Feel so fortunate to be able to go here for deep water walking, in addition to the Richmond Swim Center at periods when it's not jammed. Kudos to rotating life guards and availability of aqua belts. read more

Everybody there who works there are pleasant and outgoing people all the swimmers that I have ran into have been very nice people. The pool is super clean and very pleasant to work out in. read more

Great pool ! Beautiful setting , beautifully mural friendly people Clean. the pool is mainly used by local students. If you want to swim Laps you need to be there 8 am. The place closes for a few hours after lunch. read more

Such a beautiful indoor pool. Very clean and community oriented. Warm staff to greet and answer questions.

This landmark swimming pool in Richmond is well maintained, clean and a great option for a workout. They are open all week except for Sundays. They have lap swim, toddler swim and also swim lessons with timings indicated for each on their website. Morning and evening hours vary on different days so it is best to check the site for schedules based on season. card. Pricing is slightly different for Richmond and non Richmond residents, with a discount offered for seniors. They have the option for you to pay for a drop in or to purchase a stamp card for multiple visits. There are 2 Richmond pools you can access with an account and stamp. Parking is free and easily available on the street adjoining the facility. read more

It's a classic. I've been going to swim here pretty much all of my life. Pool water is not warm Plenty of changing room and showers read more

After swimming with my daughter doing about 10 laps with me in the water with her...her record time being 68 seconds doing the crawl. My daughter is a fish and an extremely strong swimer. However, a staff member stopped us and made her do a swim test on the spot including tread water for a minute, to be allowed in the normal swimming area. She was tired and unprepared and put on the spot, so they kicked her out to the kids section and made her cry. She now feels terrible and left crying. I would never return under any circumstances. We swim in community pools regularly. Way to ruin a kids day! Shame on the staff. That was a terrible experience and would suggest go to the mill valley pool or anyplace but the plung! read more

What a nice pool! I brought my 3 year old yesterday for the Jellyfish swim class with teacher Jeff. He was a saint and so patient while my son and another child cried the whole time lol. The other four children were much more comfortable in the water. But teacher Jeff was amazing. read more

Yay! Finally the restoration on the pool floor is done, the mural freshly repainted. The lockers and rest room on the men's side look the same as does most other aspects of the facility. Many familiar staff faces with big smiles ready to get back to the normal routine. Them and me too! Impressive spread for the grand reopening, wasn't expecting that upon opening those automatic double doors! Tons of folks crowded in the front where the food was as it's starting to rain a bit. Me I just wanted to see the pool! It's been so long, one one of the staffers I see all the time was a little disappointed when she pointed to the new pool floor and tiles and I didn't seem impressed. Frankly a few busted tiles in a muni pool were simply cosmetic to me. It certainly didn't stop me from swimming there multiple times a week. But she explained that the entire floor infrastructure was failing and it would have been more costly to wait. The mural in the back was vibrant but again because it was the same mural I guess I wasn't over the moon excited. I'm just very very very happy that this way cool functional icon of the community is back in business. Being rather disappointed in the cleanliness of the gym Lockers and pool I joined during the plunge hiatus, I'm excited to cancel that membership! Free Aqua Zumba with Oscar tonight if you wanna shake your groove thang on the new floor of the Plunge! I'll be there mañana... flippers and googles in tow! Horray!!!! read more

Clean, well organized and offers many amenities to get dressed, like showers and toilets. Staff very friendly and helpful.the temperature of the water varies with the season and is comfortable. Good location and easy parking. read more

Depending upon how much you feel comfortable pre-paying upfront, your swim at this beautifully restored natatorium will cost you $3, 4, or 5 per visit. it's quite clean inside... even the locker rooms and bathrooms... depending on what time you arrive, it's either Olympic-sized lap swim, or, after noontime, they change the lanes to the width of the thing for rec swim. What a day.. can go swim, then dry off in the warm sunshine, walk over to get a facial or massage, and then hit the Wednesday farmer's market, when they have live music and the vibe is just right. read more

