The only reason to go here is for the slides an they were closed majority of the time we were there. The place is also run down an needs remodeled. Plus the bathrooms were gross. I wouldn't come here again read more

Not terrible but not good. I went on a monday and it was very packed, and understaffed. The pools are clean, but the locker rooms are a borderline biohazard. It was nasty, but what can you expect? The concessions are overpriced, when i ordered a 2 dollar bag of chips with 6 singles i only got 2$ and 15c back. Meaning they(cashier) tipped themselves a dollar, like bish i wasn't gonna tip u for some lays chips. My friend got an 11$ overdone burger with nothing on it but cheese. Not to mention the slides were closed cause of short staffing. Parking was extremely difficult and finding a spot to sit was nearly impossible. I do appreciate the amount of chlorine, enough to make your eyes burn. read more

Well it was awful in terms of this app (yelp) . I note the app indicated that the pool was open today, Monday, August 26, 2024 from 2:30-5:00 pm. And that is not the case. We arrived and the place is completely closed even though the app updated that it was now open until 5. Please communicate with the park district or vise versa. This is a horrible situation especially in 100 degree weather. Thanks. read more

Empty and closed on Memorial Day. It's a ghost town but I imagine social distancing would be impossible at this park. Hugs empty parking lot in back and a couple deer spotted while bike riding around this empty space. I can't imagine coming to this place again once it's open and the car traffic is insane. read more

Whealan Pool Aquatic Center - Empty parking lot and tree logs - Swimming Pools Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Shitty manager. Refused to r Refund me and my family. When it started raining. Rude, disrespectful. I wouldn't recommend going here if it's raining they won't give you a refund also when we went the next day there was a turd floating in the water and refused to take it out. read more

Disclaimer...I have a 6 month old This pool was fantastic for our family. Easy parking and pick up area. Clean restroom and changing area... especially with a baby. Large outdoor area for ground sitting. Decent sized splash pad area...great for an adult to be cool and kid be cool. Walk in pool was great. Pool is crowded but enjoyed the easy in/out with baby and good depth. Place was pretty clean...for the amount of people I've seen worse! Definitely will return! read more

I've been wanting to check out this place for a while but my cheap ass couldn't do it, when nearby Norwood Park pool is free. But apparently, on opening day (usually the Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend) its free! So I was a little bit worried -- opening day, FREE, and the first day of Chicago 2018 where the high temps were expecting to be in near record highs of high-80s. I hate crowds, and all this made me second-guess whether to go or not. But did I mention that I'm cheap? So my cheapness trumped my hatred of crowds, and I decided to take the kiddos here. Plus, I like trying new things/places. Parking was actually not too bad for me. Pool opened at 11AM, but I figured I'd wait after lunch. There's free street parking on the north side of Devon avenue, facing west. I would be careful trying to stop and parallel park the car, as westbound cars coming on Devon, from Central, generally floor it to over 50mph since there's really nothing but forest preserve between Central and the next intersection, Milwaukee. This can be tricky to stop on the right lane to back up and parallel park your car on Devon (although street parking is closer to the main entrance of Whealan). Luckily, they have a private parking lot too, located just east of the Caldwell Woods parking lot. Go down a stretch of road and there's lots of parking slots for cars. I was able to nab one as someone else was pulling out, so I can't say for sure if its tough or not to find a spot here, but from what I glanced, the lot was pretty full. From the parking lot, walk back a block or so to Devon, where the main entrance is. There's a ticket window for admission. It was free for us today, so the person behind the window let us through. Go through the doors, and follow the signs to get to the pool, as it is somewhat of a maze to find it; through double-doors, through a courtyard of sorts, make a right, to the mens locker room. Pool area itself is rather large. On this particular day, there was definitely at least a couple hundred people from being in the pool area, or on the lounge chairs and lawn. I will concur with other reviewers that the lawn lounging chairs are a rare commidity, so if you're able to snag one up next to a shady umbrella, buy a lottery ticket when you head home too. The pool goes from zero depth to 4ft 10inches. Whealan has two water slides, which were rather slow. I had to paddle myself down the whole time or just risk sitting there, even when you try to lean back like Fat Joe. Kids also thought the water slide was extremely slow. Other cool pool stuff was an inflatable obstacle course, a rock-climbing wall in the pool, and a water fixture that had a smaller water slide (thinking its for the tots) with waterfall fixtures and other stuff that splashed water. I don't know if the place was suffering from low water pressure, but this water fixture didn't have all the spouts working. They had several of them shower looking spouts, where you pull a rope and you get doused with water, but none of em worked. Every hour, there is a mandatory 10-15minute safety break, where everyone except the adults had to vacate the pool. That's pretty typical to me, and I find it a good opportunity to reapply sunblock. Skin cancer aint no joke yo. Water around the pool was cloudy at times, with leaves all over the water. Not sure if the staff cleaned it well, or it may be leaves/debris that people in the lawn area drag into the pool. Either way, a little off-putting, but what you expect when you share a pool with a hundred other people? Although there was quite a bit of people, I didn't feel too crowded in the pool. It's no Taste of Chicago, lemme tell ya. You can't give away enough free food for this guy to endure the crowds. But I digress. Overall, this is a great option to have, if you're heating up from the dog days of Chicago summer. LOCKERROOM REVIEW: Rather clean and organized, not the grimy cement floors you find at the Chicago Park district locker rooms. Plenty of half-length lockers to store your stuff. Bathrooms down the hall are made of prison stainless steel. Sit or squat? Squat. read more

