Whealan Pool Aquatic Center

$ 6 for 13+ awesome pool! Slides and a kiddie pool available too. No food or coolers inside, though but you can bring your own chairs. Does get busy, so the earlier the better.

Gets busy, so get there early. It’s great for about 2 hours, then the filters get overwhelmed and the water gets cloudy from everyone’s sun screen.
The concession stand is reasonable. The locker rooms are rustic, and the toilets are stainless. (for a prison feel)

It’s a Forest Preserve pool and it’s only $ 6 for adults and $ 4 for the kids, so let’s not get crazy! If you want ultimate luxury, go to the Hilton! For the price you’re paying this can’t be beat! Reasonably clean and plenty of room for the kids. Yes, the 15 minute «Safety» checks are kinda a pain, but I can see why they do it. You’re not supposed to bring in your own food but from what I saw, everyone sneaks in a little snack for the kids. Just don’t break out an entire picnic for everyone to see. Bring the kids, they’ll love it!

Inexpensive compared to other nearby pools. $ 6 for adults.

Major disappointment. It goes without saying that when management of a place like this prohibits food or coolers i expect that they would provide a better alternative. The food in this place is worse than mcdonald and Pizza hut combined. Crappy slices of pizza, fatty cheese and chips combined with the most disgusting brands of ice cream filled with sugar and food coloring. And kids are all over it like flies on a carcass, what do parents do, there’s no alternative.
The pool is nice, not so clean though, filled with leaves. but nothing better is expected with a population of kids running in and out off the grass.
Smelly toilets and not particularly clean showers.
Basically to sum it up, don’t expect much out of $ 6 entry fee.
Never going back to this place again.

This is a great neighborhood pool for the price. This was the perfect place to take my five year old and 1 year old for 2 hours. The slides are great for 4 – 8 year olds. They are very slow. My five year old thought it was amazing. The pool has different options for different ages including a small wading pool for the very young that is completely separate from bigger kids. We paid $ 16 to get in which is cheaper than going to a movie. If you have bigger kids, the more expensive waterparks would be worthwhile but this is perfect if you just want to burn a few hours with younger kids.

I took my 2 daughters to Whealan Pool for years. We always had a great time. The staff is helpful. The 2 big slides are just the right amount of scary. I also love the fact that you can bring in your own picnic, coolers and all. It’s true it can get crowded but that’s what it’s like living in a big city. You just have to plan to get there early. I have NO complaints.

We thought that we were going to spend the day swimming here.
1. Driving thru the parking lot, we could see that the pool was way past capacity.
2. Navigating the parking lot was a CF in itself. Cars were parked in any direction but right.
3. The people headed towards the park were all unsavory types.
4. We heard the pool atttendant talk about cleaning a poo incident.
We immediately turned around and left to go to a different pool in the suburbs.
As my son put it, «You get what you pay for. If it’s free or cheap, it’s probably gross.»
Never again.

I can’t believe anyone would give this place a bad review. If you have children, and no yard or pool at your home, then this is the place to be in the summer. We heard about it through a friend and my now 3-​year old daughter is finally old enough to enjoy something like this without having to break away for a nap. We spent a good chunk of Sunday afternoon here and had a blast. The cost is quite reasonable and we felt even though it was very crowded, we still had enough room to find a spot to camp out and set our stuff down while we explored our surroundings. One thing I wish I had known about beforehand is that no locks are provided on the lockers, you have to bring your own. Anyway other than that it was fine. Parking was easy-​we got there around noon and had no issues. Stayed until 3 and it was so hard to leave, but DD was getting tired. I thought the mandatory 15 minute breaks were a litle annoying, but I understand why they do it. We can’t wait to go back next week!

Horrible place. Overcrowded. Not enough parking. Clientele is not any better than what is found at the park district pools. Would never recommend anyone to this place.

Great pool. Free parking. Beautiful setting in the trees. The snack bar area was decent — traditional but fun food like pizza, hot dogs and tons of ice cream. Bring your own fruit and veggies. Nice tables to sit and eat. Splash area for kids under 4. Zero depth pool for everyone else. Roped off area for adult laps. 2 slides. Lots of shade. We were very surprised we had not heard of this spot — we will definitely be back with friends. Thank you Cook County Forest Preserve!

