#98 - Dive Into Fun at Echo Park

Whether there's a foot of snow on the ground or it is hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk, it's always bathing suit season at Echo Park in West Hempstead.

The pool complex, operated by the Town of Hempstead, is open year-round to residents and visitors, who can purchase a daily, seasonal or annual pass. (Discounts are available for residents, families, children and seniors.)

The heated, indoor swim center features two pools, which include lap lanes, and three springboards, one of which is a high dive. Then, in the warmer months, two additional outdoor pools are opened, including one for smaller kids.

Lifeguards are on duty all year long, and you can enlist a swim instructor to teach you the basics or help refine your stroke. Many kids and teens can also sign-up for Echo's swim team.

The pool is a perfect place to spend the day with the family. After splashing around in the water you can head upstairs to enjoy lunch at the snack shop or eat your packed lunch on the patio. Or after a heart-pumping workout in the pool, you can retire to one of the locker rooms for a shower and then relax in the sauna or steam room.

Echo Park is not just swimming though. It can be your fitness center. Both locker rooms contain small workout areas so you can also incorporate weight training and other forms of cardio into your exercise regimen. You can also participate in group exercise and dance classes, including Zumba and Line Dancing, for a fee. They are held in the multi-purpose room on the second floor. Click here for the schedules and registration information. There's even a baseball field located on the property too.

This place also serves as a community center. Several organizations, including the West Hempstead Senior Citizens, host meetings and events here. The Town posts most of them on their site.

From cannonballs to card games, lap swimming to line dancing, residents of all ages will find fun and relief from the winter blues or a scorching summer inside Echo Park.

Category: Sports, fitness, recreation, swimming, family, seniors, baseball, culture

Price:  Varies - daily, half-year and full year passes available and discounts. Click here for details.

Season: Year-round, outdoor pools closed during colder months.

Note: Echo Park closes for maintenance Dec. 31 at 3:45 p.m. and re-opens Jan. 18 at 10 a.m.

Phone: (516) 483-7400