Joyful Family Swimming

Which public pool is the warmest?? Find out in our guide to family swim and baby & toddler swimming classes in SF. Family swim hours are updated regularly.

Want to jump straight to the swim schedules? Try our new swim map! Now with automatic updates!

Thanks to a local mom’s petition, Mission Pool has extended family swim hours! Swimming and water play bring joy to many of us. With cold months approaching, the pool is a great way to spend family time. But where to swim and where to learn swimming is an evergreen topic on parents’ groups. We thought we’d recap what we’ve learned in our year of swimming with a baby and two toddlers!

Pool Cost and Warmth

There are nine public pools in San Francisco: Balboa, Coffman (Visitacion Valley), Garfield (Mission), Hamilton (Fillmore), Martin Luther King Jr (Bayview), Mission Community Pool, North Beach, Rossi (Richmond), Sava (West Portal). Prices as of June 2025 are $8 per adult ($6.90 if you buy a 10-pack pass) and $2 per kid for public pools.

All of the public pools are heated at 82F. North Beach has the only “warm” public swimming pool (set at 86F). Garfield, Sava and Balboa feel warmer to us, maybe due to renovation and large bay windows improving heat intake and retention. Hamilton is the only public pool with slides. Mission is the only outdoor pool and operates in the Summer and early Fall.

Some public pools have a small pool with stairs, which many families find more practical. This includes Balboa, Garfield, Hamilton and North Beach.

There are also private pools, such as YMCA, JCCSF and UCSF. While they primarily encourage memberships, it is typically possible to buy a day pass. Recent prices we’ve seen (as of June 2025) hover around $30 for those. Another option is hotel pool passes.

Family Swim hours

We keep an updated list of family swim hours automatically pulled from the SF Recreation & Parks Activity API at swim.joyfulparentingsf.com. Rec&Parks have been working towards offering family swim hours every weekday after 5pm in at least one pool, as well as opening pools to families on Saturdays and Sundays.

Swimming classes for the under 5

While SF Rec&Parks offer swimming classes, there are only three spots open to the public in each class, and they are gone within one minute of registration opening. 😱 And lifeguards cannot allow private lessons in public pools due to safety concerns. Many parents swear by La Petite Baleen (in San Francisco and San Bruno), but cost, distance and availability of weekend classes may be prohibitive. YMCA, JCCSF and AC Swim in San Rafael have swimming classes for toddlers, but they’re all very costly programs. Pomeroy is a more affordable hidden gem offering classes every couple months.

Now, toddlers don’t need swimming classes, and don’t believe Instagram videos: not all babies learn to swim in a month. And that’s alright. It’s easy for parents to teach the basics and help their child be comfortable in water. Key skills include going underwater, learning how to float on their back, entering the pool, but most importantly: having fun! Sing with your little one, use the pool’s balls (no outside toys at public swimming pools) and splash around.

More Public Pools Please!!!

San Francisco has only 1.1 public pool per 100 000 inhabitants. 🤯 The family swim hours have greatly improved, to take into account the needs of working families, thanks to the efforts of SF Kids Swim parents volunteers. But we can and should ask for more! Aside from being fun, robust swim facilities and education prevents drowning at all ages. If these hours don’t work for you, you can support Parks and Rec, write to your district supervisor, subscribe to SFKidsSwim newsletter for updates, and bring your little ones to public pools! Happy swimming :)

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[cover photo courtesy of stockvault]