27 Pools, Splash Pads and Water Parks Opening in Milwaukee

Schulz Aquatic Park. Photo taken May 17, 2023 by Graham Kilmer.

Milwaukee County Parks will open 27 aquatic facilities for the 2023 swim season, seven more than it did in 2022.

This includes two water parks, two deep well pools, eight splash pads and 16 wading pools. The department has managed to recruit more lifeguards for the 2023 season, allowing the expanded offerings.

Cool Waters Aquatic Center at Greenfield Park will be the first to open on May 27. Schulz Aquatic Park in Lincoln Park will open June 10 and the rest will open June 17.

A full list of pool openings can be found at the end of the article.

“We’re excited to be able to open our premiere aquatic centers and more splash pads and wading pools compared to our 2022 season,” said Parks Executive Director Guy Smith in a statement Thursday, “This will give our community more access to cool off at our Milwaukee County Park facilities this summer.”

The Parks Department saw its lifeguard recruitment numbers begin to dwindle in the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, after which lifeguard numbers plummeted as pools closed and certification classes were canceled. The department, thanks in part to an aggressive recruitment campaign and pay raises, has managed to recruit 90 guards for the 2023 season, which is approximately 25 more than last year at this time.

And there’s still one last class of expedited lifeguard training that will run from May 23-25. Jodi Wendt, recreation and aquatic manager, said this “bridge” class is aimed at recruiting strong swimmers with previous lifeguard experience who won’t require as much training to pass all the necessary tests.

With the still limited number of guards this year — 200 are needed to staff the whole system — Parks has decided to prioritize water parks over deep well pools. Last year, three deep-well pools and one water park were opened. This year, the department is opening two of each. The water parks tend to attract more families and people with a wide array of swimming abilities.

Splash pads do not require lifeguard staff and can be operated by seasonal workers. The beaches will once again go unguarded.

Wendt said the department is still rebuilding its lifeguarding corps and hopes to continue improving in the coming years, eventually returning guards to the beaches. Open water guards typically require additional training and stronger swimming skills than pool guards.