Is the McCarty Park pool open?

CBS58 reported in April 2026 that the pool would not open for the summer because the slide needs repairs, and FOX6 repeated the closure in May 2026. The wading pool has separate management and may be different, so check with Milwaukee County Parks.

Where is McCarty Park in West Allis?

McCarty Park is at 8214 W. Cleveland Ave. and is part of the Milwaukee County Parkway System.

Can you fish at McCarty Park?

A park-guide site describes the lagoon as a fishing spot. Check Wisconsin fishing rules before you cast.

Does the Oak Leaf Trail go through McCarty Park?

Yes, Milwaukee County's trail page says the Kinnickinnic Line passes through McCarty Park.

Can I rent the pavilion at McCarty Park?

Milwaukee County Parks lists the McCarty Park Pavilion for online booking with a maximum capacity of 80.

Where can I swim in West Allis this summer?

County officials pointed to Cool Waters aquatic park, and Google describes Greenfield Park as having a family water park with slides. Check the season with the county first.

McCarty Park West Allis WI: Lagoon, Trail, Pool Status

A county park with a lagoon, ballfields and the Oak Leaf Trail, plus what the 2026 pool closure means and where to go next.

McCarty Park is the green patch on West Cleveland Avenue where a lagoon, baseball diamonds and a stretch of the Oak Leaf Trail share the same ground. Anyone looking up McCarty Park West Allis should know it is a county park, not a city one, and that its pool was set to stay closed for 2026. A 2026 CBS58 report says that pool was set to stay closed for the summer, so this guide starts from what is actually there: a walking loop, fishing water, play areas and a trail that runs toward downtown Milwaukee. Pair it with the West Allis attractions and a free afternoon gets a plan.

What McCarty Park is, and who owns it

McCarty Park sits at 8214 W. Cleveland Ave. and belongs to the Milwaukee County Parkway System, and the pool closure was announced by County Supervisor Justin Bielinski.

McCarty Park

The Google description lists a swimming pool, a lagoon, picnic areas, baseball diamonds and a multi-use trail, and one park-guide site puts the grounds at about 52 acres.

The same site mentions tree-lined paths, a tiny-tot play lot, courts and fields for basketball, baseball and volleyball, and sledding in winter, though that page carries no date, so check the conditions before you go.

The Wisconsin Historical Society's property record lists Eckel Park as the historic name and says a farmer named Eckel donated the land.

A reviewer describes a play area just outside the pool gates, and one visitor found the park beautiful in the early hours.

The pool: built in 1959, set to stay closed in 2026

The McCarty Park pool was not going to open in summer 2026. CBS58 reported on April 23 that the slide needed repairs, that attendance fell after the pool broke the previous year, and that lifeguards had already been assigned elsewhere.

County Supervisor Justin Bielinski said the repair estimate was something over $10,000, with the exact cost not yet known, and said he was just as disappointed as residents. FOX6 repeated the closure on May 26, 2026, when a county committee approved a splash pad grant for Washington Park Pool.

The pool has a longer record than that headline suggests. The Wisconsin Historical Society dates the concrete swimming and wading pool to 1959 and says a waterslide arrived in 2011, and it dates the bathhouse beside it to about 1960.

Google reviewers who swam there in earlier summers mention two diving boards, lap lanes, a slide and a kiddie pool, and one calls it a place where kids always had a blast.

The CBS58 report adds that the wading pool has a separate management team and could still open, but it does not say whether it will, so treat any water play at McCarty this year as unconfirmed. County officials pointed families to Cool Waters aquatic park, which the report put about four miles away.

Walking the lagoon and joining the Oak Leaf Trail

Reviewers describe a walkway around the park and its water, and that loop is the easiest reason to come. One reviewer calls it a nice walkway around the park, another describes a creek crossed by what looks like two to four bridges, and a third describes a bench in the shade by a family of geese and ducks.

The county's trail page says the Kinnickinnic Line of the Oak Leaf Trail passes through McCarty Park on its way along the Kinnickinnic River Parkway. That line runs about 15 miles from the Museum Campus to Hart Park, so a walk here can turn into a long bike ride toward downtown Milwaukee.

