TL;DR beautiful pool, beautiful gym PLUSES: + outdoor pool = great view (campanile) + design is old, rustic, and beautiful + huge locker rooms + halls are perfect for a photoshoot read more

This 33-meter (108+ feet!) rooftop pool of Roman proportions and elegance is a treasure of the UC Berkeley campus. The locker room is approached by a walk through a sunlit hallway of old, multi-paned windows. The locker room is spotless, and fabulously equipped. Then, the pool itself...holy crap...first of all, it's on a ROOF, and it's made of MARBLE and mosaic tiles. And there are huge concrete terraces on which to sun and rest oneself, as well as to view eye candy from the waterpolo team doing leisurely laps as if just for show. The lanes are huuuuge so collisions are rare. In fact, it sometimes feels like the place is a secret even from the lucky students who can enjoy it, because I don't remember it ever being crowded. In fact, as the sound of the Campanile heard between breaths of the fresh Berkeley breeze blowing over the verdant quad can charm anyone into thinking that they are having a dream of liquid solitude. Here, I was able to break through my 2-lap ceiling and seal my love of swimming forever. Okay, one pain in the ass is that you have to pay a fee to rent out a locker...but at least you CAN rent out a locker! Another pain in the ass is that you have to wear a damn swim tag on your person to show that you are allowed to be in or around the pool in the first place...but the crispy, sun-yellow, and oh-so-filchable towels provided by the gym make up for all this... Yeah, so basically, there's nothing negative that can be said about this pool. It is a drop of Heaven on Earth. read more

Despite its interior appearance, I really enjoy Hearst gym! The facilities here are pretty old but I like how Hearst is spacious (locker rooms). There are nice warm showers and stalls. Plus tons of restroom stalls. Remember to bring your cal ID to get a ticket to swim and a towel from the front desk. The pool itself is pretty interesting. The length is 33.3meters I believe? Which is kind of an awkward swim length but you can get used to it. 4 different wide lanes: slow, medium, medium fast and fast. There are kick boards available to use! The pool during rec swim is kind of busy, you'll be doing curricular swimming but I don't mind. I enjoy Hearst pool more than speiker which I think is a lot more crowded and packed during open rec hours. If you take swim for PE you'll be having your classes here! read more

I try to avoid Hearst whenever possible. I only come here if my schedule doesn't allow me to swim at Spieker. 1) The gymnasium is difficult to navigate. Took me 20 min to find the locker room/pool the first time I was here. 2) The pool is WAY too hot. Uncomfortably so if you're doing laps. 3) The pool deck is very slippery. If you're not careful, it could get dangerous. 4) The lanes are very, very wide. Each lane at Hearst is two lanes at a regular pool. This just makes it very awkward when circle swimming and flip-turning or just pushing off the wall in general (since you would have to slide down the side of the wall to get to the correct side of the lane). But it does make it easier if you're trying to go around someone. 5) The pool walls are black/brown marble, so it's really hard to see how far you are from the wall if you're going to flip-turn. The pluses: You can see the clock tower from the pool, so you don't have to bring a watch. Also, the ladies locker room showers are nice read more

I haven't gone to many pools, but this pool is definitely pretty nice. As Jia mentioned, the pool is on the top of a roof, and there are super nice marble tiles (though they do get slippery when wet so be careful walking across). The architecture of the pool itself is Romanesque/Greek which differentiates it from other pools you might've been to in the past. For the most part, the pool is empty and you're usually able to swim in your own lane (4 lanes total, separated by how fast of a swimmer you are) because I'm sure most students are unaware this pool exists... I usually come here bright and early when the open at 6:15 a.m. and there are but a few people here, only the regulars. With an RSF membership, students get access to this pool for free. There's always a lifeguard here on duty, there's a locker room that you can conveniently use downstairs, and there's even towel service so you don't have to bring your own. Super nice place to swim leisurely. Better than the RSF by a longshot. read more

This pool is ok, but there are better options around: Pros: The locker rooms are large and have nice showers and water extractors. The pool is clean. The view is pretty cool. Cons: Water is COLD most of the time. The pool is often crowded; you'll probably have to share your lane. The pool is located on Clark Kerr campus, which can be difficult to park at and is far from BART. If you're a student and live near this pool, go for it. But if you live further away, you'll probably be happier elsewhere. read more

