Which pool do you go to?
West Chester has a couple of different options when it comes to getting your summer swim fix. They fall into four basic categories. You have your swim clubs, your athletic clubs, your apartment pools, and your generous neighbors (if you are so lucky.)
A couple of years ago we made the switch from the YMCA pool to a swim club. This option is pricier than the Y pool (especially now that the pool is included with your family membership. More on that below) and there is no in-water playground or splash areas, but it’s closer to our house and it’s where the kids’ friends are. So that has made the investment worth it for our family.
If you are still debating where to go for your summer pool membership, you’ll want to begin to solidify your summer plans now because, unfortunately, West Chester does not have a public pool and many of the other options will fill up.
Here are your choices:
West Chester Swim Clubs
Where I grew up, we didn’t have swim clubs. You had to choose between the public pool, the country club, or for the naturalists, the town’s man-made lake. The whole idea of a swim club feels very Mad Men to me, which I am not saying is a bad thing.
(Editor’s note: I recently spoke with West Chester University Professor Robert Kodosky. on this whole phenomenon of swim clubs – and origin-wise it might not been such a great thing either but here we are.)
If you are looking to join a swim club, just make a note to start the process early, like January (or now for next year), as the clubs fill up quickly.
“Most clubs will have waiting lists since there are not that many for such a large area as ours,” said one helpful neighbor on NextDoor.
As of the writing of this article, two of the clubs are at capacity (or working through waitlists) for the 2024 swim season but Waterview still has a few openings.
Waterview Swim Club
About: Waterview Swim Club is located on a beautiful three-acre property in residential West Chester, PA.
Website: progressivepool.com/waterview
Membership requirements: Membership fee is based on family size. It is $675 for a family of four.
Swim team: Waterview sharks
Facilities: Main pool, wading pool, picnic area with grill, playground, basketball court, shuffleboard, snack bar
Events/activities: Swim team, swim lessons, lifeguard training courses, in previous years they have also hosted onsite events such as a school’s out pizza party, teen party, movie nights, and raft night
Pool opens: May 27
Roslyn Swim Club
About: Or as described on their website: “A neighborhood pool where families and friends gather to enjoy the sun, water, and companionship.”
Location: 838 Spruce Avenue, West Chester, PA
Website: www.roslynswimclub.com
Membership requirements: Membership fee is based on family size: $570 for a family of four. In addition to the membership fee, there is also a $75/annual pool improvement fee – for a total of $645 for a family of four.
For new members, there is also a $400/one-time membership initiation fee. This fee is paid out in $200 increments over the first two years of membership.
Swim team: Roslyn Stingrays
Facilities: Baby pool, lap pool, water slide, pavilion, onsite grills
Events/activities: Swim lessons, pool parties, adult socials
Pool opens: May 27
Rosyln is one of those pools with a rather lengthy waitlist and while it does move it may not be as quickly as families would like. “We need to know how many current members are returning before extending new memberships to those on the waitlist!” the club recently shared on Facebook.
Think Rosyln might be in your future? Get in line now. “Your name stays on the list until we get to you,” said Membership coordinator Stefanie Heron-Birl. “The sooner you fill it out the better!”
Rosyln also offers an August-only membership which can be a cost-effective way to see if the swim club experience is for you. “You get to try it out and see if it’s a good fit for you and it automatically gets you in as a full member the following year,” said Stefanie.
Wedgewood Swim Club
About: Wedgewood is a member-owned and run swim club. They describe themselves as a place “where families come to meet.” A member of NextDoor attested to that saying, “It’s a great community and the swim team is fun!”
Location: 957 S. Matlack Street, West Chester, PA
Website: www.wedgewoodclub.net
Membership requirements: Membership is $580/year for a family of four. In addition to membership dues, members must pay a club improvement fee ($550/billed over the first two years, plus, $75/year each year thereafter) and invest in a bond for the pool. This is an additional $500 expense but the bond money is returned when the member leaves the club and the bond is sold to a new family.
So, if you are a family of four thinking of becoming a Whale you will need $1430 to secure your spot.
Swim team: Wedgewood Whales
Facilities: Main pool with a diving area; lap pool; Baby pool; Bathroom and shower area; Covered pavilion with TV, deck large and picnic area with charcoal grills
Events/activities: pool parties, bingo, swim lessons, basketball, volleyball, and horseshoe pits.
Pool opens: May 27Note: Wedgewood also has a waitlist. “Due to the popularity of Wedgewood, new membership applications are placed on a waitlist in the order they are received. Each year the membership turnover changes based on our returning families. There is no guarantee of acceptance this year,” a note on their website reads.
That said, it is never too early to get line. “You can apply for membership and your name will stay on the waitlist until we get to your position,” their membership team shared.
Quarry Swim Association
About: The Quarry Swim Association is West Chester’s only natural swimming hole. It’s also one of the oldest organized swim clubs in the United States and certainly the most secretive in the West Chester area. I had a very hard time finding anything about this hidden gem located at the former site of Brinton’s quarry, which according to The American Mineralist opened in 1730 – the quarry, not the swim club. While the quarry was best known for the distinctive green serpentine rock that was mined there, the swim club seems to be known for the wonder of the quarry itself.
