Fosco Park

This review is for the CPD pool classes for tots (1 ½ to 3 years old). I wasn’t thrilled with the classes here. Not what I expected. The pool is COLD in the Fall for the little ones. I registered for this CPD swim class online for a 10 week class. The instructor was fine (funny and patient) but after a few weeks he stopped coming and there was always a sub. I didn’t like that.
The facility itself is ok. I have been there for a Halloween party as well. The staff is very helpful and friendly.
I do know that they hold swim classes for senior citizens if you are looking for something like that.

Love this outdoor water park for kids. It’s the best I’ve been to in Chicago and not crowded. Has a free parking lot. Has a gated water park and a separate gated playground. Perfect for toddlers, but not. Why a 1 star? Gun shots. Don’t take yourself or kids.

I agree with the post below the Fosco is a great place to go swimming. I go there for lap swimming and everything is clean and I’ve never felt unsafe in any way.
ALSO, as you can see by the below article… if it’s safe and sound for Michael Phelps, it’s good enough for me!

I just read the other review and had to post this in Fosco’s defense. We have been going there for swim lessons for my 2 and 4 year old for about 6 mo and I have never had or seen any incidence of violence in or around the facility. It is located next to a housing project but I have never had any reason to feel nervous nor have I ever felt like my children or I were in any danger.
Fosco is a great gem in the Chicago Park District system! The pool and locker rooms are clean, updated and well lit. The pool water is relatively warm and the instructors have always been very friendly and nice to my children, even swimming once with my son when we came on a week off.
I will continue to sign my kids up for classes here and think Fosco is an awesome pool and park.

Danger!
I live down in Pilsen with a public pool just down the street from my house at Dvorak park. As their open swim schedule for kids is a little restrictive this year, I needed to find an alternate for Tuesday through Thursday for my little 2 year old that loves the water. I chose to try Fosco due to its proximity to my neighborhood and the combination of water playground and zero-​depth entry to their indoor pool. Upon arrival, the pool was closed due to a fight that had just broken out. Police cars were everywhere and officers were entering the facilities. I should have called it quits right there, but found out that the water playground out back was still open. So, we proceeded around back. I believe the water park was built around 2005. It has some fun features and is well built, but it is starting to show its age with some elements not working and the rubber foam ground surface bubbling up in some places and non-​existent in others. Due to the pool being closed and the high heat, there were a lot of people such as teens running around making it a struggle to make sure my 2 year old wasn’t accidentaly knocked over. All of these I was willing to accept until gun shots rang out within a half block. I could immediately see a group of youths running from where it happened and within minutes every sensible parent and kid emptied the park while the police swarmed the area.
This park is located in the heart of the projects and unfortunately is plagued by gang violence. A quick search reveals there have been 7 homocides, 36 weapons related events and hundreds of assaults and batteries in the past year within just a few blocks radius.
If you want to protect your kids and yourself from being a victim of senseless violence, don’t go here!