Marble tile for a pool deck is the worst idea. Its so slippery and cold in the winter. The water is also a little too warm even for the winter, and I feel like sharks are gonna get me anytime when I'm in there since the tiles are dark. I recommend the Speiker pool unless you're not ok with not getting any rest since the pool is 7-13 ft deep everywhere. Great view of campus and the sunset at Hearst though. read more

Designed by Julia Morgan and located on the UC Berkeley campus the Hearst Memorial Gymnasium houses Hearst Pool. It looks and feels exactly the way you would imagine the ancient bathhouses of the Romans. Adorned in ornate marble tile decks, colonnaded walls, and spectacular statuary, you'll swear you were in Greece. The bottom of the pool is lined in marble, a beautiful site to take in while submerged in your lap routine. As you turn your head to the side for an inhale either see the iconic Campanile, or one of the many classical goddesses or 'putti' sculptures. You have to have a membership to access. Definitely worth the cost! Paid parking only so ride a bike or walk for an extra workout. read more

See all

I'm a lifeguard, so why don't I review one of the four pool on the U.C. Berkeley Campus?! Let's get to it. When I first came to this pool I thought it looked amazing. The marble tiling and stone statues made it seem like you were coming to swim in an actual relic of the campus. The campanile stands quietly in the background and rings on the top of the hour. It really is a hidden gem even though it's not the best place to workout. Unless you take a swim class with Coach Omar (he's quite fantastic) or look it up online, I don't think it'd be the first choice for students and RSF patrons to swim at even though it's in a great location for in-between-classes swims. Many students come out here to swim in the marble pool or sunbathe on the elevated bleachers that encircle the deck. It has four lanes that are marked with different speeds signs to group swimmer of similar skill level together. There are two lifeguards that collect your ticket to ensure your have RSF membership and get out of your hair. While the pool is impressive due to its aesthetic qualities, I do have some negatives to point out. The marble is extremely slippery when it's raining, so running on deck is a definite hazard. Lifeguards will tell you not to run for the obvious reason, but when it's pour cats and dogs as it does at Cal, who wouldn't after getting out of the 80-81 degree water? Secondly, the length of the pool is 33 1/3 yards. Doing this just cuts out the number of recreational activities that could take place; no competitions and measuring your yardage to other pools you swim at don't match unless you go out of the way to calculate it. Why couldn't they just make it 25 yards like all of the other pools in the world? I'm tooting my own horn here... I'll stop. (+) aesthetics (+) lifeguards (+) location (-) cold, slippery marble (-) only four lanes (-) 33.33333333333333 yards/ lap read more

Hearst Pool - Gorgeous day for a swim. - Swimming Pools Near Me - Berkeley, California

Best place to swim on the UC Berkeley campus - fins down - awesome. I've taken 3 P.E classes here and swim twice a week for recreation and though they are strict with their 4:15 weekday rule, the staff and lifeguards are super courteous and down for a good chat! 4 lanes according to speed, circle swim, left to right (facing west) medium, medium fast, fast, and slow. What's really annoying is if lifeguards don't move inappropriate speed people and one is stuck having to deal with their nuances. Overall, great temp, facilities, aesthetics and architecture. In the winter I especially appreciate the warmer water and in the summer the cooler it is but I never like having to spring to the shower. The Sather Tower is a great point of reference as well if you have no wrist watch! read more

I love this pool compared to Spieker Pool. Spieker Pool can get too crowded for me, and so I prefer coming here for recreational swimming instead. Plus, it's a lot closer from Unit 2 Residence Halls! Plus, the locker rooms are spacious and plentiful. During the summer, this pool is hot spot for everyone in town - expect a large crowd! read more

