Great public pool on 51st. As with some pools in Austin, there is an entry fee. For residents it's only $5 which we happily pay. We like coming to this pool for a bit of a change. They've got lap swimming, open swimming, a crazy-fun water slide, lily pad for kids and diving boards. Picnic areas around the pool as well. Very modern and clean. Lots of lifeguards on duty. The toilets/shower rooms are fine. read more

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This is a nice complex with several pools--a standard type for lap swimming or open swim with a diving board, a couple of shallow kiddie-pools with shaded areas, and two water slides. There are also picnic tables and lockers to store your stuff. It's one of several Austin pools that charge admission but the facilities are awfully nice! read more

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Love! Love! Love! This place in on top of my list of places to go when it's hot as hell outside and you want something fun and refreshing to do! It's great for the kids, they have pool water levels varying from 3 inches to 12 feet deep. So it's fun for everyone! They have water slides which is amazing. And a deep dive board to jump from. It's full of fun things, you'll never get bored. I went on a day which was free, but they usually charge $5 per adult and $2 per child entree fees. Definitely recommend this water facility on a hot summers day here in Austin. read more

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Although crowded on a Saturday afternoon, there's plenty of space to go around. Perfect swimming area for little ones. Not much space in the lap pool, and the slides were closed when we went, but would not deter us from going again. Lots of shade, which is crucial in the Texas heat. Cash at the window, but you can pay with a credit card at the outside stations. If you have toddlers, this is the perfect place. read more

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This is a great public pool.very affordable, it goes up to 12 feet, has a diving board AND a slide. Lifeguards are very alert as well.

Far from me, but I dig it The internet informed me Austin offers free pools and we checked on this place and the employee confirmed at the moment Bartholomew Pool did not charge. When I visited, Austin had just recovered from below freezing temps, so I applaud Bartholomew Pool for opening as the temps inched above freezing. The showers are hot and the bathrooms offer heat. The shower pressure rocked. I loved the shower! I enjoyed the experience and I needed it! read more

Bartholomew pool has the basics: lap swim & diving board (whee!) But.. what makes this place terrific is that it's lit (so pretty for night swimming!), warmed, and free! (Nov to mid March) It's also not terribly crowded. With 4 lanes for laps, I haven't had to share a lane with more than one person. Also the showers are clean and there's a heat lamp for that awful moment when you must leave the warm shower and dry off. This review is just for swimming. I haven't been here for summer fun, but it looks like a great kid-friendly splash pad read more

Great park with many options for the family. Great pool with a diving board during the summer.

Amazing affordable fun for the whole family! Highly recommend. Staff is friendly and on point.

This place is a nightmare! Everything was closed except the lap pool and it was extremely packed!! I paid for the tickets prior to reaching the front desk, where they posted everything was closed. Somehow me and my 3 little ones were still accepted despite the pool being completely full. There was hardly any room to move, I'm talking we could only stand in the pool!! We all at one point got hit, kicked, pulled down by others around us bc of the lack of space! The Lifeguards were getting onto people for holding onto ropes, running, standing in lap lanes, walking on padded area every 3 minutes. Literally whistling and yelling constantly. It was tense, crowded and dangerous. Save yourself some time, what a waste. read more

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This place asked me if I had I swim test and I'm older than the age limit and my parents when watching me then this crazy lady told me to not give them a attitude and there where other kids there that where like 9 and did not have a swim text and they only asked me for one... read more

Not very impressed with this one. At all. They run at their own free will, sometimes you might get to go down the slides and sometimes you can't. One lifeguard has no issues with anything, another has problems with everything...while another sits his stand (on any rotation) and stares blankly at his crotch?? Not paying attention to ANYTHING...Wth? The place sits *literally* on the tracks of *nice* and, well..areas I typically tend to stay away from. Basically the location is HORRIBLE. I feared leaving my vehicle in the lot. Low and behold, I come to Yelp and look...and someone had theirs broken into just recently. Yes, I know that can happen anywhere, but some places are more prominent than others. We were there for 20 minutes and my kids both said they prefer our other pools over this one. Thank goodness, because I do too. They have 2 slides...they are not always open. And when one is...it does not mean they both are. They have one short diving board in a rather small section tucked around the corner. It's most promising feature was the kiddie section. Covered. Shady. Anything else? Not so much. The few tables they have are located near the restoom (women's) which smelled terribly. Overall, the couple times going..was enough. Probably won't be back. read more

