Banneker Pool: “Big pool, fun crowds, they sometimes play music on a boombox, and a few large guys do funny diving board maneuvers like bouncing off their butts and into the water. And they’re always fighting a battle against people wearing street clothes in the water, which is kind of amusing to watch.” (2500 Georgia Avenue NW) Also good? Upshur Pool (4300 Arkansas Ave., NW).

Volta Park: Nestled away in a residential part of Georgetown, the Volta Park Pool is a bucolic city getaway. It’s small and tends to get crowded on nice days, so get there early. (1555 34th St., NW) Also nice and not far is the Francis Pool (2435 N Street, NW).

Deanwood and Rosedale: Part of the larger Deanwood Recreation Center and Library (1350 49th Street, NE), the entire complex was renovated in 2010 and now includes a water slide. (Though unless you’re a 12-year-old, you’ll probably get yelled at for using it.) The Rosedale Community Center (1701 Gales St., NE) was also recently renovated and reopened today, and includes includes spray fountains, multiples slides and lap swimming and a kids wading area.

Capital Skyline Pool: OK, so it’s not public and you have to pay to get in, but the Capital Skyline Pool is about as close—and as trashy, depending on the event—as you’re going to get to an MTV-inspired summer pool party. There’s booze, beach balls and all the Sugar Ray you could ever listen to. All the events and parties, starting this weekend, are here. (10 I Street SW) The Washingtonian has a handy list of other hotel pools you might consider.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Outdoor Pool: Just over the border in Montgomery County, we’d be remiss in not mentioning this great public pool for one reason—it has a “separate Leisure Pool consists of a shallow water Lagoon with slides and water play features, surrounded by a circular Lazy River for riding inner tubes with the current.” (1201 Jackson Road, Silver Spring)