Villegas Park Pool in Riverside - What to Know Before You Go
last updated: July 2026
If you’re looking for a simple, pleasant community pool located in the heart of Riverside, the pool at Villegas Park could be your answer! Here’s all the info about my family’s recent visit there, along with what to expect at the Villegas Park Pool in Riverside, California.
A Birthday Visit to Villegas Park Pool
Last summer, we made a summer goal to visit all the community pools in Riverside (I believe there are eight!) While we didn’t quite achieve our goal, we did get to check out a few, and Villegas Park Pool was my kids’ favorite.
So this year when my son was planning a very sweet, simple day of fun for his July birthday, going to night swim at the Villegas Pool was at the top of his list!
About the Villegas Park Pool
Officially called “Villegas Park & Ysmael Villegas Center,” the park is located in the Casa Blanca neighborhood of Riverside, off the 91 at the Madison Avenue exit (near In N Out, Home Depot, and the Casa Blanca Library). There is a playground, sports fields, and a community center (my daughter took a cooking class there a few years ago!), but for this day, we were just focused on the pool!
All of the City of Riverside Parks and Rec pools operate in generally the same way:
they’re open from late May to early August
they do Rec Swim some weekday afternoons, some evenings, and a few pools are open on Saturdays (and then swim lessons during other times).
you need cash to pay the small per person fee (currently $4 adults, $2 kids if you’re Riverside residents)
when they’re not open for Rec Swim, they’re usually offering swim lessons
Our Visit to Villegas Park
After a full day of simple birthday festivities at home (board games, a piñata scavenger hunt, and pizza from Pizza Guys), we got ready for the pool and headed to night swim.
Night Swim at the Riverside community pools happens a few weekdays every week from 7:00-8:30pm (the days/pools vary so check online before you go.) Putting on sunscreen is one of my least favorite parts of swimming, so I’m a big fan of night swim - no sunscreen required!
We parked in the lot off Esperanza right next to the pool and headed for the entrance, towels and pool toys in tow.
Riverside pool admission went up a bit this summer, and it’s now $4 for adults and $2 for kids. For some reason, even though I know cash is required at Villegas (and all the other community pools), I somehow showed up short! Thankfully, I scrounged up an extra $5 bill from a hidden pocket, and then when I said I wasn’t planning to swim, they let me in for free and said it was still okay if I just put my feet in from the side, so we ended up being able to go… but learn from my mistake - make sure you have enough cash in small bills (they don’t accept 20s!)
My husband, mother-in-law, and kids immediately hopped in the pool, while I waited on the sidelines. They commenced a fun-filled 90 minutes of playing catch with reusable water balloons, diving for treasure chest “sinkies,” squirting each other with water blasters, snorkeling, and cannonballing off the diving board.
One reason we like the Villegas Park Pool is that the shallow end is pretty big. It takes up about ¾ of the pool, and then there is a smaller roped off deep end, mostly just for the diving board. Even though my kids can all swim, it’s just more fun in my opinion to be able to stand if needed while we talk or play.
It was relatively crowded… the pool is not enormous, and it felt pretty full, but not too much to be miserable.
I put my feet for a bit but then spent much of the time standing on the pool deck, either watching my kids going off the diving board or helping them transport various toys from the bleachers to the pool so they didn’t have to get out of the water. There are bleachers and some metal chairs there, but most people who were sitting on the pool deck had brought their own camping chairs - much more comfortable!
I really appreciate that there are 2 lifeguards always on duty at Villegas, seated right on the edge so they can see the whole pool, and they seemed very intentional in their jobs - always watching the kids and not distracted by phones or talking to each other. (They even seem to have some kind of protocol for “changing of the guards” so someone has eyes on the pool when they switch positions). Of course it’s still not a replacement for you watching your own kids, but it’s nice to have a second line of defense there too, especially in the deep end.
The pool closes at 8:30, so at around 8:25 everyone hopped out of the pool, dried off, and we headed home for some birthday cake and bedtime! There technically are dressing rooms here but they’re not super nice, so we find it easier just to head home in damp suits and rinse off/change straight into PJs at home.
Pricing, Hours, and What to Bring to Villegas Pool
Here’s everything you need to know before you go to Villegas Park Pool!
