Hours for Martin Luther King Day: View facility hours, including fieldhouses & pools for Monday, January 19, 2026.
The Chicago Park District is hosting its December Lifeguard Skills Swim Test during the winter holiday season when students are home for the holiday season and are available to attend the test. This is the first step of the hiring process to be employed as a Park District lifeguard and work in Chicago’s 77 pools and 22 beaches during the summer season. The 2026 Beach Season starts Friday, May 22, 2026.
WHEN: Saturday, December 20, 2025, starting at 9 a.m.
WHERE: Whitney Young High School, 211 S. Laflin St.
MORE: The Lifeguard Skills test includes:
1. 200-yard timed swim
2. 20-yard underwater swim
3. Retrieve underwater object
Chicagoans over the age of 16 years old apt in swimming and Chicago residents are invited to apply. After successfully completing the test, candidates are conditionally hired and assigned to an American Red Cross certification class. The Chicago Park District will provide a $400 stipend for the completion of the required course for first-time applicants, and a $100 stipend for returning seasonal lifeguards.
Swimmers must be 16 years of age by July 1, 2026, and a resident of the City of Chicago to work this summer. The pay rate for seasonal lifeguards hired for the 2026 season will be $20.50 an hour. The next scheduled swim test is Friday, January 30 at 4:30 p.m. at Foster Park, 1440 W. 84th St.
For more information, and to register, visit the Lifeguard page.