Optimist is a great community center for indoor pickleball. They have 3 courts for open play and a good variety of hours open. The bathrooms and parking are good and the staff are nice. I took classes here with Ken and Tom and learned a lot. I will keep returning. read more

Optimist Park and Pool - Intermediate class - Swimming Pools Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Jessica is a very good aquatics instructor. She stays very professional with __All her clients at all ages. Makes a great effort to insuring safety when instructing her class doing each move. Thanks Jessica. read more

A great place to swim. From lessons,swimteams and swimming laps. To climbing t b e rock wall this is a great community pool. Lockerrooms are clean. read more

This massive park is more than a neighborhood or even a regional park, it's a huge opportunity for recreation of all sorts. The park includes a community center with a gymnasium, classrooms and meeting rooms (with a warming kitchen), a year-round pool, playgrounds, sports facilities and nature trails. I spotted two separate playgrounds, each has a rubberized surface and mulch. The Baseball field appears to be lighted, there are tennis courts and basketball courts. And the park is connected to the Shelley Lake Greenway Trail. Lots of parking, lots going on here all times of the year! [Review 2439 of 2024 - 3895 in North Carolina - 23452 overall] read more

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Pros: This pool is huge. I believe it is 19 lanes when it is roped off for 25 yards. I like the convenience of dropping in for lap swim at my leisure. Since I started going a few weeks ago it hasn't ever been crowded (mid morning during the week) and I usually have a lane to myself. I also like that it's very inexpensive to drop in and even more so if you decide to get a 15 use punch card. Parking is ample and it's easy to get in and get out. Cons: The pool temperature is a bit on the warmer side if you're used to swimming in a competitive pool, but not enough to where it is bothersome. The locker rooms could also definitely use a face lift. read more

Excellent pool and life guards and staff! The pool and locker rooms are clean and in good shape!

What a great park. Not only do you have all the park features, ball diamonds, tennis courts, playground, walking areas, but a domed indoor pool. The pool is open all year ! They have many functions for the pool, for kids, seniors, and all ages. You can change and shower after your swim. The tennis courts are excellent, they are putting up a new fence around them now. You have many groups that meet on regular days for tennis. They have a nice children's playground and walking trails. Enjoy this park all year long. read more

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Small, but very shady park with community center, pool, trails, sports fields. Ample parking, restrooms available. I love going here for the early voting place. They need to fix the trails and the make the walking areas better because it's a lot of rocks instead of gravel. They have a lot parking spaces. This is a great place to come walking your dog and get great exercise. This place is so beautiful. They have a place for T-ball every Monday. If you do go walking on the trails you may hear some gunshots so close that we could smell the gunpowder. Be careful and be safe. Affordable admission- $3 per adult and $1 for kids for the pool area. Don't bring any drugs. They have drug dogs searching the parking lot. Absolutely love this place! The walking trail is so gorgeous, and has a great little playground for kiddos. read more

When I was growing up I would always look forward to when the pool at optimist park opened up. The park has kiddie pool, adult pool, and a pool with a high dive available for local residents. You can pay for a membership to the pool, or you can just pay per visit you make. In recent years they've added a dome lid to the top of the pools so you can visit them during the winter months as well. The pool is located near Sanderson High School so it tends to get overrun with teenagers after school, if you're like me and don't want to deal with that it's best to visit either early in the morning or later on in the evening. read more

Because of my training schedule, I am usually paddling in the Optimist Pool two or three times a week. I like coming to Optimist, even though it's a bit of a commute for me every morning. I like Optimist because the facility is clean, and its door opens promptly at 5 A.M. during season, perfect for those of us amateur athletes that needed to get a session in before heading to work. I also like Optimist because of its lane swimming hours. Even with swimming classes and swim meet, there would at least be a few lanes left for the rest of us. read more

First, let me say that dollar for dollar, Optimist pool is one best summer family entertainment values in Raleigh. There is something for everyone with a large outdoor wading pool for babies, tons of indoor lap lanes and a huge 3-5' deep area for people to who just want to splash around. The facility changes up the lanes on the weekend for folks who like to swim long-course (50m). Seating is plentiful around all pools and lawn furniture is provided. There are also picnic tables on the lawn inside the pool fence. These are a great place for birthday parties and picnics. My favorite part is the outdoor dive well which is the one big feature that sets this facility apart among Raleigh public pools. The dive well is 12' deep and has both high and low boards. The indoor (read: dreary) Pullen pool also has a diving board but is closed indefinitely for remodeling. Because it's so awesome, Optimist is often quite crowded in the summer, however, the area around the dive well is not as the guards don't let divers linger in the well. Optimist loses a few stars unfortunately due to mismanagement. Outdoor public pool season in Raleigh is a scant 14 weeks and Optimist closes for 3 of those weekends for swim meets. The dive well which does not open until ten, is sometimes closed randomly for lifeguard training. On other occasions the outdoor areas are closed for repairs that could have been completed in the long off-season. Closings for swim meets are noted on the city website but we learn of the others only after our 20 minute drive. Our favorite backup pool is Ridge Road which is a 'summer-only' facility with a deep end but, strangely enough, no diving board. What's up with that City O' Raleigh? read more

Nice place but wish the "regular " pool...just for swimming and such was outside.

I went to the tennis courts only. They are nestled behind Sanderson High School (took forever to find!). The courts were very well maintained and clean. I'll definitely play here again. read more

I wish they didn't keep the Dome on during the summer! When I was younger I remember them putting it on in the winter! It's ugly and I want the sun in the summer!! read more

Optimist Park was the one thing my friends and I would look forward to every summer when we were growing up. We all learned how to swim in Optimist Pool, and we made lifelong friendships from there. read more