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Chicago, IL

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Big Blue Swim School

3.9 (38 reviews)
Open • 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Updated a few days ago

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My son with his dad in the "Baby Blue" trial class
Anisa F.

We first attended the free trial when my son was 1 year old, I think it was a great option to offer to parents who are shopping around for swim lessons. The infant/1yr old trial calls for a parent/guardian to be in the water with their baby which is a sweet way to bond. We ended up holding off on enrolling him for no specific reason but once he turned three we knew we shouldn't put it off any longer. We returned for weekly lessons and it's been really great to have something for him to do during the winter and we especially love how warm they keep the water & the entire pool area. The teachers have all been really enthusiastic and patient with our rambunctious 3 year old. There are benches in close proximity to the pool so parents can be nearby, but there are windows surrounding the pool and plenty of seating for parents to sit outside the pool area (which can get pretty warm). The facilities have spacious changing rooms, showers and hair dryers which is a nice touch! I would definitely recommend this place for any kiddos in need of lessons .

people bring outside shoes right to the pool
Natalia T.

The good: friendly staff and overall atmosphere. Easy to park. The bad: pool deck is filthy and unsanitary . They allow people walk right to the side of the pool and shower area in their outdoor shoes. In rainy weather there are chunks of dirt along the pool and shower area where children walk barefooted and this dirt ends up in the water. They have a sign to remove "dirty shoes" but they don't enforce it. Both my husband who was in the water and my child developed some vomiting and diarrhea after attending an infants class, that made them really sick for several days. This is a shame, because I would otherwise continue to take our child there.

Lack of safety, lack of relationships, and lack of credentials -- no life guards on deck. (Eg. Goldfish does have lifeguards and affiliations) I was here last year (around March), and stopped when my son had a trainee take him to another lane. It was one-on-one, so it seems great, but his hair never got wet. The trainee just walked my son around the pool carrying him. He was 4 at the time. I brought it up to their attention, and asked if I could cancel without their hassle of rules... I was nice about it. They didn't contact me about it, and cancelled for me. It would have been nice to have a conversation, but I was happy that they weren't going to give me a hard time about cancelling. (note: the trainee at the time was Fabian, and he's still at this school so that's good at least) *Prior to this day, we did have a wonderful instructor. She was the sweetest to all of the children, and tried to teach my son a bit extra when she could have just 1-2 minutes of one on one time with my son.* So lovely. Present day, he's 5 y/o, and we are back again. We have had 4 sessions Thursday evenings at 4:30pm. Facility is clean and friendly. I did notice a lack of life guards and management/staff appear much different than last year. The vibe felt different too. Note, I'm always sitting at the bench with my son -- not the waiting area. Session 1: Went well. A male instructor. I don't know his name. Session 2: Learned that we have a new regular instructor named Xavier. No Xavier. Last minute substitute. We were notified of the sub, but the instructor that showed up, was not the same person shown on the app and email. All is good though. She was great. Session 3: No Xavier still. Last minute substitute. Same instructor from session 2. All is good. The last and only session, session 4: Still no Xavier. Does he exist? That's fine. Subs have been great anyway. New instructor this time, Kim, and a trainee. My son is 5, and is not a swimmer. He's still wearing a backpack floatie. The instructor and the trainee were too busy talking to each other. There were only two kids in this session by the way. It was my son's turn to "swim" to the floating toy. He went under the water by accident and unsupervised. This is his first time. I froze trying not to make a scene and waited for him to come up -- *because I am not here trying to ruin relationships with people who will help my son thrive.* There are two sets of eyes in this lane, but none were on him. My son got up, and went back to the wall on his own, and told them what happened. They didn't know. ***How it was resolved:*** 1. I received a text message before session 4 started, while I was in the waiting area, asking for feedback in regard to "Xavier." I rated my experience as a 1, and they asked why. I responded about what happened, but they did not respond. 2. I called, and the membership agent was super kind. She was empathetic about my concerns. I am not asking for anything to be spectacular here, but water safety is not to be taken lightly. This agent said she would personally follow up on this case. I wasn't sure if I believed her, but she really did. 3. A senior manager (Lazar ) from the North Center location reached out to me. Talked to me, and was equally as caring and empathetic. I did ask hard questions that he could not answer. The questions were over his pay grade-- and if there is a lack of state regulation, that's over anyone's head too. He can only do so much. He did admit to the high turnover rate and why there aren't life guards. There was no denying here. To try to mend our relationship with the school, he refunded Session 4 back to me, and offered the next 3 months to me at 10% off. He also assigned a specific instructor (Ms. Stevie) to me who was described as someone consistent and nurturing. It sounded like he wanted to make sure my family could gain trust in the school. He said the manager above him would reach out to me to follow up as well. ***How the resolution was undone*** The manager, Patrick Duffy, calls me to discuss. He tried twice and I missed them. He's trying. Cool. I finally got back to him, and this call lasted no more than 3 minutes. He asks what happened, and as I tell the story, he DENIES that my son was unsupervised under the water. That it's CORRECT for my son to be under the water because it's a swim school. I had to stop him to reiterate what happened, "My son was unsupervised and that the two did not know this until he told them." Patrick responded, "Ma'am, I don't think we are the right school for you." He was real quick not to try to make things right. Even if I was irrational and delusional, why was he trying to undue the resolution? I have a feeling he was afraid of a lawsuit. Take this with a grain of salt in case something like this happens to you.