Whealan Pool Aquatic Center - From a lounge chair. Lounge chairs are limited - Swimming Pools Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

When I was younger, I remember this place to be HUGE! There were at least 3 different diving boards... One that in my childhood memory must have been 100 feet tall! I haven't been back in over 30 years, but my kids have been begging me to go. I must say, it's much smaller and there are NO diving boards in the vicinity. I have a 6,8 and 10 year old. There is lots to do if your kids are 8 and under. Anything over 8, they'll be looking forward to leaving because everything seems too banish for them. read more

Whealan Pool Aquatic Center - 2 water slides that land in a 3ft 6" pool. - Swimming Pools Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Pretty good bang for your buck. My three year old son loved the two kiddie areas and he was just big enough to enjoy the kiddie water slide. We had a blast. I read comments on how some thought it was dirty - it was very clean the day i was there. There were some wood chips near the entrance of the pool but I saw staff sweeping it up on several occasions. About the wood chips - the bushes/landscaping is a tad lacking and needs some love - and they need to get rid of the wood chips. Maybe some large stones so they won't get everywhere? Little kids trample on it and get it all over- it is pretty annoying. We got there when it opened and it took about an hour and a half to get crowded - Best to get there early! It was just starting to get crowded as we left. I'd also like to point out that there are no curtains on the stalls in the ladies changing area. I didn't like that at all. I was thankful i dried off enough to go home in my suit and swim cover up. read more

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It was great. A little busy, Pool Is 5ft deep which was perfect and service was nice overall

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! read more

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... read more

Great Chicago park facility! It's family friendly and affordable. Our family have been coming here for years. There are plenty of parking spaces available on Devon or in the lot behind the pool. I wish they clean the pool more frequently though. Sometimes there are a lot of debris likes leaves in the water. Otherwise it's a great place to enjoy in the summertime. read more

I've visited a couple of times here mid week this summer. My family really enjoys it and we will consider getting a season pass next year. There are two water slides (a little slow, but still fun) and a nice water house structure good for kids to climb on, get sprayed with water and a small slide. The pool opens at 11 and on hot days there's usually a line at the door before opening. I like to get here early because any later, then I lose the chance of snagging a lounge chair. And this bibliophile likes to lounge and read by the pool for a bit while the kiddo swims. That being said, they really need to add more lounge chairs. If they run out of chairs, folks will usually line their towels on two of the grassy sections and camp their stuff there. I've never seen it super crowded, where you're bumping into someone each time you turn in the pool....which is nice because our neighborhood pool was getting overcrowded that way. We recently hosted my sons birthday party here. They had 4 parties going on at the same time and had all of us on the patio/deck instead of on the lawns. It seemed to work OK and we weren't crowding into each other's parties...there was a lot of room between parties. We had tents, tables and seating. We had the option of purchasing food packages (you cannot bring your own food in--except for birthday cake or cupcakes). We opted for the pizza package--it's Domino's but it'll do when you're hungry from swimming. The food package also included chips, ice cream and soft drinks for everyone. The staff brought it all out for us and were helpful if we needed anything. The party hours are only 3 hours, but guests are welcome to stay longer for pool fun, we just needed to clear our stuff from the tent to make way for the next party coming in. read more