Very nice facility! My daughter took swimming lessons during the summer of 2022 in coach Josue M's class and it was the most effective lessons she's ever had. The lessons were fun as well and my daughter has made a huge improvement during the 16 sessions. read more

The Richmond Municipal Natatorium, affectionately known as The Plunge, is a historic swim center in the Point Richmond neighborhood. The Plunge was created through a bond issue in 1926.. At that time, it was a "state of the art" two-story building with an indoor warm water swimming pool double the size of an Olympic pool, a fountain, observation balconies, and an open truss ceiling reminiscent of the Sutro Baths in San Francisco. It was closed in August 2001 for seismic retrofitting and reopened in August 2010 after a community-wide restoration effort. When I was raising my step-daughters, this was our Family swim center. I love the architecture, the wide open feel, and of course the spacious and warm water. I even have a Richmond Plunge Christmas Tree Ornament that I treasure. read more

Indoor pool, open year round. Situated in a lovely historical building. Rarely crowded, well, except on hot weekends (avoid this at all costs, unless you want to swim with the masses and deal with the pandemonium). Salt water, no chlorine! The pool is divided into two sections on weekends. I do laps--so indulgent to have an unhurried lane to myself--while my guys flutter about in the family rec side, which is slightly warmer. The locker rooms have been clean and have mesh bags for you to put your stuff. Only thing I'd knock them for is they don't accept $20 bills even tho' it's cash only and sometimes the staff at the entrance is a bit slowish. Overall, though, a great place for a swim. read more

Richmond Plunge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Richmond, California

Nice pool, very clean. It is 83 degrees, they told me, which seemed cold on a chilly fall day. Salt water, and attentive lifeguards. There are heaters inside the space but it's drafty. I do like the vintage architecture throughout which has been lovingly refurbished. We went to rec swim which did attract some young rowdies, but nothing too bad. Now if only downtown Point Richmond had a place to get a cup of hot chocolate afterward, this place would rock! read more

Swimming at Keller's Beach is not that bad. The place gets a Richmond Bay tidal flush out twice a day every day, despite the nearby Refinery. I swan there many summers and still remain healthy. But in the winter, inclement weather forced me to go indoors and that is where and why the Plunge in Pt. Richmond is such a great place. I looked forward to making the trip past San Quintin Prison and over the Richmond Bay Bridge just for the chance to do some nice laps at this very historical Municipal Natatorium. The Plunge website says: "For all of these 70 years the "Plunge" has been a distinctive asset to the City of Richmond where youth, elders, those with infirmities and illness, have come to swim, exercise, maintain mobility, recuperate and just enjoy family activities. It has been utilized by residents of Contra Costa, Alameda, Solano and Marin Counties." (I would also add San Francisco county.) The Plunge has been open to all ages, races, economic status, physical abilities and life status-it is the great equalizer that allows all to enjoy water amenities. In the cold wintertime of the Bay Area, the opportunity to do some indoor swimming at the Pt. Richmond Plunge is a real treat. When my daughter was a toddler, she also enjoyed water babies and splashing around at this great pool. The freight trains that roll constantly by along the tracks right next to the Plunge are very cool too. I only deduct 1 Yelp Star as the hours of operation are a little strange. However, this is probably because of the cutbacks in city staffing due to the economy. Pt. Richmond is a charming, wonderful little city and the Plunge is something that all of Richmond should be very proud of. read more

Richmond Plunge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Richmond, California

Huge indoor pool in an historic building. Great evening lap swimming, though the extended summer hours are soon to end in September. Locker rooms are clean enough and the facility is all around no pressure and no fuss. In the late evenings most lanes only had 1 swimmer. The shallow end had small lessons, walkers and some rec use. Fantastic community resource. The hours are strange, check the website. Plenty of street parking in the evening. Free coat check. The showers were warm enough and there was a suit dryer (spins dry). read more

Richmond Plunge - Local gem- Richmond is more than you hear about in the media - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Richmond, California