Bartholomew Municipal Pool - Swimming Pools Near Me - Austin, Texas

I'd give this 0 stars if I could. Everything was closed and horrible customer service. The girl who spoke to us was extremely rude and dismissive. We will not be going back. read more

This was a great public pool. My kids and I had a great time. There is shade over the baby pool and fun activities for the big kids. My kids are loving ninja warrior and spent over an hour trying to run across the lilly pad water feature!! The next hour they spent jumping off the diving board. I packed a cooler of snacks and enjoyed watching my kids play. It was a bit crowded but the lifeguards seemed to be attending to their areas. I was hesitant to recommend this to friends with small children but now I feel confident it would not be too overwhelming. I could quickly locate all four of my kids. I'm going back!! read more

Bartholomew Municipal Pool - Swimming Pools Near Me - Austin, Texas

Wanted to love it but ended up bummed on Labor Day weekend. Most of pools and the slides were closed. This is due to the mismanagement of the aquatics department overall, more than Bartholomew specifically I think but sheesh, holiday weekend lots of swimmers and one pool open? It was a bummer. I doubt we'll go back. read more

For the second time ever, I decided to make the long commute from my residence to take my kids to this specific pool (upon their request). We usually chill at Deep Eddy since it's very kid friendly and I always feel very comfortable there... however, Bartholomew seemed to be fine and lovely and worth the drive. The slide is a hit with my son, there are various pools and depths for the kiddos to swim in, there's a diving board, and even a mini obstacle course reminiscent of American Ninja Warrior. The prices are reasonable, the rep at the front desk was incredibly lovely, and there are picnic tables and vending machines for parched individuals. However.... if a lifeguard happens to stop you and ask you a question, beware. I was with my kids in the smallest kiddie pool when a lifeguard asked me a simple, harmless question. The conversation may have lingered a little too long, but the age gap between the two of us was significant enough that there wasn't any sort of intention out of the ordinary to merit alarm. I even thought to myself that maybe we might need to cut the small talk in case I am a distraction. Before he and I could say, "Have a good day," to each other and tend to our respective duties, the apparent supervisor (I think her name is Danica?) walked over a bit perturbed and said, "Ma'am, is there something I can help you with?" The question caught me off guard, and before I could even answer it, she said, "He's supposed to be on duty and conversations need to be very, very brief." Cool. Ok. Great. Your job is to speak with your subordinates about these rules, not the patrons. Never have I heard of someone reprimanding the guest for a PERCEIVED "mistake" an employee was making. Instead of pulling him aside, or even walking up and addressing him and saying something like, "Mr. Joe Schmoe, please get back on task, kid," or whatever, she automatically assumed I was the one who initiated the interaction and was trying to, I don't know, make a cougar pounce, and distract the young lad from his job. Reminds me of an illustration I just found of a large woman saying, "I can empower myself without disempowering other women." She could learn a lesson from that notion. Im not coming to the pool with my children to hit on your sexy lifeguards. (And now that I think about it, they're all very athletic and easy on the eyes...) The contrary. You deal with your team accordingly, and please, don't ever reprimand me- the patron- for a rule they're not even aware that they're allegedly breaking. I'm just a tired as f*^% mom bringing her chitlins across town on her one day off to enjoy some summertime-epic-pool-times. That interaction was lame. Her demeanor and attitude made me uncomfortable for no reason at all, because of whatever issues she had. Maybe he gets distracted easily by chicks with tattoos, who knows, but that's not my problem. She didn't want to help me with whatever help she was offering, otherwise she would have handled the situation in a completely different manner. It does certainly put a damper on the prospect of coming back, considering it seems to be my kids' new fav jam. Because of the maturity of the lifeguard taking the time to find me later to apologize profusely on the behalf of his supervisor, he has redeemed the place as a whole. He was very professional and quite humble. Hopefully she will work on her interpersonal skills, do some yoga regularly, and have a margarita and a taco after work. Homegirl's obviously aggressive enough to be the leader of the pack, but there is a fine line between aggressive and assertive behavior, and the difference is obvious when good leadership is in question. #angermanagement read more

