The Best Indoor Swimming Pools in Toronto

The best indoor swimming pools in Toronto are an ideal way to get your laps in without being at the mercy of Mother Nature. With plenty of free or pay-as-you-go aquatic centres around the city and a number of membership-only options, there’s no shortage of opportunities to wade in the waters year-round.

Here are the best indoor swimming pools in Toronto.

Public

Regent Park Aquatic Centre

It’s called the Pam McConnell Aquatic Centre now, but either way, this facility in Regent Park has you covered for all your swimming needs, with a 25-meter lap pool, spa pool, tarzan rope and water slide.

Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre

The motherlode of all public pools, this competitive facility by U of T’s Scarborough campus has different programs happening in both its Training Pool and Competitive Pool. They also have a Dive Pool, if you’re skilled like that.

Etobicoke Olympium

Another training venue for the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games, this aquatic centre on Rathburn Rd. has an Olympic-sized 50-metre pool, in case you want to practice your synchronized swimming routine. If not, there’s a smaller leisure pool.

York Recreation Centre

This recreation centre in Mount Dennis now comes equipped with a six-lane 25-metre pool, with a great shallow area and splash features for the little ones. There’s tons of aquatic programs offered here too, including Bronze Cross and Emergency First training.

Douglas Snow Aquatic Centre

The Olympic-size pool by Mel Lastman Square boasts two epic water slides (one is a towering, swirling affair that drops you into the shallow end), leisure swims, and free aquafit classes all week.

Jimmie Simpson

Sitting in this longtime Leslieville community centre is an indoor pool that hosts lessons, synchronized swims, certification programs and other activities. If you’ve got little tykes, they also have another pool just for kids.

Trinity Community Recreation Centre

This airy, beautiful facility on Crawford St. has a pool with three lanes running 25 yards-long. There’s also different swimming programs for swimmers of all ages.  

North Toronto Memorial Community Centre

Sitting right on the edge of Eglinton Park, this swimming pool has been an aquatic mainstay to the Eglinton area. It’s undergoing some $9 million worth of renovations, but when it reopens this March it’ll be even better than it was before.

St. Lawrence Community Recreation Centre

Take a dip in this pool located right on the Esplanade. It shares a space with the Market Lane Public School and St. Lawrence Community Daycare, making it the perfect swimming spot for community members of all ages.

Joseph Piccininni Community Centre

The indoor pool here offers lane leisure, fitness sessions and instructional swim. Head to this facility for their shallow aquafit lessons or leisure swims just for women.

Membership

University of Toronto Athletic Centre

U of T's gym boasts two different types of indoor pools accessible to the public: the 50-metre Varsity pool and the 25-metre Benson pool. You can access either with a community membership that's $97 per month, or $17.70 a day.

Cooper Koo YMCA

This Cherry Street branch of the YMCA has a 25-metre lap and recreation pool that you can use with a membership that ranges between $45 and $57. 

Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre

Head to the Freddie Shore Aquatic Centre in this facility right across from Spadina station and you'll be treated to a rare, fully-accessible saltwater pool in the heart of downtown. Monthly memberships range from $67 to $82, with additional costs for initiation.  

Hart House Fitness Centre

This 25-yard pool is nothing short of stunning, with a beautiful Art Deco skylight that lights up the entire stretch of water. Community memberships are $80 per month for non-U of T grads, with the option to bring one guest to this Queen's Park pool for $16 a pass.

Glendon Athletic Club

York University's GAC has a full-size indoor swimming pool divided into three lanes. There's open swim period for members of all ages, you just to have pay for a membership, which comes up to around $75 a month for community members.

by Tanya Mok via blogTO