William H Rumsey Aquatic Center

so i have been going here for several months. was thrilled to actually experience some of my tax dollars considering the price is right $free.99!
pros: free, good water temp, clean /​clear water that is not crazy chlorinated, showers with some soap, the swimsuit dryer doohickey thing, friendly staff
cons: the floor is so friggin dirty its kind of nasty. i mean feet are feet so no big deal but definitely go home and shower those flippers!

Weird hours for lap swimmers and it’s a little crowded in the locker rooms at times. But hey! It’s free! They do switch the lanes a lot, but I’m just swimming for exercise, so no biggie. And did I mention it is free?

I just reallocated to DC and I’ve been going to WR aquatic center for two weeks. I have to say that the staff and life guards are all very friendly and helpful, infrastructure is great, pool is good for lap swimming, regulars are well aware of pool etiquette, installations/​lockers are good… And this is all free for DC residents, if you’re foreigner, you can prove that with your USPS change of address confirmation.
Monthly membership for non DC residents is ~$ 50, day pass is ~$ 7.
Bring you own lock in order to use the lockers, otherwise you can take your backpack with to the pool area and lean it to the wall.

For being a public pool this facility isn’t open very much to the public. Nice enough facility but the public swim hours are very limited.
As of 9÷16÷15 Public Swim Hours include:
Mon, Wed, Fri
630 – 10 AM
12 – 5 PM
8 – 9 PM
Tues, Thurs
6:30−9 AM
12 – 5 PM
8 – 9 PM
Sat
1 – 5 PM
Sun
11 – 5 PM

This pool is a trip. They bought 25 fancy new French spinning bikes, but their dumbbell stock is in very beatup shape. The shower stalls have mildew in the grout, and unusable shower stalls, even though they just closed for nearly a month for «maintence» in October. Just because this is a 40 year old public pool, it shouldn’t mean that 2^nd class standards are acceptable… By the way, why are life guards cleaning the showers and dressing rooms, rather than a professional cleaning person. It seems disrespectful to both professions.

This pool is nice and clean and close to my home. It provides easy access to aquatic fitness. Sunday mornings are nice and currently not too busy so the 25 meter lane set-​up is perfect for me. Half the pool seems set-​up for free swim which seems to have a number of kids on Sundays. Fellow swimmers are nice and collegial.

This public pool saved my life when I was recovering from my stress fracture. It was perfectly empty most of the winter, and no one judged my aqua jogging routine. Cleaner than most public pools I’ve been to, and friendlier staff as well. They also have a ton of aqua jogging belts, which will save you 25 bucks on amazon ;)

This pool is now worse than useless to me. There is no such thing as a «20-​yard lap lane,» which is how the pool is set up every afternoon for the rest of the summer, and the mornings were crowded enough before they became the only time the lap lanes were properly configured.
It’s fine that you want to have space for your non-​lap swimmers. Put in four lap lanes and leave the other half of the pool for the kids and the water walkers. But just because they aren’t swimming laps doesn’t mean they have to be quarantined from the deep end, and you don’t need to inconvenience the lap swimmers in the process.

I can’t believe this is free!
I’m not training for a triathlon or anything, I’m just pregnant and need a nice space to water jog. The water is warm, they have plenty of floatations devices and other water exercise equipment, and the facilities are incredibly clean. They also have a hair dryer and a bathing suit spinner, which I took for granted until I went to the center at Tacoma Park where they offer neither.
Tacoma is much larger, so you’ll have a better chance to get a lane. However, if you’re just a casual pool user, you can’t beat this place — particularly for the price.

This public pool is perfectly fine for swimming laps, but you need to pay attention to when the lane configuration is changed to the useless 20 yard configuration. The pool has great hours and is usually not too crowded. There is a really early practice time for masters swimmers. If you like to workout early, this is your best bet. After practice ends, the pool fills up with triathletes. And the afternoon sessions have a steady trickle of people.
The pool itself is fairly deep and the lane swimming is well organized. I like the swimming aspect of this location very much.
Generally, the place gets the job done. The entry is a weird prison style buzzer system. Show your ID, get buzzed into the locker rooms. In fact, the entire place has the appearance of a minimum security prison. There are a ton of rules, including zero photography, no one is allowed on deck unless they are swimming and in a real swim suit (no mesh shorts), and you have to shower before getting in the pool. The sheer amount of rules is off-​putting, but something probably happened to cause introduction of the rules in the first place. The lifeguards are very, very strict.
The locker rooms are nothing to be excited about: they are small, kinda dirty, and the showers are often just cold (no hot water to many of them). Just something to consider.
The pool is located right by Eastern Market and there’s usually plenty of parking in the neighborhood.

