Milwaukee County opens 5 more wading pool splash pads for summer 2023
MILWAUKEE - Memorial Day weekend serves as the unofficial start to summer, and those looking to cool down in Milwaukee County will have more options in 2023.
"As it gets hotter, as people are looking for more opportunities to do things out in the summer, that we have more pools open and are available," said Jim Tarantino, Milwaukee County Parks deputy director. "We’re adding five wading pool splash pads that will be opening in addition to the ones we had last year."
They will reopen for summer 2023 after being closed for several summers due to the coronavirus pandemic. This season, the parks department was able to hire more people.
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"On the south side, it’s going to be Mitchell Park, Clarke Square, Walker Square Park and Lincoln Park," said Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez.
Tarantino said Tuesday, May 23 they had hired 90 lifeguards compared to 75 at this time in 2022. He said each year removed from the pandemic has been better.
Milwaukee County Parks
"The pandemic really disrupted our ability to bring back seasonal lifeguards who went on and got new jobs when the pandemic happened, and we weren’t able to open pools," said Tarantino.
Martinez said the community stepped up, sharing the openings through social media.
"It really was a lot of the community spreading the word to each other that there was positions open," he said.
Milwaukee County Parks
While there will be more pools and splash pads staffed for summer 2023, county beaches will not have lifeguards.
"It’s swim at your own risk," said Tarantino.
Tarantino said safety training on Lake Michigan is more intense, so the county beaches will not be staffed for the summer.
If the parks department could get 150 lifeguards hired, that would likely allow all of the pools to be opened.
Milwaukee County Parks
Milwaukee County Parks sites, dates
Water Parks
- Cool Waters Aquatic Center at Greenfield Park, West Allis; May 27-TBA
- Schulz Aquatic at Lincoln Park, Milwaukee; June 10-TBA
Deep Well Outdoor Pools, June 17-TBA
Splash Pads, June 17-Aug.13
- Lucille Berrien Park, Milwaukee
- Clarke Square Park, Milwaukee
- Madison Park, Wauwatosa
- Moody Park, Milwaukee
- Gordon Park, Milwaukee
- Carver Park, Milwaukee
- Dineen Park, Milwaukee
Wading Pools, June 17-Aug. 13
- Algonquin Park, Brown Deer
- Cooper Park, Milwaukee
- Hales Corners Park, Hales Corners
- Harriet Tubman Park, Milwaukee
- Humboldt Park, Milwaukee
- Jacobus Park, Wauwatosa
- La Follette Park, West Allis
- Lindsay Park, Milwaukee
- Pulaski Cudahy, Cudahy
- Rainbow Park, West Allis
- Smith Park, Milwaukee
- Tiefenthaler Park, Milwaukee
- Tippecanoe Park, Milwaukee
- Walker Square Park, Milwaukee
- Wedgewood Park, Milwaukee
- Mitchell Park, Milwaukee