Bartholomew Municipal Pool - My daughter's battle face. - Swimming Pools Near Me - Austin, Texas

My friends and I took our three year olds, and we were amazed at what a safe, fun place this was for them. My kid is just beginning to learn how to swim, but she had no trepidation about trying her new skills at the easy depths available to her. It was nice to not have to watch her as closely as I would at other pools I've taken her to, but... That's also why I had to deduct a star. There are A LOT of unsupervised children here. It seemed like a lot of kids aged 6-10 were simply dropped off, and of course they were a bit unruly and a little abrupt, if not rude, when I asked them to be careful around the little ones in the toddler splash area (duh, it's for toddlers, not preteens!) I asked the ringleader where his parents were and he shrugged. Hmmm. I hope there's a way the mgmt could crack down on unsupervised kids somehow. Anyway, we will be back again for more! Cheap, safe and fun! read more

Memorial Day was pretty busy and I was sad to see the poor customer service at the front window. The lady felt that yelling at the bilingual community would make it easier to understand. I helped her translate for a family that was obviously having a communication problem. This is not a good system. This pool is utilized by bilingual customers. You need to hire a bilingual person. The lines are long to get in due to this. Please look into this immediately. read more

I always go in fact I'm about to to go me and my family are going and we love it everyone's nice to us there is a lot of swimming pools and good slides there is a diving board and the life guards are nice definitely recommend read more

Few good lap lanes but the number of life guards makes it feel like a militant occupation. No Lounge chairs to sit on. no adult rec pool.

They take cash at the window. They have kiosks outside for cards. You can take cooler and food, they have table areas. For the slide you have to be a certain height they have a kiddie area too. Cute pool place for kids read more

The pros: There is a great toddler area with fountains and its own mini slide (for ages 2-4 only). My 22 month old daughter loves this area. The Cons: The lifeguards don't do a great job of regulating the toddler area. There are always some random teenagers running around the fountains, knocking into the little kids. The slide, (which has a sign which clearly says it is for ages 2-4 only), is often bombarded with 6-8 year olds. I knocked down a star because when I came to the pool this weekend, (8/17/14), I was harassed by a Constable on the way in. He said there was some event going on and he was "just making sure" the parking lot was being used for the pool or basketball courts. I don't appreciate being harassed while going to the pool with my baby, and it seems to be a major waste of taxpayer money to hire a Constable to sit in the parking lot all day questioning kids and parents-wouldn't a sign have done the same job? ?*sigh. read more

Weused to like this pool, but the last time we went it was almost standing room only. You literally could not swim. There were huge families all over the place that had laid out many blankets and towels and had food and hamburgers and tacos and sodas and chips and candy and cookies and bread and cheetos and pizza and hotdogs and hamburgers and french fries and wrapping and trash all over the place. Diapers. It was kind of disgusting. There was hardly any room to walk on the grass or sidewalk, and no room to swim. We left. I don't know what was going on that day, but I hope that wasn't normal. One pool was being cleaned because of vomit, and the slides were shut down. It was very loud because of lots of screaming, and it was the opposite of refreshing. read more

My kids are having a good time and I suppose that's the most important message in this review. The only issue I have is there are no lawn chairs to lounge in, if the tables are full than you're forced to sit on the grass. Normally no problem but there are ants and fleas all over the grass. read more

I cannot say enough good things about this pool. The lifeguards are so nice and all staff has done an excellent job maintaining safety protocols during this challenging Summer and Fall. I swim for my health and my doctor agrees the benefits far outweigh the risks, particularly at a pool where everyone diligently cares about swimmers and swimmers are diligently following the safety precautions. read more

We had a wonderful day the atmosphere was great it was a convenient location and the children truly enjoyed themselves, staff was very attentive to all the children in their area. I recommend this local water pad and pool to everyone. They've definitely outdone themselves for the children in this area. read more

Bartholomew Municipal Pool - Swimming Pools Near Me - Austin, Texas

The pool is CLOSED! but there is a wonderful splash pad now. My son (18 months old) loves it! The only negative for us is that there is no shade over it. The playground is really great too! There is a playscape for kids 2-5 and one for kids over 5. read more