This review is based on swimming classes I recently started.
First — some of the previous reviews said you can’t bring your own locks for the locker room. Maybe they recently rennovated them, because you can use your own padlock. I would suggest this.
Second — the pool is cold! If you aren’t doing laps, which I’m not because I’m just learning in class, expect to be cold. Especially in the fall/​winter.
Finally — if you are on the fence about signing up for classes, you should totally do it. The instructor, Maurice, is great. He works with all levels, from those who are scared to get in the water, to those who are experienced swimmers. He makes class fun but at the same time acknowledges that it can be challenging.
Considering the pool is free for DC residents, and classes are only $ 10 for the six week course, there’s no reason not to come here!

I recently started swimming for exercise and I was very pleased when I found out there was a (free!) public pool close to my house. Knowing that it was a public pool, I went in with relatively low expectations, but boy was I pleased to discover a beautiful, clean, well-​kept pool right in my neighborhood! I’ve been there 3 times now and have made it part of my weekly routine. I typically go in the evenings during the public swim time, and I have yet to have an issue with over crowding. A great spot to get my swim on!

I was a little nervous after I read all of the terrible reviews.
However, I frequently swim at the Rumsey Pool now. I think it is a great neighborhood pool. Is it as amazing as the Wilson Pool or Takoma Pool?
No, but it is way more convenient for me, and serviceable.
I’ve found the staff there to be friendly and kind. A lifeguard even gave me swimming tips when he noticed I was such a regular.
The locks do not work on almost any of the lockers, so I just take my pool bag out to the gym deck. I have never had any problems. They have made a real effort to keep the locker rooms clean and nice.
And, you can’t beat getting a fresh crêpe coming out of the pool on Saturday or Sunday, and seeing Eastern Market right outside.

Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays
6:30am to 8:00am (Public/​Lap Swim 25 yards)
8:00am to 10:00am (Water Aerobics & Public/​Lap Swim 20 yards)
10:00am to 11:00am (Shallow Water Aerobics/​Lifeguard Training/​Closed to the public)
11:00am to 12noon (DCPS Programs/​Closed to the Public)
12noon to 5:00pm (Public/​Lap Swim 25 yards)
5:00pm to 6:30pm (DC Wave Swim Team Practice/​Closed to the public)
6:30pm to 9:00pm (Public/​Lap Swim 25 yards)
Tuesdays & Thursdays
6:30am to 9:00am (Public/​Lap Swim 25 yards)
9:00am to 10:00am (Senior Swim Programs/​Closed to the public)
10:00am to 12noon (DCPS Programs/​Closed to the Public)
12noon to 5:00pm (Public/​Lap Swim 25 yards)
5:00pm to 6:30pm (DC Wave Swim Team Practice/​Closed to the public)
6:30pm to 7:30pm (Shallow Water Aerobics/​Public/​Lap Swim 20 yards)
7:30pm to 9:00pm (Public/​Lap Swim 25 yards)
Saturdays
8:00an to 9:00am (Deep Water Aerobic/​Closed to the public)
9:00am to 10:00am (Parent and Child Programs/​Closed to the public)
10:00am to 1:00pm (Children Swim Programs/​Closed to the Public)
1:00pm to 5:00pm (public/​Lap Swim 25 yards)
Sundays
9:00am to 5:00pm (Public/​Lap Swim 25 yards)

