Thelma Lovette YMCA pool photo above used by permission.
It’s easy to find great outdoor swimming pools in Pittsburgh — we even have a guide for that. But what about during the winter months? Good news: Many recreational swim programs took a pause during the height of the pandemic but are back in action for winter 2023. So there are plenty of options for indoor pools and indoor water parks around Pittsburgh for swimming fun this winter.
Kidsburgh gathered the details on some of the best options for indoor pools around the region, ranging from local school districts to day passes at hotels. Take an indoor splash this winter at one of these great spots.
INDOOR POOLS
Community and Recreation Center at Boyce Mayview Park, Upper St. Clair
The rec center at Boyce Mayview Park has both indoor and outdoor pools, which are very popular. While weekends are reserved for members only (at a price of $111 per month if you’re booking for the full year or $473 per month for a winter pass), weekdays are open to non-members at a price of $15 per person. You must book ahead of time, and reservations can be made here.
YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh Pools
The pools within the Pittsburgh metro region YMCA family have day passes available for non-members. Please check individual pool schedules and make a reservation for your pool time. A day pass for adults is $10 and youth is $5 at the Allegheny YMCA, Sampson Family YMCA, Spencer Family YMCA, and Thelma Lovette YMCA. It is $20 for adults and $10 for youth at the Baierl Family YMCA.
Rose E. Schneider YMCA, Cranberry Township
The aquatics center at this Butler County YMCA location includes a lap pool, warm water pool, slide, and zero-depth entry with sprayers — as well as a hot tub, sauna, and steam room for adults. They encourage families to inquire about discounted membership, if finances are a barrier. But they also have a day rate of $10 for adults and $5 per kid. Please check the pool schedule to ensure the features you want to use are available during the time you plan to go. And if it’s a little bit nice out, don’t miss their playground with zip line, too.
Sunrise Pool, New Brighton
This pool, which is owned by the New Brighton Area School District, is an open-air pool in the summer with a dome that is closed during the winter months. It’s very affordable – $3 for infants and toddlers, $4 for students, and $5 for adults. Hours, details, and class info can be found here.
Local Hotel Day Use
Many local hotels allow guests to book a room for a few hours during the daytime and use the pool for the day without staying overnight. One easy way to do this is through the website Dayuse.com. A few local examples would be the use of a room at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown for 9 hours for $75 per family, or a 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Pittsburgh Marriott. While you’re not staying over, it is nice to have a room for changing out of swimsuits before heading back out into frigid temperatures. It’s also often not much more to book an overnight stay for a winter getaway, especially in hotels in the suburbs.
Swimply – The “Airbnb of Pools”
Swimply is a newer platform that allows guests to rent private pools from homeowners in their area for an hourly rate. While there are a ton of pools in the Pittsburgh region available for summer use, there are also a few indoor pools guests can book like these two in Washington, Pa. and Venetia. There’s even one just over the border in East Liverpool, Ohio. Rates can be higher for these, starting at around $45 per hour, but your rental includes the entire pool. Most fit 15 to 25 people, so one option is to split the cost with some friends you trust.
Local School Districts
Before the pandemic, many local high schools offered community swim times. Some are bringing the popular event back this year. Check with your local schools for details, or visit a few that have announced dates:
North Hills High School Aquatics will be offering open swimming on Friday evenings from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. for $5 a person from Jan. 6-Feb. 24, excluding Jan. 13. (Instead, that weekend they will have an open swim on Saturday, Jan. 14 from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.)
Shaler Area Community Swim Program has open swim Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays this winter from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Sundays from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. These dates are subject to the school calendar with some exceptions, so please check their website for updates. The cost is $5 per person or $100 per family for the season.
Keystone Oaks School District has also resurrected its recreational swimming program with adult aquatics classes, though no family swims have been announced yet. (We’ll update this page as we get more information from Keystone Oaks and other local schools.)
Cool Springs Fitness, Mercer
If you’re up for the drive, the Cool Springs Fitness facility in Mercer has very affordable day rates for their indoor aquatics facility. There is a warm pool that is kept above 90 degrees as well as a lap pool that is a still-comfortable 80 degrees. Please check the schedule before driving up, as classes or events can change pool availability. Adults are $8 and children are $5.
INDOOR WATER PARKS
While Pittsburgh does not (yet) have its own indoor water park, there are quite a few within an easy drive for a day trip or overnight getaway. Splash Lagoon is in Erie, which is about a two-hour drive. Just shy of a three-hour drive, Sandusky, Ohio is home to Castaway Bay, Kalahari, and Great Wolf Lodge. For a ski-and-swim adventure, the Poconos (about four- to five-hour drive) has Aquatopia, Kalahari, and Great W
olf Lodge as well.
Oliver Bath House, South Side
This popular swim spot is closed for much-needed renovations through 2024, but the wait will be worth it. Did you know this pool is Pittsburgh’s only publicly owned indoor pool? It’s a historical gem with ornate details — but it is also a lot of work to keep in useable shape. The past-due renovations will make it a great option for generations to come. Day passes will be available, so please keep checking with Citiparks for more updates.
Are you signed up for the Kidsburgh newsletter? It’s the best way in the new year to make sure your family knows what’s going on around the city. Iif you’re not up for swimming, we have a big guide to indoor play places for when Pittsburgh winter is in full force.
If you’re looking for more family events in Pittsburgh, don’t miss our big guide to events happening all winter long!
