Its freezing and there’s snow on the ground, so its the ideal time to look at pools for the summer. While I’ve lived here I’ve met people in the township that go to all of the nearby pools. All of the pools have swim teams, although they participate in different leagues. Creekside and Knowlton participate in the local league while Swarthmore, Rose Valley and Wallingford all compete in a league that competes further afield. Several of these pools often hit their membership capacity, so looking early in the year (February – April) is advised.

Creekside Swim Club is the one closest to Garden City, sitting at the corner of Moore and Media. It has two pools – one for toddlers and one larger pool. It probably has the most members from Garden City.

Wallingford Swim and Racquet is the next closest, sitting at the corner of Meadow and Providence. It has four pools for various age groups and several tennis courts. Most Garden City residents that don’t go to Creekside come here.

Swarthmore Swim Club is further afield in northern Swarthmore and has three pools, drawing mostly from the northern part of the township and Swarthmore.

Rose Valley Swim Club is hidden in the small borough of Rose Valley. Rose Valley also has three pools and tennis courts. Creekside, Wallingford and Swarthmore and Rose Valley pools all have mutual agreements allowing swimmers to visit friends at the other clubs on swap days.

Knowlton and Hidden Hollow are different. Whereas the above pools are owned by their members, these pools are part of Linvilla and are located a ways down Edgemont Road. Hidden Hollow has 3 pools, tennis and other activities. Knowlton has three more pools and other activities as well. Membership at Linvilla covers use of both pools.

Springhaven Club is located nearby in Nether Providence and has pools but is primarily a golf club with a restaurant and event facilities. Membership is by invitation only, and there are likely few, if any, members from Garden City that move in those social circles. Pricing is also not available on their website as far as I can tell, so its hard to compare.

All of these clubs have different pricing structures, making them awkward to compare. Also, some pools have yet to post 2022 numbers, which have been significantly higher than 2021 due to many pools holding fees low during Covid and now facing inflationary pressures. So keep that in mind for Rose Valley and Linvilla.

Creekside has no special rates though does offer partial summer memberships. Wallingford has discounted rates for a babysitter, or rates for if you only want to use the tennis or paddle courts. Swarthmore and Rose Valley have discounted rates for seniors and babysitters. Rose Valley also offers discounted rates for young adults. Linvilla offers discounts to seniors, infants and toddlers. Creekside and Linvilla also offer discounts for paying early while Swarthmore has a penalty for paying later.