Some smart parents have tipped me off to their strategy of driving out to different suburbs in search of the winning combination of a public swimming pool with ample parking spaces adjacent and weather warm enough to inspire diving in. That’s the thinking that lures me out to Antioch’s little kid-friendly water park at least once every summer.
Alternatively, an indoor pool is also worth the drive. Carleigh, an El Cerrito mom who happens to manage technology for {510} Families, tipped me off to the Mill Valley Aquatic Center as a destination worth adding to a list of pools for those who can’t wait for the sun to come out. (The roof at the Mill Valley Aquatic Center is retractable. WHAT!)
Why is it great for kids?
A 120-foot waterslide is the main attraction for solid swimmers at this facility. A large entry area with stairs allows smaller children to get in slowly.
During the Spring, the shallow area is open for Family Swim a couple times per day, with the biggest window of hours on Saturdays and Sundays. The waterslide is only open on weekends from 12:30 to 4:45, and not guaranteed.
Summer hours begin on June 19, 12017, and Open Swim with Slide is offered from 1:30 to 4:30 on weekdays; 12:30 to 4:45 on weekends.
For us non-residents of the City of Mill Valley, kids are $8 and adults are $10. Kids 2 and under are free.
Related: 3 East Bay indoor pools to know about
Reopening: AquaTech Swim Center in Alameda
Silliman Aquatic Center: Crazy Fun Indoor Water Park
