wellness
Long Beach Pools Launch Ambitious Summer Programs for All Ages
From toddler splash classes to masters swim leagues, the city's public pools are running some of their most ambitious programming in years.
How we reported this
Enrollment at Long Beach's public aquatic facilities hit a five-year high this summer, with the city's Parks, Recreation and Marine department reporting that group swim lessons through July 4th weekend are running at roughly 94 percent capacity across its three operated pools. That means if you haven't already signed up, you're competing for the last few spots, and some sessions are already closed.
The timing matters. Water safety remains a persistent public health concern in Southern California: the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 1 to 4 nationwide, and Los Angeles County data consistently shows that Black and Latino children swim at lower rates than their white peers, a disparity Long Beach officials have pointed to directly when justifying expanded subsidized programming. With school out and temperatures regularly cracking 85°F along the coast this month, demand for structured aquatic activity is compounding fast.
Where to Go in Long Beach Right Now
The city's flagship facility is the Belmont Pool, located at 4000 E. Olympic Plaza near Belmont Shore. It runs a full slate through late August, including the Learn-to-Swim program for ages 6 months and up, a competitive youth stroke clinic on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and a weekend open lap session that draws a surprisingly mixed crowd, retirees sharing lanes with triathletes prepping for the Long Beach Triathlon in October. Adult group lessons here run $95 for a six-session block, and the department has confirmed pricing holds through the end of the fiscal year on September 30.
Martin Luther King Jr. Pool at 1950 Lemon Ave. in the North Long Beach neighborhood operates on a tighter schedule but has become the hub for the city's Swim Safe LA partnership, a county-backed initiative that offers free eight-lesson swim clinics to children 4 to 14 from lower-income households. Registration for the next Swim Safe cohort opens July 14 and runs online through the city's ActiveNet portal. Last summer's North Long Beach cohort enrolled 212 children, the program's highest local figure since it launched in 2019.
For residents on the west side, Silverado Park Aquatic Center at 1545 W. 31st St. added an adaptive swimming program in January 2026 specifically for adults and children with physical and developmental disabilities. The six-week course, offered twice per year in partnership with the nonprofit Special Olympics Southern California, costs $40 per participant with fee waivers available.
Beyond Basics: What's Drawing Adults Back to the Pool
Group fitness in the water has expanded well past children's lessons. Aqua aerobics classes at Belmont Pool run Monday through Friday at 7 a.m. and have a waitlist of around 30 people as of this week. The Long Beach Masters Swim Club, which trains out of the Belmont facility three mornings per week, accepted 18 new members in June alone, the club's largest single-month intake since 2021. Membership runs $480 annually and includes coached workouts and access to the club's open-water sessions off Alamitos Beach.
The broader national picture reinforces what Long Beach is seeing locally. A 2025 report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association found that swimming participation among adults 35 and older climbed 11 percent between 2022 and 2025, driven largely by injury-averse exercisers moving away from high-impact options. For anyone managing joint issues or recovering from injury, a pool-based routine offers a low-resistance alternative, though anyone starting a new exercise program should check in with a physician or a certified aquatic instructor before jumping in.
The practical path forward: visit longbeach.gov/park and search under Aquatics for current availability, or call the Parks, Recreation and Marine department directly at (562) 570-3100. The Swim Safe LA clinic fills within 48 hours of opening each cycle, so July 14 is a hard deadline worth marking. For adults without a specific program in mind, Belmont Pool's Saturday open lap hours, 8 a.m. to noon, $4 per entry, remain one of the better-value fitness options the city offers.