I used to swim at Whealan Pool when I was a shorty in daycamp and, lemme tell ya, this pool has come a long way since then. Granted, I was a shorty long, long ago but gone are the days of too-​deep-​for-​kids and over chlorination. Now, not only does the main pool have zero depth, there’s also an area specifically for kids under 4. My 19 month old and I just got back from an afternoon here and had a blast! Best of all: $ 5 for adults, $ 3 for 4 – 12 and kids under 4 are free.
There’s stuff for big kids too. Two slides that I never saw a line for that looked really fun!
Concession stand is really reasonable. $ 2 for ice cream, $ 2.50 for pizza and nachos, etc.
I almost don’t want to post this glowing review for fear that the next time we go, it’ll be overwhelmingly crowded…

I would give this place 5 stars if the life guards actually paid attention to the pool area.

This is a great little hidden pool in amongst all the other drama of the CPD’s pool «rules». Just off Milwaukee and Devon I had no idea it was here until Jenn Q told me about it. It’s $ 5 to get in which is a small price to pay to have the whole day at the pool without any ridiculousness. The pool itself is pretty large. It has an area for the kiddies with sprays and slides as well as two larger slides for the older kids or adults. There is a zero depth area and a lap area. The pool has nice locker rooms and changing areas, clean and safe. They have a small selection of snacks that are reasonable and a nice area to eat in. There is a large parking lot in the back which is a little bit of a walk to the main entrance. You can also park on Devon if you’re early enough with no meters! The only complaint I would have is there is definitely a limited number of sun loungers so be prepared to lay on the grassy area or sit in the picnicking area. Other than that, I’m glad I’ve found a nearby pool without all the hefty fees of some of suburban destinations and none of the Park District nonsense.

Wow, what a cute hidden gem! I’ve been complaining that I couldn’t find a local pool without the goofy City of Chicago «rules» (1pm-​3pm kids only, 2pm-​4pm Adults with kids only, 4pm-​6pm Men only etc.). This place has been hiding out for the last 5 years I’ve lived on Devon Ave! For only $ 5, you can swim all day (11am-​7pm), enjoy zero depth, a water playground for the kiddies (and for those like me, young at heart) and 2 water slides. I felt the food was really reasonable too: I got a hot dog, chips, soda and two bottles of water for $ 8.
Overall, my favorite city pool experience so far. You can’t beat the price, the «all are welcome» schedule and the ambiance –it’s like being back in the burbs!

I can’t compare this center to the other ones in Chicago, as I have not been. But the Whealan facility is great! I haven’t had the concessions, although it’s nice that they are available. I come here with my infant, and he loves it. On a weekday, there’s plenty of space for me to be swimming with him in the 3 – 4 ft side, or splashing in the zero depth or the separate kiddie pool. There are water structures to climb on a play on, slides, fountains, etc.
The mandatory breaks are a little annoying. I’ve been to other districts where the policy is breaks for people under 15 years old. I’d appreciate that policy a lot more.

Nice small water park. Brought the kids here a few times this summer & they love it. I always pack my cooler bag & sit in the lawn area. Great place for families, but no adult swim & 15 min. Breaks every 45 min.

I have been going here for over 10 years with my two boys and I will never tire of this place. What more could you ask for on a hot Chicago summer day than to be in the pool or on one of their many lounge chairs basking in the sun. It’s clean, well supervised with 5 or more lifeguards on duty at all times and there’s even a concession stand if you get hungry. For a small fee of $ 5.00 for adults and $ 3.00 for children Whealan Pool is worth your trip, but remember it closes the day after Labor Day, so get going.

I love this place! It’s a 10 minute drive from my apartment, the pool is clean, there are interesting play things and there’s a nice grassy area to lay in the sun and relax.
It does get kind fo crowded on hot days in the summer and the pool might reach capacity, and you’ll see lines outside the pool, but it really beats the park district pools in the summer with their draconian swim times.
Whealan Pool is open 11 – 7 every day of the week. Admission is $ 5 for adults and $ 3 for kids.