3.5/5. Today, on my way to my aqua exercise class, I realized that there are actually 2 pools on the roof of Hearst Gym and that one can only be accessed through the girl's locker room. Unfortunately, my class happened to be in that pool today, so it was a no go. The other pool had open recreation hours and, refusing to give up on my work out, I decided to stop by for a swim. For a newbie, the locker room situation was confusing. You enter the building through the east entrance, but have to get a lock, a towel, and a ticket at the front desk on the west side of the building. Then, if you're a guy, you go to the men's locker room, which is right by, you guessed it, the east entrance. Oh, and the pool is on the second floor, but as there's no direct access from the locker rooms, you have to exit the locker room and ascend a public staircase. Once you finally reach the pool, you need to hand over your ticket to a lifeguard, which I found a bit peculiar. The pool, however, is gorgeous. It's tiled in marble; the lanes are very wide; and you have a direct view of the Campanile. The water was clear and not too cold or warm. You feel as though you're floating above campus in a small, secret corner that's been overlooked for decades. As scenic as my swimming experience was, the pool had a few drawbacks: First, it's a non-standard 33 yards. Second, it lacked a clock that you could time yourself with. And, finally, while it's nice having wide lanes, there were only five when I went, which meant that the lanes did get a tad bit crowded. read more

This is a beautiful pool, but the facilities and the users are peculiar. This is an OLD building, originally a women's gym (from the days when women were not permitted in the Faculty Club, remember) and introducing a men's locker room was necessarily an afterthought. There are other pools on campus with more modern accommodations, if that's what you need. If you are not a confident (and competent) swimmer, there are also better pools for you. There is no dedicated space in Hearst for learning to swim -- it's all lap lanes. For a lap pool there's an unfortunate mix of experienced swimmers who understand pool sharing etiquette and those who do not. The rules are on a small sign no one reads, and the lifeguards can hardly be expected to educate and correct each person. The pool is very busy with people swimming laps for exercise starting at 5pm. If you do not want to share a lane with 5-7 other people, come at a different time. Tips: Wear a swim cap. It'll set you back a whopping $2 and will ensure that your hair doesn't get wrapped around other peoples' faces. Choose the correct lane for your speed. If you're getting passed frequently, move to a slower lane. Circle-swim. Keep to the right side of the lane, leave the middle open for passing, allow faster swimmers to pass. Do not congregate and block the wall -- stop in the corner if you must stop. Do not do your wide sprawling sloppy slow breaststroke up the middle. That's rude. Ask a lifeguard if you have questions, share the pool, don't be gross. Everyone will appreciate it. read more

I usually swim laps at Berkeley's Spieker Pool, but one weekend discovered that was cold due to a Pool event, and came to swim here. I've come several times ever since. The big plus is it feels much warmer at 81-82 vs. 79 F, which feels quite relaxing. (Ao a good place to go if you need to destress) It's longer than Spieker at 33 1/3 which was no problem. The fact that it is quite shallow on one side made flip turns a bit awkward at first, but I was able to settle in with the flip turns. Because the lanes are split awkwardly, essentially, the space and bottom pool markers for 2 lanes, to fit into one big lane, and required circle swimming, swimming is a bit awkward, especially with a lot of people in your lane. However, that means there is a lot of space to pass others. One thing that is a bit creepy though is the women's locker rooms. Unlike Spieker, where it is difficult for non-females to enter, and where there are a lot of other people from swimming and other activities, there are not many people in the locker rooms at any one time. And in fact there are installed 8+ emergency call buttons, with clear signs, for people to push if they see an intruder. read more

I swim here everyday!!!! It's my favorite swimming pool in UC Berkeley. It's very deep and the lane is wider than regular pools. So, even it gets crowded, it doesn't make you feel intimidated because the lane is so wide. Also shower room is really large and clean. read more

Not if you actually want to swim! WAY to hot, circle swimming across 2 lanes, no T. Forget it. I am going back to Speiker.

This pool is great! It's like swimming in a historic monument -- oh wait, it is a historic monument!! My only complaints: * Not enough water fountains. * Opens too late read more

Usually a little too crowded for my liking, but is an awesome place to be at when there is good weather. The fast lane usually isn't that fast, so it can be a bit of a pain if you've swam in high school and are still as fast. Great open places to tan, but locker room access is a pain, as it is downstairs and unconnected to the pool area. There is now an extra hassle where you have to swipe your Cal ID downstairs and bring a ticket up to the pool before you can use it. read more

The pool only has a few lanes so it usually gets crowded, and it's not ideal to share with 3 or more people, but still, this is a nice facility close to/on Berkeley's campus. The awkward length of 33 yards can be to get used to coming from 50m and 25-yard pools but it's still a great facility. I love the old-fashioned layout with room to tan above. read more

I love doing laps here. Yes, its an odd length and the pool surround is v slippery, but it has character and a cool view, and at least when I go there aren't too many people (unlike Spieker). read more