I visited the pool with my two children age 5 and 8 on Monday. The pool was very safe, cheap (cash only) and clean. My daughter couldn't get enough of jumping off the diving board and my son used the slides all the time. The lifeguards are very attentive and friendly. Very busy but seemed all under control. Unfortunately the shower area is not as clean as the rest of the pool. My son also lost his goggles in the pool and within seconds they were gone and when I asked about lost and found from the lifeguards, they said probably "it has been grabbed!". My son was so upset that we had to leave the pool. read more

The pool was closed for several years and just re-opened this week after extensive renovations. There is now a lap pool, separate kids pool and even a diving board! Most parts of the pool are shaded. There is a small entrance fee. read more

Kids enjoyed this pool all summer. My toddler as well with the splash pad. It gets busy but there is plenty of seating in the grass. You can bring your own food and drinks, which is really cool! read more

Beautiful facility. When it is in the wee hours of the morning. So, so many people! Also, way too many unsupervised children! Why is it so hard for people to watch their children, especially in the water?! Anyway, I am sure if I went back when it was less crowded I would of had a better time. read more

Cute little mini-water park. Yes, this is mostly aimed at kids with smaller pools, splash pad and slow water slides. While i was here I saw one of the lifeguards, who are all very attentive, jump in to pull out a kid who was struggling and not being watched by her parents. This makes me feel safer with my son coming here even if he is a good swimmer. read more

I'm writing this review about the splash pad at Bartholomew Park. My 3 stars is mostly because of the age of my little one - 18 months. The jets spray pretty hard and there are jets covering a lot of the pad itself. Because of the pressure of the water, it's hard for the little ones to know what to do. They are too little to think running through the jets is fun, so they are left with just a few patches of pad where the water is raining down. Additionally, there is not a wall all the way around the pad, which means easy paths for escapees. There is a toddler playground nearby, but just beyond that is an opening in the fence (next to the road) and on the other side, a large ditch with no fence. Yes, the ditch is part of the park, but it's still steep and treacherous. At 18 months, they will dart off with no stopping. She had fun, but I like the type of splash pad, like Bailey Park, with pipes raining the water down, better for small toddlers. read more

HATED this place. It's just a grubby public pool with way too many rules. No floats, no water squirters, one of the pools was closed, the water slides were closed. We left after 30 minutes. read more

I went here on a Saturday with my niece and nephew who are 7. They loved this place. They loved the slides and the diving board. They live in Cedar Park and like it better than the Memorial Park out there. They barely swam in the pools, but spent all their time jumping off the diving board and going down the slides. It was very crowded and there were lines, but they didn't mind at all. Most of the other kids were well behaved, and I was impressed with how cheap this place is. What a great deal! read more

The pool can be overcrowded on Sunday afternoons and some children lack structure and will be violent toward other kids. Please watch your children if you go here. read more

A nice neighborhood pool in Austin with a diving board and a couple (tame) water slides. It was a fun way to kill a few hours in the heat on a lazy afternoon. read more

The pool is awesome! We've been here 3 times this summer and have had a blast every time. Be aware the slides aren't always open because they lack lifeguards. Also, BEWARE... don't leave anything of value in your car. I had my car locked and it was broken into today. Window smashed and purse stolen. I'm not sure if they offer lockers here, but if we return I will definitely be finding out. I don't feel comfortable leaving my belongings out in the open and figured they'd be safe in the back seat of my locked car (covered). Pretty sure someone was watching me and literally saw me leave purse in car. They have no cameras in the parking lot and it was in the middle of the day! Kind of a horrible ending to a great time at the actual facility. read more

I live in the neighborhood, so this was a convenient place to do some morning swimming on my days off. I've never been past 10am, cause I don't do kids. Overall, a good place to do some laps in the AM. You'll usually have a lane to yourself, not really too many people then. The girl at the front desk always had an intense RBF. 25m is really a tad too short, but also I'm a whiny amateur training for a triathlon so I'll shut up. I've never used the slides or kiddy pools because I am 25 and that probably wouldn't fly. But I want to so badly. read more

I love this pool! Its big, waterslides, diving boards, changing rooms. They even have a first aid room. Great for laying out.