Reilly Memorial Swimming Pool

Living in the city can be rough in the summer. It’s hot, there’s lots of tourists, and if there is a breeze, its probably full of stuff you don’t want to smell. This summer, a few friends and I found this pool that was near BC, where we were at summer classes.
The perks? It is in a great location, right in the middle of Cleveland Circle, but hidden. You wouldn’t even know it is there if you drive right past it. It is also totally free. You can bring in your own chairs, food etc… and just make a day out of it. The pool is certainly refreshing.
The flaws? It’s a community pool. That being said, I probably would only feel safe swimming in it first in the morning, after it has been treated. Getting there at 1 some days, there is just hundreds of kids/​campers/​families… it’s so so overwhleming.
However, if you plan it right and get there early, it can serve the purpose of bronzing and cooling off.

Such a clean lovely space for a public pool! Can’t complain for somewhere that’s free and easily accessible by B C and D lines! Tip– bring a yoga mat or a chair so that you don’t have to lie on the concrete!

Look, this is a free public pool, so if you’re expecting something pristine and wonderful, don’t go here. But if you’re just looking to swim, it’s fine. It’s clean enough (what outdoor pool doesn’t have a few dead bugs floating in it?), there are ample lifeguards on duty, and the pool wasn’t too crowded. There’s a decent amount of space for towels and chairs, and it’s definitely a good retreat on a summer day when you want to be in the water but the beach is too far away.

Huge, clean pool with the cleanest DCR bathrooms I’ve seen. Granted they may be considered dirty if you actually paid to go here but think about how dirty the bathrooms are at the Hatch Shell/​Nantasket/​Castle Island. The depth ranges from 3 feet to 6 feet so it’s good for kids. They have lifeguards too though I only saw 2 on at a time the whole time I was there and all the other guards were sitting inside (they couldn’t have been on break yet because it just opened.) I guess that’s how they do it when it’s not very crowded out. As long as no one’s dead in the pool undetected for days we can’t complain, right?
Bring a chair if you have one because sitting on a towel on concrete is not so cozy. When you’re done swimming there are a bunch of places nearby to get food. Also it’s close to the T stop.

Take your chair or the ants will eat you up!
great pool nice and clean. life guard on duty at all time.

It’s a great pool. They filled in the deep end before this summer, so now it’s only about 5 ft deep, but otherwise it’s fantastic. Nice and refreshing on a hot summer day.
Plus it’s free. It would be nice if they had a few more beach chairs to sit in, but there’s enough concrete space around the pool to set down your towel or bring your own chair. Even on busy days, I haven’t had any trouble finding a spot.

blistering hot heat
oasis at your doorstep
no, not a mirage
I mean, I’m not really sure what makes this pool worthy of less than 5 stars. As already mentioned: it is near the T, there is tons of food around, and it’s free.
Back in the day when the deep end was like 1200 feet deep, I can understand the possible danger and grossness surrounding worriers thoughts, «What’s down there?» On this side of Brighton, I don’t wanna know. I can STILL understand the possible grossness of a FREE, PUBLIC, POOL. But I don’t discriminate, chlorine makes us all equal.
Now it only goes to 5 feet deep.
There are life guards. Woo.
There is about 2.5 (more like 5) feet of concrete surrounding the pool and around that a 10 foot high chain link fence. This makes for close quarters and wet bums and towels if you don’t BYOC (bring your own chair). Not to mention the killer ants all along the edges. Luckily there is a pool nearby to jump in to… Unless it’s the dreaded «Pool Check» that seems to last about half an hour every hour.
Can’t we have adult swim instead? Way better. Unfortunately, most of the people frequenting the pool are unsure of their adulthood.
I do recommend checking it out on a hot day. You know you’re curious.

I went on a hot Wednesday afternoon… I am a fan because it is open, very easily accessible via public transportation, and free. It is true that it isn’t super fancy… but there were three lifeguards, the water was clear, and it wasn’t so crowded that I didn’t have my own space… cheers! I wish the lifeguards didn’t let kids run at all, but… I guess you have to let kids be kids a little. And it would have been annoying to have the lifeguards yelling about things all the time… watch your own kids here, but more to keep them from annoying people than drowning.

I took my 2-​year old son to the Reilly Memorial Swimming Pool in Cleveland Circle after work yesterday, one of the hottest days of the summer so far. It was great! The deep end was closed due to «murkiness» but the rest of the pool was clean and clear (we stayed in the shallow end). We arrived just before 6 pm and most of the day crowd was heading out, so it was not very crowded at all. The shallow end is 3 feet deep and the deep end is 10 feet deep. Patrons were mainly college-​aged kids and families with young children. Note that their website says they are open until 7 pm but I called ahead and the manager on duty told me they usually close up around 6:30 or 6:45 pm. We just went for a quick dip and we will definitely go again!
Likes:
Not too crowded after work
Water temperature was a lovely 82 degrees
Water was very clean and clear — no floating debris in the water or on the deck
Easy to wheel a stroller onto the pool deck
T-​accessible
Changing area and bathrooms*
* We didn’t use the bathrooms, so I can’t vouch for their cleanliness but they were present
Free!
Dislikes:
No shaded areas in the water (bring your sunglasses), but I was able to park the stroller in the shade of the building
Large changing room is «locker-​room» style — no privacy curtains
No lockers that I noticed
Concrete deck would not be comfortable for lounging, but bring a beach chair and you’re all set (we weren’t there to lounge)
Wish it were open later

I’ve been meaning to check this pool out for years, and finally in the dog days of August made my way over there. It was better than expected — very clean, open and not overly crowded. The water was a little cool, clear and didn’t actually have many people swimming in it. There was far more people sprawled out on the concrete around the pool on towels — will definitely bring a beach chair next time! There are changing rooms but I didn’t see any lockers, so only bring what you feel comfortable leaving by the pool.

I was devastated when I headed to Cleveland Circle Memorial Day weekend and saw this pool sitting empty (of people and water). I thought I’d read something about City of Boston budget cuts, but I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary on
.
Trying to find a clean (ish) beach on a beautiful Saturday morning, I decided to check the
web site again, and JOY! This pool opened that same day! I went around 11 am, and I was one of the few people there are that time; it did become more crowded as the day went on, but not too bad.
It’s a free swimming pool! The water is a little cold, but super refreshing on a hot day. I took my lounge chair, finished my book, and swam a couple of laps. Basically, it was heaven!

I live just up the hill from the Reilly pool and it is an amazing thing for hot summer days. It tends to get crowded at times, so just keep that in mind. Lots of people swim, some just come to tan. And there are lots of bars and restaurants nearby to grab a drink or a snack.
Weekdays from 6 – 7 is adult lap swim only so keep that in mind if you have kids, or if you’re an adult looking to get some swimming without getting splashed by the young ‘uns.
There are changing rooms and showers. I’m not sure if there are lockers but I feel safe leaving my belongings near the pool.
I only wish this pool opened earlier in the year and closed later. They usually open around Memorial Day and close around Labor Day. But as probably everybody in Boston knows, Labor Day hardly means it’s not still hot and muggy in the city.

It’s refreshing, free, near the T and not too crowded. What’s not to love?
This pool is managed by the city and is a great place to go on a hot day. There are large locker rooms where you can change or use the restroom. They weren’t the cleanest, but it’s free! There was a mixed crowd of a lot of high schoolers (college-​age??) and a few families. Overall people were friendly and respectful.