Lakeshore Sport & Fitness Illinois Center

I swam at the Lakeshore Fitness Center in Chicago on a Tuesday morning in June around 10:00 AM. The pool has eight lanes. The lanes are not quite as long as a regular competition pool, so I did some extra laps to make up for it. I saw signs on most of the lanes saying that the Masters swimmers use it every weekday from 7:00 to 8:30 AM. Just after I came in at 10:00, one group of campers after another showed up, but they stayed in three lanes, so I was able to complete my swim.

It's pricey at $35 for a visit, but I was at a conference and really needed a swim. The dressing rooms are very large. The women's dressing room contains a hot tub, steam room, and sauna. There's shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in the showers, and lotion and deodorant in the dressing area. If you leave your ID at the front desk, they will give you a card that allows you to lock things securely in a locker. You don't need to bring your own lock. There are also plenty of towels.

The main disadvantage is that you have to go down three flights of steps to get to the pool and go back up three flights of steps to get to the locker room. The elevator is apparently out of order and has been for some time, so there is no handicapped access to the pool. If you can manage that, this is a nice place for a swim, but make it a long one to get your money's worth.

I was here on Sunday morning of Thanksgiving weekend '23, and the place was fairly empty. I had the indoor pool entirely to myself for most of my swim. The water was a good temperature, but the air was quite warm. I used a pass from the Fairmont; the hotel gave me a card with the current gym hours.

The amenities are very nice – a large steam room that includes a shower and so many lockers that I deliberately picked a row closest to the exit for the pool, so I'd find it again. Regular combination locks need to be brought in for all day-use lockers.

While it's not on this site, summertime visitors might want to consider open water swimming at Ohio St. Beach, which has buoys to keep one from going off course; Lake Michigan is typically below 70ºF (21ºC), but it's refreshing and remarkably clear. From the beach to the 1st buoy is ¼ mile. There are small lockers available near the bike path.