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Good location, good parking, clean facilities and friendly staff. Not that busy when we arrived, two per lane. Lane 1 for water walking, lane 2 for slow, lane 3 for med, lane 4 fast. Remaining lanes for masters. It's a decent deal to get exercise at an indoor pool. We will definitely be back. Free street parking. read more

Richmond Plunge - Nice landscaping, would never guess this is part of Richmond. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Richmond, California

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Best pool I've ever been too...guess you'll have to be the judge on where that falls. Loved the fact that the water was warm, in fact, I came for a kayak class, and sort of wish I'd had more of an opportunity to be in the water than on the water it was that nice. Shower area was nice and spacious and had a fancy water removing gadget for swimming attire. Showers do not have curtains...so if you don't care about that disregard and if you do care, just an fyi. Hmm...what else...I think the only negative of my experience was the fact that they had some windows at the very top by the ceiling open, so it got a little chilly, but that was a minor thing. Also, big giant mural on the wall was a nice touch. read more

Richmond Plunge - Thursday evenings through California Canoe and Kayak you can learn to roll in the nice warm waters - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Richmond, California

I took my friend's kids here for family recreational swim during the week and it cost $3 per child 1:30-3:30, good entertainment and exercise at a very affordable price. Since the kids are very good swimmers, they simply had to pass a test then get a wrist band and they could enjoy the deep end of the pool. It's a very lovely pool with big soaring ceiling and I really liked the fact that it didn't have a strong chlorine smell. read more

Richmond Plunge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Richmond, California

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The benches in the changing room are big enough to balance a baby and change a diaper if you bring something to put down first. This is a huge step up from El Cerrito pool where it was terrible hard to manage baby, changing clothes and swim diaper activities! There is no baby pool but the shallow end is great for us. Rates are also affordable for a public pool. Was a little chilly for us on cooler days. read more

This review is solely based on my lap experience. Usually I would not provide a review on a recreational facilities particularly a pool bc my occupation consists managing and supervising multiple sporting complexes including aquatic facilities. I hope that makes my review more meaningful. Facility - 8 lap swim lanes for intermediate and advanced lap swimmers. Shallow end has enough room for lessons, beginner lap swimmers, walkers, and aerobics. Pretty large. Facility is clean. Additional spoils: welcoming auditorium setting, cool old shower heads, swim suit dryer HELL YEAH, dry locker rooms, eye catching mural. Staff - Welcoming and friendly. That's all I can ask for :). I saw some reviews stating staff are to young. That's not a Plunge problem. It's more like a You problem. Where are management going to find older staff willing to work for Part-time pay? Cities can't afford to pay life guards full-time. Trust in our youth -- they got it! Overall lap swim experience -- 5 stars! Nothing negative -- thanks Plunge for the wonderful experience. read more

This bad review is not based on actually going to the pool, because I can't because the hours are awful. I don't just mean minimal, I mean completely useless. The pool opened in the middle of August but hasn't started lap swimming yet (according to the schedule posted on the web site). When the lap swimming does start, it is from 4:30-6 pm on weekdays. Attention city of Richmond or whoever is in charge of setting up the pool hours. Adults swim laps as a form of exercise. They must go to work to afford the $6.00 per swim to do laps. Most adults do not get out of work early enough to finish the 45-60 minutes of swimming they do in a workout by 6 pm. Every other public pool in the area has figured that out. It doesn't appear that the pool is open on Sundays. It is an indoor public pool. Unless everyone who plans on using the pool is unemployed, keeping it open on a day that most people have off would be a good idea. Finally, isn't this pool supposed to be huge? Isn't it possible to have parts of the pool used for lap swim and other parts for recreation swim or water aerobics all at the same time? This looked like a great idea that has been completely screwed up by moronic scheduling. If they had enough money to renovate the place, they should have made sure there was enough money to run it properly. read more

