Whether you want to swim laps, join an aqua aerobics class, teach the kids to swim or simply cool off, there is a public swimming pool for you in Brisbane. There are pools for serious athletes, pools just for paddling and some are heated and open all year round.
Here’s our pick of Brisbane’s best...
Brisbane City Council Pools
Brisbane City Council operates 17 pools across the city. All pools have change rooms with hot and cold showers and kiosks selling food, drinks and swimming accessories.
Dip your toe at:
Acacia Ridge (open in winter)
There’s plenty of parking and an indoor, heated 25m pool, ideal for lap swimming and learn-to-swim classes. There’s also a large, outdoor swimming lagoon. There’s grass to lie on, and shaded picnic tables that you can book for group parties and functions.
Bellbowrie
Take a dip or swim some laps in the 50m outdoor pool. Rain, hail or shine, the 25 metre heated, indoor pool is perfect for laps or learn-to-swim classes for all ages. There’s plenty of room to run around, good shade cover and kids love the water slide, splash pool and wading pool. Keen swimmers can join the resident swimming club.
Carole Park Pool
Situated on large grounds, this is a great family-friendly facility. The 25-metre pool is ideal for swimming laps and young ones can splash about in the wading or children’s pool. There’s also learn-to-swim classes.
Chermside Pool (open in winter)
A large centre for swimming lessons and hydrotherapy, the water fun park comes alive in summer with its huge waterslide. The 25 metre pool is open all year. Easy to duck into the vast Kedron Wavell Services Club next door or borrow a book to read poolside from Chermside library.
City (Centenary Pool) (open in winter)
An inner city pool that benefits from an attached fitness centre. There isn’t any grass to laze on but lots of classes, a good kiosk, diving platforms and plenty of kickboards for hire, make it a good pool for exercise. A toddlers’ wading pool makes it popular with young mums.
City (Spring Hill Baths)
This pool is unlike any other in Brisbane. The historical baths host learn to swim lessons, a café, a fully equipped Pilates Studio, aqua aerobics and memories. The pool is heated and open all year round, attracting swimmers who want atmosphere and a dip into history.
Dunlop Park Pool (Corinda)
Swim some laps in the 50 metre pool, shaded at the shallow end. One pool has a beach-entry, with wheelchair access ramp and water play features too. Kids love the wading pool and four water slides. Take learn-to-swim or aqua aerobics classes in the heated, indoor 15 metre pool. There’s barbeques, shaded picnic areas with tables. Why not join the resident swimming and squad training club?
Fortitude Valley Pool (open in winter)
A 50 metre pool is the main feature with grandstands for all your fans to sit in. Usually a mix of office workers and more colourful Valley characters swim here.
Hibiscus Sports Complex (Upper Mt Gravatt) (open in winter)
Beautiful, manicured grounds surround a 50 metre outdoor pool, shaded at the shallow end. Keep fit in the indoor, heated 25 metre pool. Learn-to-swim classes are held in the 12 metre indoor, heated pool. Bring your skateboard or rollerblades for some fun in between dips in the pool.
Ithaca Pool (Paddington)
Fairly small pool complex, next to a good park. Has a grassy area to sunbake on, recliners to rent and background tunes to relax to. Across the road from Suncorp Stadium, wander up the road for a cool drink or food on Caxton Street.
Jindalee Pool
Join in one of the exercise classes or relax under shady trees. Lap swimmers can swim a mile or two in the 50m outdoor pool. Toddlers like splashing about in the wading pool with fun water features. A heated 17m pool has learn-to-swim classes, rain or shine.
Manly Pool
On the Manly foreshore next to the boat harbour, this pool is great for fun or fitness. The 33 metre main pool is reserved from 5.30am to 7am for lap swimming. Kids love the waterslide and wading pool. Relax in one of the many shaded areas knowing the main pool is fenced off to protect the little ones. Fish and chips aren’t far away!
Musgrave Park Pool (South Brisbane)
Near West End and Highgate Hill, with views of the city skyline, the Musgrave Park Pool at South Brisbane has a 50 metre, outdoor pool plus two partially shaded outdoor pools ideal for the young ones. Learn-to-swim classes are also available. Water polo is big at this pool so get involved.
Newmarket Pool
A kids’ mecca of slides, waterspouts and more. It also offers squad training, swimming lessons and good facilities. Lots of grass to laze on.
Sandgate Pool
Is on the foreshore in large, landscaped grounds. There’s a 50 metre pool, a huge wading pool, water slides and play features. A heated, indoor learn-to-swim pool means that wet, cold weather isn’t an issue. With barbecue facilities, a basketball hoop and playground next door it’s popular with everyone.
Langlands Park Pool (Stones Corner)
Next to the East's Rugby League football club, Langlands Park pool complex has a 50m pool plus a shaded outdoor pool for toddlers and children. An indoor, heated learn-to-swim pool offers classes.
Yeronga Pool (open in winter)
Has something for everyone, including an 8 lane 50m and 4 lane 25m outdoor heated pool.
Pool Top Tip: Barbecue facilities are available at some Council pools. Telephone the Brisbane City Council call centre on 07 3403 8888 for more information.
Family friendly pools
These are the pools where the kids come to expect slides, waterspouts and extra fun, just for them.
Newmarket pool
It's easy for the family to spend the whole day at Newmarket pool. Bring food for the barbeques, have a picnic under the pine trees, and swing the littlies at the playground.