While the swim club website is down, a link to the History of the Quarry written in 2002 remains. Written in celebration of the Quarry’s 100th anniversary as a swim club it provides so helpful insights into this mysterious wonder. Including the following description:
“You might well remember the first time you saw the Quarry. You, like us, were probably struck by the unique natural beauty and improbable setting that unfolded before you. It’s difficult to adequately describe that setting to someone else, just as it’s challenging to give meaning to the Quarry’s ancient geological origins.”
But it does exist: ” Just wanted to let you know there is another swim club in West Chester,” a current member emailed me. “There is a beach and volleyball. It’s absolutely heaven on earth.”
Location: 1153 S. New Street
Membership requirements: Members of the Quarry Swim club are required to purchase a Certificate of Membership. In 1962, over 100 future members agreed to purchase these membership certificates at $100/per family thus raising the funds needed to purchase the property from its owner.
“The issuance of a Certificate of Membership, still $100, remains as an integral part of the admissions process,” The History of the Quarry states. I cannot confirm the price of a Certificate of Membership is still $100 today, but I would guess the Certificate of Membership is.
Membership at this natural quarry is purposefully kept quite small and while the exact process has changed a bit over the years, you’re not getting in without knowing someone.
“Whatever the language, it’s still informal, by invitation only,” The History says.
Facilities: Sand beach, volleyball, natural swimming hole
Fitness Center Swimming Pools
West Chester YMCA
About: Spend the summer “cool at the pool” with your membership to the West Chester YMCA outdoor pool. Their words, but we enjoyed our time there and as one Next Door contributor described it: “The Y is nice and has slides and other fun things to climb on in the pool.” Also, as a bonus, this year outdoor pool access is included with your basic membership.
Location: 605 Airport Road, West Chester, PA
Website: ymcagbw.org/summer-pool-memberships-ymca
Membership requirements: New in 2023 – Last year, for the first time since it opened in 2009, outdoor pool access was included with membership. It will be again this year as long as you meet the following requirements:
- you are a member in good standing (no holds) before March 31, 2024
- you maintain your membership through the pool season.
- you have a full membership. Youth, short-term and Oscar Lasko-only memberships do not include outdoor pool access.
If you don’t join by the March 31 deadline you can still access the pool you’ll just need to pay a one-time pool fee – $249 for individuals, $449 for two adult families plus kids, and $499 for family units with three or four adults plus kids.
Note the fee rate will not be prorated as the summer goes on. So if you are planning on joining, do it sooner rather than later to make sure you get the most out of it. Your West Chester YMCA membership will also get you into the outdoor pools at the Brandywine YMCA, Kennett Area YMCA, and Upper Main Line YMCA
Swim team: The Marlins
Facilities: Baby pool, six-lane adult pool, interactive pirate ship with dumping bucket, multiple pool slides, snack bar.
Events/activities: The pool hosts themed events throughout the summer. Also, you’ll have gym, childcare and class access as you need to be a member to join the pool. Note: Y campers also use the pool so it can get crowded during the day.
Pool opens: May 26
ACAC Fitness and Wellness Center
About: The ACAC Waterpark in West Chester offers fun in the sun, or relaxation in the shade! (Their words not, mine.) They also offer the area’s longest outdoor pool season.
Location: 1130 McDermott Drive, West Chester, PA
Website: acac.com/west-chester
Membership requirements: Access to the outdoor pool is included with the full facility membership. Rates vary so you’ll need to contact the membership team for details.
Swim team: The Dolphins
Facilities: Two waterslides, baby pool, lap pool, café
Activities/events: Pool parties, swim lessons, poolside café offering sandwiches, smoothies, and more. Also, gym and class access as you need to be a member to join the pool.
Pool opens: TBD, but the heated pools at ACAC allow for an extended outdoor season.
West Chester Country Club
About: Founded in 1898, West Chester Golf & Country Club is one of the oldest clubs in the region. WCCC is a private, family-oriented, member-owned club located off Ashbridge Street. In addition to swimming, they offer golf, tennis, and dining facilities.
Location: 111 W. Ashbridge Street, West Chester, PA
Website: www.westchestercc.net
Membership requirements: You can join as a full social member that includes all the amenities (tennis, pool, dining, and golf) or you can join just the pool. There are still dining requirements with the pool membership and in addition to the cost of the annual membership and the bi-monthly dining minimums, there are monthly improvement fees, a one-time initiation fee, and a certificate purchase. That’s about as far as I got – you’ll need to contact their membership team for actual figures.
Swim team: WCGCC Piranhas
Facilities: 25-meter lap pool with diving board, baby pool with fountains, full-service kitchen with wait staff, and full bar.
Activities/events: Pool parties and (in case “full-service” bar wasn’t clear) poolside cocktails.
Pool opens: May 27
Apartment Pools
Now, if you have the foresight and the means, perhaps the easiest way to guarantee you have a place to swim all summer, is to rent from a building with a pool.
Try New Kent, Goshen Terrace, The Pointe at West Chester, Chestnut Square, the Metropolitan, or Cambridge Hall Apartments. Just a few of the local complexes that include “swimming pool” among their amenities.
Or maybe it’s time to pay those neighbors with the beautiful in-ground pool a surprise visit?
Summer is nearly upon us. Enjoy.
Plus, don’t forget West Chester’s splash park.