I (try to) swim at Rumsey every weekday and as public pools go, I really like it. The staff is very friendly, there’s one lifeguard in particular who always encourages me («Good workout!») and reminds me to come again tomorrow.
It does get crowded in the mornings, especially before 8, but usually no more than 4 people to a lane even at peak hours. Most of the time I’m able to just split the lane with someone and occasionally I have it all to myself. When I have the day off and can go around 7:30 or after 8 it’s practically empty.
The water is clean and warm. There are always plenty of kickboards and leg floats. I have not noticed any of the grime that other reviewers have noted, the pool deck always seems pretty clean to me. The locker rooms are clean as well, and I appreciate that there’s plenty of space to change. I don’t think the quarter locks work and you can’t use your own lock, which makes it hard for people with lots of stuff or children. Most people just bring their valuables to the pool deck and set them on the chairs that ring the deck.
My one complaint is that it doesn’t open until 6:30 AM on weekdays, and I would love it if it opened at 6 to provide more lap swim time, but I can’t mark a place down for not arranging itself to fit my every need. Overall, I really enjoy swimming at Rumsey.

I am 26 years old.
I have a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University.
I am halfway done with my master’s from the same institution.
I am a published author of a short story.
I am married to a wonderful, wonderful man.
I like to think of myself as a fairly well-​accomplished individual. However, there is one thing I have not conquered: swimming.
To make sure I wouldn’t drown on my honeymoon, I finally decided to sign up for lessons. Yesterday, R and I trekked to Rumsey so I could practice between lessons.
Oy.
The locker rooms were pretty gross. The floors were wet (I know it’s a pool, but how are the floors ALWAYS wet EVERYWHERE), only about 5 of maybe 50 lockers could be locked, and there was zero hot water in the showers. There were, however, plenty of gnats in the shower. Thank God my freshman dorm was nearly unlivable, otherwise I would not have been to shower here. Again, no hot water, which might not have been all bad because the pool water is FRIGID.
And what is it with middle-​aged women in locker rooms assuming that I want to see all of their everythings??? I swear, one woman stood talking to her friends topless for at least 5 minutes. C’MON, seriously? Put a shirt on!
Aside from being a bit cold, the actual pool was fine; clean, I thought, and not really chlorine-​y. Buuuuuut, later in the day, I got a terrible headache and started to feel nauseous, and I don’t think it had anything to do with what I had for lunch. Even today, I still feel a little icky. R admitted to not feeling all that great after exiting the pool himself.
Sooooo, not sure what to conclude. I know it’s free, which is great, and that it’s a pool full of water where one can try to get over one’s crippling fear of drowning. But until I’m confident that no pool germs seeped into my bloodstream, I’ll be going to other pools in town.

In spite of the hours, the place still gets a five star rating. Why?
1. Public pool that is actually pretty clean.
2. They have lanes set aside for laps. Fantastic. They even have a slow lane.
3. While the hours could be better, it is open on the weekends and on a few weekdays, early am and late evening. If you go by on the weekends, Eastern Market is fantastic to go to after a lovely swim.
4. It’s indoors. No sunburns are a good thing. Great way to beat this heat wave.
5. No fee to use the pool if you’re a DC resident. While not as nice as some private pools, it’s far cheaper.

FYI people: apparently this (indoor) pool is not grounded, therefore they close it when there’s lightning. Not sure why they didn’t think it would be a good idea to prepare for lightning in a city with as many thunderstorms as DC, but I just got turned away.
A rep said they open the pool 30 minutes after a lightning stops.

Sign in. Show your D.C. I.D. Swim for free.
This perk totally makes up for our lack of Congressional representation.
There are often little kids messing around and likely messing their pants in the pool, old ladies aerobicizing in the shallow end and folks who don’t understand how to execute a circle swim situation. But it’s a public pool, and it gets the job done.
In a city where indoor pools are nearly impossible to come by, I’m awfully thankful for a free one.

The POSITIVES!!!
1. FREE!!! (for DC peeps at least)
2. Convenient!!!
3. Great location!!!
4. Decent size!
5. Clean!!!
6. Friendly staff!
7. Great hours!
The Negatives (only sort of because none of them are really that bad):
1. Only indoors. So much for getting a tan while working out.
2. Locker rooms are a little small.
3. No jacuzzi. Which is probably for the best. Not sure I want to see people mistaking a pubic jacuzzi for a private liaison.
See! Like I said, only sort of negative.
Get your swim on!!!