Pricing
All the Riverside community pools are CASH ONLY and only accept coins, $1s, $5s, and $10s (no $20s or higher). For 2026, pricing is:
Ages 0–17 Riverside Resident $2 (Non-Resident $3)
Ages 18-54 Riverside Resident $4 (Non-Resident $5)
Ages 55+ Riverside Resident $3 (Non-Resident $4)
They also have summer swim passes available, which I’m now wishing we would have bought back at the start of summer, both to save money and just to not have to deal with the cash all summer!
Swim Passes (good for the whole summer) - this could definitely save you some money if you plan to swim regularly all summer long!
Youth pass: $20
Adult pass: $40
Family pass: $75 for 1 adult and 3 children
Free Swimming:
Every Wednesday, a different community pool does a free afternoon Rec Swim session from 1-3pm. I believe they sometimes have special activities too. For 2026, Villegas Park has free swim on June 10 and July 29.
Usually one of the weekly prizes for the Riverside Public Library Summer Reading program is a free swim pass. This year it was the prize for Week 2 - you can check and see if they still have any available! (You’ll have to go back and log reading for that week in Beanstack).
Pool Hours
Riverside Community Pools are generally open during the RUSD summer break. This year they’re open June 1 - August 7 (closed for Juneteenth and 4th of July).
Check the Riverside Parks and Rec site for the most up-to-date hours. At the moment, for 2026 Villegas Park is scheduled to be open:
Mondays 1-3pm
Tuesdays 7-8:30pm
Wednesdays 1-3pm and 7-8:30pm
Thursdays 7-8:30pm
Saturdays 1-4pm
I would also be sure to quickly check the Riverside Parks and Rec Instagram account before you go… this week a different community pool was unexpectedly closed due to pool pump issues which they announced on Instagram only… it could save you a trip!
What to Bring to Villegas Park Pool:
You can find a few of our favorite swim items in my Amazon shop here.
cash to pay the fee ($4 adults, $2 kids)
swimsuits (bathrooms/dressing rooms are not amazing so it’s best to put your suit on at home)
towels
sandals/flip flops
water-resistant sunscreen if going for afternoon swim times
goggles (for my kids, these are a must while swimming!)
water bottle
swim diapers if you have little ones
optional: snacks
optional: camping chairs if you won’t be going in the pool - they only have bleachers and some metal chairs attached to tables (unmovable) and they’re not comfy
optional: sun umbrella - there is zero shade, and having an umbrella would be really nice for afternoon swim!
optional: pool toys -we’ve been able to use all of these:
water squirters
Diving toys (gems, rings)
Beach balls or reusable water balloons for playing catch
Kick boards
Puddle jumpers
Snorkel
Flippers
(not allowed: inner tubes/big floats to sit on)
Tips for Visiting the Villegas Park Pool
Good to Know:
Parking is free and plentiful. You want to park in the lot right next to the pool off Esperanza. The first time we visited we pulled in off Marguerita and the lot doesn’t connect, so it was a bit of a hike in our wet swimsuits at the end of the day!
Last month we came for the afternoon Rec Swim session and timed it perfectly to pick up free lunch for my kids at 12:45pm right before the pool opened. (This year, the lunch at Villegas goes till 1pm).
There are technically bathrooms and locker rooms, but they’re not amazing. I’d make sure everyone changes and uses the bathroom at home and save this one just for emergencies.
Bring cash in small bills! They only accept cash and don’t accept bills over $10. I have paid more than once in quarters and dimes from our spare change jar!
There is a small wading pool but it’s been closed whenever we’ve visited. Don’t plan on it being open!
As I mentioned, there is a pretty big shallow end at this pool - it goes in this progression:
Shallow area steps along entire edge
2.5 feet
3.5 feet
4.5 feet
Roped off section = 9 feet with diving board
Features:
diving board
Frequently Asked Questions About Villegas Park Pool
Where is Villegas Park Pool located?
Villegas Park is located at 3091 Esperanza St. in Riverside, in the Casa Blanca neighborhood. The pool is right next to the playground, across from the community center.
How much does it cost to swim at Villegas Park Pool?
The cost is $2-5 per person, depending on age and residency. Cash only, and small bills only! (They don’t take $20s.)
Is Villegas Park Pool good for young kids?
Yes! The large shallow end, starting at 2.5 feet, makes it especially great for younger swimmers and families with little ones. (There is technically a wading pool, but I’ve never seen it open).
What other amenities are there at Villegas Park?
There is a playground, sports fields, a community center that hosts classes, and free lunches offered for kids in the summer through Riverside Summer Feeds.
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