In 1933, in the depths of the depression, the park board decided they could not afford the expense of the beach's operation and voted to close it for the summer. A group of concerned citizens and community organizations pledged financial aid and the beach was opened on Marshall Beach schedule. After the summer of 1937, the bathing beach was not operated by the district, but the park itself remained open. For a time the board considered building the new pool on the site, but the idea was not popular with the neighborhood, and the pool was sited in Belvidere Park. In late 1946, the Marshall Park property was sold and the leased land was returned to the Marshall family.

In 1938, after the closing of Marshall Beach, discussion began on the feasibility of building a park district swimming pool. WPA funding paid for over half the cost and in June, 1941 the pool opened. It included spacious changing rooms, a separate children's wading pool and a concession stand located in the log cabin which had been moved from Marshall Park. In 1979, a new children's pool and concession stand were constructed inside the pool fences. In 1984, a renovation project updated the 43 year old swimming pool. In 1994 the bathhouse was renovated to accommodate the growth of swimmers and individuals with disabilities.