A Facebook event lead my daughter and I to a free opening event to one of the 3 cook county forest preserve waterparks (Lyons, Chicago, Lansing). Lap lanes, 2 water slides, and an obstacle course above 4 feet of water wished we stayes longer than 3 hours! Street parking and parking behind the water center is avail. Caution: Due to the unexpected demand and affordable prices, the facility is understaffed or backed up in responses. Once that dies down, this place is worth it. Season Passes start $42 per person, with multi discounts for families of 4 or more. With season passes. Day passes are always FREE for 3years & younger, 4years to 12years $5, and 13years & older $7. read more

This place was perfect for my 3 year old and 6 year old! We went on a Saturday afternoon and it wasn't crowded at all which was likely due to it getting close to the end of summer vacation and people getting ready to head back to school. Both kids loved what was essentially a playground in the water! It had a slide and a variety of water sprayers all set up in about a foot of water. My 3 three year old also loved the "baby pool" which was a separate, gated off area with its own miniature slide. All of the pools were clean. We parked on Devon and I would note that there is a parking lot behind the Aquatic Center as well. The only thing I didn't like was that I couldn't find any lockers but from reading other reviews it sounds like there are some and I just didn't look hard enough?? We had a blast and the kids can't wait to go back! read more

Nice and inexpensive little water park for hot days. Way better than the neighborhood pool with nothing more than a diving board. I'd give 5 starts but the is always the pee smell in the bathrooms and lockers, they're also not very clean. There's gotta be some chemical that can take that away. read more

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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

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) read more

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. read more

My second year coming here and my little girl loves it there. It's a good size but it still gets pretty busy. Inexpensive and they sell food there also but I haven't tried it yet. The locker room and bathroom are outdated but it works. read more

Whealan Pool Aquatic Center - Swimming Pools Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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. read more

The reason it doesn't have silly Chicago Park District hours is because it's not Chicago Park District. The Cook County Forest Preserves District. I wasted nearly an hour search on chicagoparkdisttrict website before I figured that one out with a more general google. Never been there; Have to rate. Going on the description compared to other pools in the area. Sorry. read more

I've been coming here for yearssssssss. I recommend to go as early as you can because it'll get filled up within an hour. Usually clean when I'm there. Price is prefect. And I've encountered some cool staff and not cool staff. But no biggie. Still a great place to go! read more

When here for the first time. Wanted to change my pass for a season pass. People at the front are not very friendly. They sit off to the left of the window instead of sitting at the window and act like they work there. You ask a question and they have no idea. Other lifeguards also sit in the room and just look at you. Manager for one day took the credit card info and disappeared. We had to keep asking what is going on. Sat around for an hour and nothing had been done. Came back another day and saw another manager that told us they couldn't figure out how to get the season passes from their computer. Told us to go to this website to purchase them. Customer service is very poor. Kids are too young and don't know what they are doing. Website that was given to us was swimchicago@southland.com which didn't take us anywhere. We had to look up the pool name in order to see if we could purchase season passes. Whoever is running this place needs to get the ball rolling. You guys r going to loose so much business. read more

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. read more

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! read 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. read more

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

This was our first time at this pool after hearing about it and deciding to give it a go. The pool water is ABSOLUTELY disgusting. Norwood Park, a FREE swimming pool, is much cleaner than this one. In addition, it was incredibly overcrowded with people practically jumping on you. I would not come back again. read more

hung out here as a high school kid when we wanted to swim without the burdens of lake Michigan, nice clean place, but really remodeled note

I dont miss any year love this place i buy my pass and i enjoy with my kiddos as much as possible BUT i wish they could still open until 7 pm now they closed at 6:20 will be much better :(rate 4 stars,because of that:) read more

$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. read more

Locker room nice. Long lines when it's hot out. Think that should offer neighbors discounts since after the parking lot fills and the Devon streets packed side street parking way to go. Staff is nice. read more

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! read more

The pool is centered in the middle of the woods so the environment is quite nice. Easy to see young children, great water slides, inexpensive admission read more

I've known about Whaelan for several years - took the kids I nannied for to the pool, now I take my own kids. I LOVE this pool for really young kids. I have a baby, a toddler, and a 4 year old. I can keep everyone safe and entertained in the gated off baby pool. My kids also love the water playground, and the spray features near the entry to the big pool. The prices are incredibly reasonable. We live close and my kids still nap, so we've never stayed long enough to need concessions. I've also never used the bathroom there, it doesn't look very inviting though. My one complaint is it's really difficult to get a chair or even a shady spot to set your stuff down. Be prepared to be in the sun the whole time. And also the safety breaks. I know they're standard but these seem eternal. read more

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. read more