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7 years ago

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Brendan M.

Thank you for taking the time to leave us this review, Ubert B!

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5 years ago

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Brendan M.

Megan H, thank you for the 5-stars! We appreciate your feedback.

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Brendan M.

Carmen P, thank you so much for this wonderful review!

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6 years ago

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Katrina P.

Thank you Katie for your kind words!

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7 years ago

Great neighborhood swim school for our child. Instructors are really great - our child has learned so much while there.

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Brendan M.

Nat P, thank you for the 5-star review!

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8 years ago

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K R, thank you for this fantastic review!

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Ask the Community - Big Blue Swim School

Review Highlights - Big Blue Swim School

“My granddaughter started out at Dolphin at 18 months, then Foss for several years.”

Mentioned in 2 reviews

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Goldfish Swim School

Goldfish Swim School

4.4(94 reviews)
0.6 mi•North Center

My daughter needed to gain confidence swimming without a life jacket and we tried this facility out…read moreof convience. The swimming pool area and floatees are clean and don't reek of chlorine. Shower divider is made of glass overlooking the indoor pool. Restrooms, locker room area, and changing area separates from the swimming pool area. Depending on the age and swimming level of your child under 12 years old, monthly cost is either $90 or $120+. The professional staff, esp the lifegaurd, focus on both fun and safety. Always can make up a class missed within that week without a penalty. We especially love the daily family swim, which is included in the membership. Family swim another activity for my daughter and I to bond and away from hot temperatures. My daughter's swimming coach encouarges each lesson to build on present skills that makes her come every week. Based on one of the employees, that their program os so effective that each level of advancement is on an average of 3 months.

We had a really good experience at Goldfish Swim School in Roscoe Village and would give it a solid…read more4/5 overall. The facility was clean and appeared well maintained, which is especially important to me when it comes to a place with a pool and lots of children. The staff was also very friendly and welcoming. Everyone we interacted with was pleasant and helpful, and the overall environment felt very kid-friendly. Parking was another big plus. We didn't have any issues finding a spot, which makes getting kids in and out for swim lessons so much easier. My biggest complaint was the temperature inside. I completely understand keeping the pool area warm for the kids while they're swimming, but the heat seemed to carry over into the eating/viewing area as well. It was extremely warm and uncomfortable while sitting there almost like being outside on a hot pool day. A little more air circulation or a cooler temperature in the areas where parents and families are waiting would make a huge difference. Aside from the heat, we had a positive experience. The facility was clean, the staff was friendly, parking was convenient, and it seemed like a nice environment for children to learn and become more comfortable in the water. Overall, a solid 4/5. I would definitely recommend Goldfish Swim School in Roscoe Village, but hopefully they can make the waiting/eating areas a little more comfortable for parents and families! ‍

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Foss Swim School

Foss Swim School

3.6(47 reviews)
1.7 mi•Lakeview

Foss has a lower rating than Goldfish? That blows my mind; it seems like they have a curriculum and…read moreare trying to teach it. That seems like the definition of a good swim school. Facilities are generally clean. There is variation in experience based on teacher though; some are very conscientious and pay close attention to "your swimmer's" specific needs, others treat the class more homogeneously and that can impede development. I like that they allow makeups, but their makeup policy is bad. (1) you have to have missed the class to schedule a makeup, (2) you can only schedule a week out, (3) the makeup times are generally awful ("I can offer you 10:15am on a Tuesday or 7:45pm on a Friday"). (Regarding a number of the 1* reviews: I do think though, that similar with the idea of this being a school that teaches certain skills you need to master to pass, you might have to come to grips with the idea that your child is NOT mastering them IN SPITE of the teachers making a good effort to teach them in a group setting. Look, I'm super type A, it drives me CRAZY when they tell me my child needs more time in the level...but I also want them to learn to swim, not drown while wearing a badge that says "I know how to swim").

