Spoiler: it’s hot. Another spoiler: it’s just going to continue to be hot for the next several months. What’s a D.C. resident to do? Go to a fuckin’ pool and cool off, duh. Below, the DCist staff highlights their favorite pools—both public and private—in the D.C. area. A full list of public pools in D.C. (probably some in your neighborhood) can be found here. Be sure to chime in with your favorite swimming spots in the comments.
The Upshur D.C. public swimming pool in Petworth. Photo by Mr. T in D.C.
BANNEKER POOL: Banneker is a big ole’ sandwich of a pool. The deep end is smack dab in the middle, y’all! It’s flanked by two shallow sections on either side, which are the perfect size for a rousing game of Marco Polo or underwater handstand wrestling. Need more reasons to come here? Banneker has a brand new ramp entrance to the pool, accessible facilities, hot showers with decent water pressure, and teenage lifeguards who are cool with you strutting your stuff (belly flops and back flips included) on the diving board. Oh, and FRO-YO! You can buy a cool poolside treat for $4. I know, expensive for a quick sugar hit. But it might not sting so much when you consider that your ticket to this watery palace of fun cost exactly zero bucks. — Arielle Milkman
Banneker Pool is located at 2500 Georgia Avenue NW.
EAST POTOMAC POOL: Where you’ll find swim teams training and triathlon sets completing their brick workouts all summer. There couldn’t be a more convenient place for a brick workout, a few spins around Haines Point, followed by several laps in the pool. Splashers and sun seekers are welcome too, though you’ll have to get creative in finding a space to lock up your inferior bike. The pool seems mammoth both because it is (it’s Olympic-sized) and because of the large concrete area that surrounds it for you to lay out on your towel on and pretend you’re comfortable. — Josh Novikoff
East Potomac Pool is located in East Potomac Park, at 972 Ohio Drive SW.
EMBASSY ROW HOTEL: We hear that the newly renovated, barely reopened Embassy Row Hotel has the hottest (and only) rooftops in the city. And hey! There’s a pool there. Snark aside, the property does have some fun-sounding programming planned like weekend morning yoga followed by a jump in the pool, as well as hooky Fridays, where non-guests can get free pass to hit the deck starting at 2 p.m. — Josh Novikoff
The Embassy Row Hotel is located at 2015 Massachusetts Avenue NW.
FORT STANTON POOL: Former Mayor Vince Gray didn’t christened Ward 8’s Fort Stanton pool with a ceremonial cannonball last year, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. The large, spacious pool tucked away in a residential swath of land in Fort Stanton is a perfect spot to both bring your family and go solo to cool off. — Matt Cohen
Fort Stanton Pool is located at 1800 Erie Street SE.
HARRY THOMAS SR. POOL: Ward 5’s pool is a kind of quiet gem. Unlike Banneker or Upshur pools, it kind of exists off the radar and every time I’ve been there it’s never been too crowded (but never empty). What that means is a quiet place to bake in the sun, dip in the pool, and just generally veg out in peace. — Matt Cohen
Harry Thomas Sr. Pool is located at 1743 Lincoln Road NE.
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) — Martin Austermuhle, from a previous list.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Outdoor Pool is located at 1201 Jackson Road in Silver Spring, Md.
ROSEDALE POOL: Rosedale Pool in Northeast—or as District kids refer to it, “the one with the slide”—goes above and beyond being just a large concrete hole with chlorine water. Not only is it the newest pool in D.C., it has, as previously mentioned, a slide. This is a great pool to bring your young ones, but also not a bad place to lay out and catch some rays. — Matt Cohen
Rosedale Pool is located at 1701 Gales Street NE.
UPSHUR POOL: Mt. Pleasant/Petworth/16th Street Heights’ public pool is perhaps the most picturesque neighborhood pool: it’s situated quietly in a neighborhood setting on Arkansas Avenue NW, with towering trees and a nearly suburban feel surrounding it. It’s a healthy size—not too small, but big enough to swim without accidentally kicking your fellow neighbor—and there’s a wading pool for the kiddies. Bonus: they celebrate doggie swim day. — Matt Cohen
Upshur Pool is located at 4300 Arkansas Avenue NW.
VOLTA PARK POOL: 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. Also nice and not far is the Francis Pool (2435 N Street NW). — Martin Austermuhle, from a previous list.
Volta Park Pool is located at 1555 34th Street NW.
WILSON AQUATIC CENTER: As D.C.’s premier indoor aquatic facility, this mecca is a magnet for triathlon trainees during the non-summer months when East Potomac Pool is closed. Gone are the days you are forced to swim width wise, flipping one way then back again like a captive goldfish. It’s the freedom of the full 50 meter days you want! If you wanted to swim 25-yard laps, you would have stayed closer to home. A large whirlpool awaits to soothe those aching muscles after a tough workout. And a zero-depth entry leisure pool boasts fountains and a basket that dumps water with you for the stroller set and a shallow exercise area for the walker set, separate from the main pool. — Josh Novikoff
Wilson Aquatic Center is located at 4551 Fort Drive NW.
YOU (OR YOUR FRIEND’S) POOL: In a city with its fair share of public and rooftop pools, the best one is probably the one at your (or your friend’s) apartment building. Once you have the amenity, it’s hard to give it up. I’ve seen my share of dip pools at residential rooftops across the city. They’ll do on those days when the temperature reaches well into the 90s. I’m very proud of the fact that mine goes up to 5 feet at its deepest end. The lifeguards don’t mind if you break the rules with a drink or two as long as you make an attempt to conceal your beverage. And your fridge and bathroom are only a stairwell away. — Josh Novikoff
That pool could be in your apartment building. If not, it could be in your friend’s apartment building. If not, make some new friends.