The page adds that trail segments inside county parks are generally open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and that some stretches share the road with traffic, so a first ride deserves a look at the map.

One caution comes up in the reviews. A visitor warns that a waterway and pond cut through the park, so parents of small children should keep them close.

Fishing is part of the park too. A park-guide site describes the lagoon as a fishing spot, and the same page records an urban birding scene with herons among the sightings.

Parking, access and picnic space

Google's profile for McCarty Park shows free street parking, and it also lists paid lot and street parking, so read the signs where you leave the car.

The profile marks a wheelchair-accessible entrance, parking and restroom, and tags the park as good for children.

For a group, the county rents the McCarty Park Pavilion online with a maximum capacity of 80. The county's rental page does not list a kitchen or restrooms for this pavilion, so ask when you book.

The park has hosted one-off events as well. A 2018 TMJ4 story covered a 10,000-square-foot puzzle maze that set up here for the summer, and a 2019 Shepherd Express listing showed a Traveling Beer Garden tour stop at the park. Ask the county about anything current.

Breakfast or lunch a few blocks away

The nearest sit-down meal is Michael's Family Restaurant, about 0.3 miles west of the park. It serves traditional American dishes with daily specials.

Michael's Family Restaurant

Google calls it an old-fashioned neighborhood fixture, and a reviewer calls it exactly what you want from a small family diner, simple and pleasant.

Reviews are mixed on the details. One diner praises the service, while another found a carry-out corned beef hash portion small, so order in the dining room if the hash is the point.

More diners, pancake houses and supper clubs are covered in the West Allis restaurants roundup.

Greenfield Park, the bigger neighbor to the west

If McCarty Park feels small, Greenfield Park is the larger version, about 2.7 miles west and sitting on the Waukesha County line.

Greenfield Park

Milwaukee County bought the land in 1921, and Wikipedia gives the park about 282 acres today, with a lagoon of roughly six acres that is 15 feet deep and has a 0.6-mile shoreline holding largemouth bass and panfish.

A reviewer who walks the water says one lap is about 0.55 miles, and the same reviewer describes quiet paths through woods with deer. Another reviewer notes paved trails that suit a stroller and playgrounds that were often empty between 4 and 6 p.m.

Reviewers also mention that Pavilion 3A is a good covered space and that parking was never a problem, and Google flags free lot and street parking.

The county's trail page says the Root River Line of the Oak Leaf Trail meets the New Berlin Trail in Greenfield Park. A reviewer who runs a 5k route there links up with the Oak Leaf Trail to complete it.

Golfers have a reason to make the trip as well. Greenfield Park Golf Course, a par-69 course added in 1923, is described by reviewers as mostly straight with narrow fairways, and others mention views from holes 14 and 15, and the park pavilion holds 75 for rentals. You can read more on the Greenfield Park Golf Course page.

The park once had a Works Progress Administration pool, and Living New Deal says its water was warmed in small lagoons before it entered the pool. Today the park's Google summary describes a family water park with waterslides, so this is the place to point swimmers while McCarty's pool was set to stay closed, though check the season first.

Pairing the park with the State Fair neighborhood

Wisconsin State Fair Park lies about 1.7 miles north of McCarty Park, which makes the park a calm alternative on a fair day. Anyone driving to the fair should read up on parking at the Wisconsin State Fair beforehand, and WI State Fair is the event's own page.

The fair has been in West Allis since 1892, and the 175th fair ran August 6 to 16, 2026. FOX6 said the fairgrounds stretch from 84th Street east to 77th Street.

A few other stops round out a day. The farmers market, about 1.6 miles northeast, has been a community staple since 1919, and The Picklr West Allis, about 1.7 miles west, has 10 indoor pickleball courts. Visitors staying overnight can look at the hotels near the interstates before they book.

What to expect, honestly

McCarty Park is a neighborhood park, not a destination with a gift shop. The pool was set to stay closed this summer, the county's pavilion page lists no hours or restroom details, and the lagoon is described as a fishing spot.

Bring a snack and a bike, take the lagoon loop first and decide on the Oak Leaf Trail when you see how the weather behaves. A pool that was set to stay closed for repairs still leaves McCarty Park with its lagoon, its ballfields and its trail.