They swim only like 5 yards for little kids, don't challenge them…read more They made the biggest progress when I took them for swim myself. Money wasting experience.

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Lincoln Square Athletic Club - Studio 1

Lincoln Square Athletic Club

3.2(138 reviews)
0.6 mi•Ravenswood, Lincoln Square

I absolutely love Lincoln Square Athletic Club. I have been a member for about two months now, this…read moreis my home gym, and I have made great use of the multi-gym membership to workout all over the city with trainers and friends. Lincoln Square in particular I love because of the amenities and staff. The sauna and steam room have become a regular part of my routine, especially after a rowdy weekend when I am looking to get back to baseline faster. The equipment at LSAC is solid, with a heavy focus on free weights, cables, and cardio. Like any of the CAC locations, if you are looking to throw out gnarly 200lb vanity lifts on machines, just get a membership at Planet Fitness and save yourself the trouble, you might even find folks at the big box gyms to cheer you on! The staff is friendly and accommodating, and given that I am a visibly queer/trans person, I have never had issues using the locker room I am most comfortable in. Staff and members alike never look twice at me post-top surgery, something that genuinely wasn't true at places like PF or LA Fitness. If you're looking for a well rounded gym to truly work on your health and physique, you probably won't find one at a better price point. Like all gyms, be wary of cancellation policies and just pay the extra $5 a month to be month to month rather than locking yourself into annual contracts. If you think CAC is hard to get out of, I encourage you to try to get out of PF membership that you opened before moving to another state (hint: I literally had to close my bank account and open a new one because THAT was easier). Happy lifting, and be reasonable in your expectations of a gym, there really aren't a ton of good ones out there, but CAC is an outlier.

The gym itself is great. My one star review is for the employees. My gym membership was randomly…read morecanceled by an employee named Heather. Called the gym to find out what the issue was. Another employee named Connor said he would investigate and talk to Heather. Well that investigation was fairly quick. Connor emailed me back immediately stating that my membership was "mistakenly" canceled by Heather. Who mistakenly cancels a gym membership?? What a poor excuse, Connor. And supposedly my card on file was not valid for the month of January 2026. But the same card was valid all of 2024 and 2025 and they sure took my money. I decided to spend my money else where. Do better guys, your poor excuses can lose a lot of customers.

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Galter Life Center - Nutrition services

Galter Life Center

3.8(154 reviews)
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I really like this gym. My insurance covers membership at other gyms but not this one, so I have to…read morepay the dues. In spite of it, I opt to go to Galter, because I think it is a lot better than the competition. What I like the most here are the fitness classes included in membership. You have to sign up for the more popular classes 48 hours in advance, because they fill up quickly. Try to take some classes like yoga or Aqua Mix/ Aqua Blast with Shannon, who is an awesome instructor. As others have mentioned, you will see all ages and body types here, so no need to be embarrassed if you are not in top shape. There are two pools (the West pool is bigger), a sauna, whirlpool, and a lot of equipment on the second floor. The staff is friendly and the place seems quite clean. The only negatives that I can see are very small towels and several lockers without working locks.

They changed their policies in the middle of the year, and now there are no reservations. Before,…read moreit was already very difficult to find a spot to swim; now, it is just impossible. The membership is overpriced for the services they provide. There is also very little respect for members. They offer individual classes that take up entire lanes, leaving members unable to swim. They even state in their documents that people paying for those classes have priority. Well, I pay too--and I pay a very expensive membership, yet I feel that the needs of regular members are completely disregarded. There isn't even proper shampoo--just soap that they label as shampoo. People are allowed to use their phones, and nobody seems to enforce the rules. Overall, it feels like the facility has been abandoned and that management no longer cares about the members or the quality of the experience.

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Big Blue Swim School - swimminglessons - Updated October 2026

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