Lions Pool

Lions Pool was a beloved outdoor village swimming facility located within Lions Park at 180 Lions Drive in Elk Grove Village. The pool had deep roots in the community, tracing back to the involvement of the Elk Grove Village Lions Club, a local civic service organization that helped shape recreational opportunities in town.

A Community-Built Pool

Plans for a community pool were first unveiled in 1960, when the Lions Club and local partners proposed building a modern pool and bathhouse in a park setting near Salt Creek — part of a broader effort to expand recreational amenities as the village grew.

In 1968, the Lions Club donated the pool and parkland to what had recently become the Elk Grove Park District, firmly planting the facility within the public park system and ensuring it would serve generations of residents.

What It Was Like

Lions Pool was a classic mid-century outdoor community pool — a place where summer days were spent splashing, swimming, and socializing:

Wide open swim space: Multiple swim lanes, deeper areas for trained swimmers, and shallow ends made it accessible to all ages.

Play and splash areas: Kids could enjoy wading and play zones, and families gathered on the grassy pool deck for picnics or to watch swimmers.

Community hub: For decades, it was a central summer destination for children learning to swim, families cooling off on hot afternoons, and neighbors meeting poolside for casual conversations and seasonal fun.

The pool reflected a style and spirit typical of community pools from that era — friendly, unpretentious, and at the heart of summer recreation.

Evolving Over the Years

As Elk Grove Village and its parks system matured, recreation needs changed:

The park district eventually transformed the broader Lions Park pool area into Rainbow Falls Waterpark, incorporating slides and themed aquatic attractions by the 1980s and beyond, part of a shift toward more elaborate water amenities in the park system.

Through its operating years, Lions Pool remained a symbol of neighborhood summers, a place where routines of season passes, swim lessons, and Friday night visits became fond memories for many residents.

Local Memory & Legacy

For decades, Lions Pool wasn’t just a place to swim — it was a setting for childhood summers, routines of neighborhood life, and family traditions. Its presence helped make summer in Elk Grove Village tangible and social: kids racing across the deck, parents watching from the shade, and the echo of splashes marking warm afternoons. NIU Libraries

While outdoor community pools like Lions are increasingly rare as park districts update facilities or shift to larger theme waterparks, for many locals the name Lions Pool still evokes nostalgic summers and a sense of community connection — a reminder of how shared public spaces help shape the rhythms of village life.