But what about the pools? There’s a shaded toddler pool, with spouting caterpillars, baby slide and shallow water. Older kids will enjoy the pool with bigger slides, mushroom fountains and waterfall caves. The 50m pool is the place for big kids to use floating tyres, the largest slide or do laps. There’s even a covered, heated pool where swimming lessons are held. It is like a mini water theme park, with only a few dollars entry price.
Pool Top Tip: A definite summer family favourite.
Chandler Aquatic Centre (open in winter)
This enormous pool complex was the site for the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane. There is a 50 metre pool, diving pool with all types of diving boards and platforms, a 25 metre pool plus a leisure pool where the kids can have fun with a slide and floating inflatable playground. There are also dive in discos for under 12 year olds, swimming lessons, birthday parties, a shop, café and childminding. Open all year.
Pool Top Tip: It is a wet wonderland, never mind the weather.
Yeronga Pool (open in winter)
Yeronga Pool has everything to make a fun day with the kids. There’s a toddlers’ pool and another with all sorts of waterspouts. There’s also a heated lesson pool and a 25 metre pool for doing laps. With good grass and shade around the pools too it’s a beaut local pool.
Pool Top Tip: Pay a visit to check it out.
Lap swimming pools
Fortitude Valley Pool (open in winter)
This is serious swimming! The Fortitude Valley Pool is the domain of people getting fit and doing countless laps. It’s also the home pool to many of Brisbane’s elite swimmers. But don’t let that stop you - as long as you can swim 50 metres this pool is for you too. Kickboards and fins can be borrowed.
The Valley pool is heated in winter and open all year round. Pool Top Tip: Beware the lunch time rush of executives in training.
Enoggera Pool & Squash (open in winter)
If you want a quiet pool to do 25 metre laps, then head to the understated Enoggera Pool. With no fancy facilities, it is tucked away from Samford Road but has all you need. There are popular baby and kids’ swimming classes held in the heated, undercover pool plus aqua aerobics classes. Open 7 days.
Spring Hill Baths
For a dip into history, visit the quirky and quaint Spring Hill Baths. An indoor pool without a roof, this 25 metre pool has multi-coloured changing booths which surround the pool. Built in 1886 it is the oldest municipal baths complex in the Southern Hemisphere. Check the opening times on weekdays as it only open for peak times (early morning, noon and late afternoon).
Pool Top Tip: Wearing a floral swimming cap circa 1950 wouldn’t look astray here.
If you are keen to join a swimming club, contact the Brisbane Swimming Association.
School and university pools
Take advantage of some of the excellent swimming facilities at Brisbane’s schools and universities.
Somerville House sports and aquatic centre (open in winter)
The Somerville House pool is a heated 50m pool for serious swimmers who want to train, be a part of a squad or learn stroke correction. It is open long hours, 7 days a week.
University of Queensland aquatic centre (open in winter)
The University of Queensland at St Lucia has two pools, one extra warm for lessons and a 50 metre pool that is heated in winter. A grassed area makes for a place to relax after your laps. Keep an eye open for scheduled family fun days when the pool is taken over by a large inflatable playground for kids. Opening times differ between summer and winter.
Adult fitness classes are currently available and cater for triathletes, masters and surf swimmers as well as a range of classes that cater for general fitness such as water running.
Pool Top Tip: Parking can be tricky during semester.
QUT - Gardens Point campus (open in winter)
The Gardens Point campus of QUT (in the city) has a 25 metre pool open to the public. Like in most pools, there are designated lanes including two for free swimming.
Pool Top Tip : Kickboards and noodles can be borrowed but you pay to use the towels and hairdryers.
Griffith Uni – Mt Gravatt campus (closed in winter)
Griffith University also has a pool at its Mt Gravatt campus. The pool is 25 metres long, with eight lanes. It’s really cheap for Griffith students and still reasonable for everyone else.
Pools in the Greater Brisbane area
There are a number of public swimming pools in the outer areas of Brisbane. Contact them for details of facilities and opening times.
Take the plunge at:
- Albany Creek Leisure Centre
- Logan Aquatic and Fitness Centre
- Murrumba Downs Community Pool
- Lawnton Swimming Complex
- Forest Lake Aquatic Centre
- Cleveland Olympic Pool
- Redlands YMCA pool
Other places to swim
Whilst technically not “pools” that you can do laps in, the following swimming holes deserve mention as fabulous places to swim for fun. Plus they are free!
South Bank – Streets Beach
With enough water to fill five olympic swimming pools, this Brisbane water hole is enormous. Tonnes of sand create a beach-like feel and the kids love to dig in it or jump off the rocks and paddle in the small streams. It is a patrolled beach and city-slicker kids can even be a nipper and learn lifesaving skills. The views of the city and Brisbane River are nice too.
Settlement Cove Lagoon at Redcliffe
The Settlement Cove Lagoon is a great place for kids with waterfalls, slides and a ship-theme playground. The beaches of Redcliffe are always good for a dip too.
Wynnum Wading Pool
The Wynnum Wading Pool is an old-fashioned favourite. Filled with water from Moreton Bay, it is on the Esplanade, at the end of Edith Street, Wynnum. It’s not deep but good for adult exercise and kids can slide into it.
Tip: At its best after a high tide has replaced the water.
Those looking for sun, surf and sand should check out our beaches close to Brisbane.
