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Ebster Pool near Decatur’s downtown.
City of Decatur

10 of Atlanta’s best swimming pools for beating the heat

Swimming holes new and old are about to be sardine-packed with hot Atlantans

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Ebster Pool near Decatur’s downtown.
| City of Decatur

We’re mere weeks away from the official start of summer, and global warming is in the air, here to make Atlanta’s pools feel that much greater. With temperatures already climbing into the 90s, city dwellers are surely on the prowl for that perfect urban oasis. Well, you’re in luck. Find here 10 prime spots to cool off, get wet, and entertain the kids this summer. The selections range from old-school (Piedmont Park Aquatic Center) to jaw-dropping (St. Regis Atlanta's pool, where drunken cannonballs are certainly forbidden). Grab your swimsuit, your bar money, your kids, and don't forget the sunscreen.

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The W Hotel Atlanta—Downtown

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Day passes at hotel pools aren't really a thing in Atlanta, apparently, but the W Hotel Downtown's Wetbar is pretty close. Access is available only through invite or reservation, but "Atlanta's only all-weather rooftop pool bar" offers sweeping views of the Atlanta skyline, signature cocktails, and "special guest DJs spinning sultry sounds" every weekend.

brittenelle, via Instagram

Ebster Pool

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The City of Decatur's Ebster Pool reopened five years ago after extensive renovations that included an upgraded pool house, new splash pad, and more lanes. Glenlake is another favorite in the area, and both are open to non-Decatur residents. Admission for nonresidents is generally $6, and $4 for kids.

Piedmont Park Aquatic Center

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The aquatic center at Atlanta's marquee park includes a landscaped and partially shaded deck, concessions, locker rooms, and plenty of little accouterments perfect for the kids. As one would imagine, it gets a little crowded at times, but the prices stay reasonable—$5 for adults and free swim on weekdays from 3 to 5 p.m.

Grant Park Pool

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This rejuvenated pool is tucked a couple of blocks off Boulevard and welcomes an eclectic mix of Atlantans every summer. The general rule of thumb is this: Admission is free from 12:30 to 4 p.m. every weekday, and you're going to fork over a few bucks otherwise.

jdsmith13, via Instagram

Candler Park Pool

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Just off the Candler Park Golf Course and surrounded by open green space, this pool is perfectly enjoyable, if not huge. Deal seekers can swim for free from 12:30 to 4 p.m. on weekdays.

megandtiu, via Instagram

Garden Hills Pool

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Atlanta magazine has called this neighborhood pool "beautiful, shining like a yuppie oasis amid leafy Garden Hills Park in south Buckhead." It's heated and includes a diving board, kiddie pool and nearby picnic areas. Admission will generally run you $5 a head.

John A White Outdoor Pool

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A kiddie paradise with zero-depth entry, tyke-friendly waterslides, and splashy fountains galore, the John A White Pool is a family oasis on the southwest side of town, off Cascade Road. Daily admission rates range from $1 to $4.

The St. Regis Atlanta

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You're going to have to get a room or book a spa treatment between Monday and Thursday to get access, but the “pool piazza” at the St. Regis in the heart of Buckhead is truly something to behold. On top of the aesthetics, it offers cabanas, poolside butlers, and a total of 40,000 square feet—enabling poolgoers to “be as social or as private as they wish.”

Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center and Aquatic Center

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If sitting out in the scorching sun ain’t your thing, check out the still-new natatorium just north of the King Memorial MARTA Station. With a 25-yard lap pool and the city’s first zero-entry indoor pool, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreation and Aquatics Center is a good bet for all ages.

alliv08, via Instagram

Fulton Cotton Mill Lofts (private, but righteous)

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Enveloped by the former mill built in the late 1800s, the pool at the Fulton Cotton Mill Lofts is the epitome of an urban oasis. But be forewarned: It’s not open to the public. You might try making some friends on Cabbagetown’s Carroll Street to earn an invite.

vuntagebee, via Instagram

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The W Hotel Atlanta—Downtown

Day passes at hotel pools aren't really a thing in Atlanta, apparently, but the W Hotel Downtown's Wetbar is pretty close. Access is available only through invite or reservation, but "Atlanta's only all-weather rooftop pool bar" offers sweeping views of the Atlanta skyline, signature cocktails, and "special guest DJs spinning sultry sounds" every weekend.

brittenelle, via Instagram

Ebster Pool

The City of Decatur's Ebster Pool reopened five years ago after extensive renovations that included an upgraded pool house, new splash pad, and more lanes. Glenlake is another favorite in the area, and both are open to non-Decatur residents. Admission for nonresidents is generally $6, and $4 for kids.

Piedmont Park Aquatic Center

The aquatic center at Atlanta's marquee park includes a landscaped and partially shaded deck, concessions, locker rooms, and plenty of little accouterments perfect for the kids. As one would imagine, it gets a little crowded at times, but the prices stay reasonable—$5 for adults and free swim on weekdays from 3 to 5 p.m.

Grant Park Pool

This rejuvenated pool is tucked a couple of blocks off Boulevard and welcomes an eclectic mix of Atlantans every summer. The general rule of thumb is this: Admission is free from 12:30 to 4 p.m. every weekday, and you're going to fork over a few bucks otherwise.

jdsmith13, via Instagram

Candler Park Pool

Just off the Candler Park Golf Course and surrounded by open green space, this pool is perfectly enjoyable, if not huge. Deal seekers can swim for free from 12:30 to 4 p.m. on weekdays.

megandtiu, via Instagram

Garden Hills Pool

Atlanta magazine has called this neighborhood pool "beautiful, shining like a yuppie oasis amid leafy Garden Hills Park in south Buckhead." It's heated and includes a diving board, kiddie pool and nearby picnic areas. Admission will generally run you $5 a head.

John A White Outdoor Pool

A kiddie paradise with zero-depth entry, tyke-friendly waterslides, and splashy fountains galore, the John A White Pool is a family oasis on the southwest side of town, off Cascade Road. Daily admission rates range from $1 to $4.

The St. Regis Atlanta

You're going to have to get a room or book a spa treatment between Monday and Thursday to get access, but the “pool piazza” at the St. Regis in the heart of Buckhead is truly something to behold. On top of the aesthetics, it offers cabanas, poolside butlers, and a total of 40,000 square feet—enabling poolgoers to “be as social or as private as they wish.”

Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center and Aquatic Center

If sitting out in the scorching sun ain’t your thing, check out the still-new natatorium just north of the King Memorial MARTA Station. With a 25-yard lap pool and the city’s first zero-entry indoor pool, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreation and Aquatics Center is a good bet for all ages.

alliv08, via Instagram

Fulton Cotton Mill Lofts (private, but righteous)

Enveloped by the former mill built in the late 1800s, the pool at the Fulton Cotton Mill Lofts is the epitome of an urban oasis. But be forewarned: It’s not open to the public. You might try making some friends on Cabbagetown’s Carroll Street to earn an invite.

vuntagebee, via Instagram