The plunge is pretty cool. It's one of the quietest, cleanest pools I think I've encountered in the East Bay. Because it's indoors there is quite a bit less sediment at the bottom. Since it's all been restored in the last few years, it's really nice and clean and basically wonderful. The locker rooms are a little too open, with not more than 15 lockers and a lot of open, empty space and not too many benches to put your belongings, but since it's not very crowded, that's fine. They have a swim suit spinner, which is cool, but no hairdryer or wall mounted hand dryer that you can use to dry your hair (yes, i use a hand dryer to dry my hair, my poor, poor damaged hair :/) I tend to come here around 5:30, and hardly ever share a lane with anyone. The kids swim team wraps up at that time, and more lanes open up for the adult team. Not sure how their masters' team is, but they do have a Richmond Adult masters team. They grew on me, but the kids that work here are not very friendly. I mean, dang, are you all the most miserable, unfriendly bunch of hard-asses or what!? You're getting paid to be here, right? Jesus! They really need some smiles sprinkled in the mix over there. All of the signage at the pool is all about 'the customer' and so forth, so while it's a public pool, it does feel kinda un-community like and very strict. So, while beautiful and there being lots of nice people who do chat, the vibe of this indoor pool is not my favorite. read more

This pool has been restored and updated with loving attention to its history. Among the many small joys of a visit there are hand-painted signs, beautiful tile, and a stunning mural. The locker room is clean and well-maintained, and the pool itself is appropriately heated and salt-treated so you don't feel like you're being gassed. We visited on a very cold day and the interior of the building was a bit nippy, but considering its cavernous size, that's sort of inevitable. I would encourage anyone interested in the Bay Area's architectural heritage to visit the Plunge. When you think that this building was going to be torn down, I think you'll be very grateful to the architect, civic leaders, and donors who saved for all of us. Kudos! read more

Beautiful facility ... However there are several issues that detract from this gem. Have gone several times when the website states they're open, but for some reason or another the pool is closed when we've gotten there. No family changing room which seems like a huge omission. And if the pool is crowded on a hot day, there's a waiting list to get in, no limit once you're in to allow waiting families a chance to swim. Richmond's got an awesome community resource here, but the service is just terrible and that takes away from this diamond in the rough. read more

Beautiful pool, wonderful friendly staff. Three things: 1) showers in ladies are luke warm 2) they could extend lap swim hours 3) put the schedule on the website! Other than that...best pool I've ever swam in. read more

YELP 100 CHALLENGE 2014 3/100 I LOVE this place! I used to come for water walking while I was on maternity leave last year. The pool is most always a comfortable temperature. The fellow patrons are always kind and mostly cheery :) The dressing room has big, wide benches and lots of room to keep your things organized. The showers are warm and oh so nice after a swim! I love the little bathing suit dryer that they have as well! The Plunge has so many classes available too. I always leave the plunge feeling refreshed! My one year old son and I just finished our first session of baby swim class here too and we liked it so much that we signed up for the entire summer course! The baby class consits of tiny tots clinging to their parents whilst the parent walks around in the water and attempts at getting the little one to relax and play. The instructor brings out a crate of pool toys and my son immediately grabbed a ping pong ball and wouldn't relinquish it! The classes are definitely helping my little one become used to the water, and it's a great experience! read more

I've been frequenting the plunge for just over a year now. It's nice at 6am and later in the evening. IF the staff haven't opened more windows than necessary. Which they always seem to do. Don't know who instructs them to do this, but it sucks the warmth right out of the water. The highest windows are the only ones that need to be open to vent the rising damp air. I don't like feeling as if I'm enacting the ship wreck scene from Titanic when I get into the water. In addition, apparently there is no dedicated cleaning crew and it's often in need of a good wipe down in the shower and toilet areas. If only someone older than18 would be on site and actually Manage the place. Don't get me started on the water zoomba instructor and his TOO LOUD music. The class is RIGHT in front of you! Turn the music way down, PLEASE! read more

This place is beautiful, clean, not-too-crowded, reasonable price for the experience. Great, restored historical building with a pleasant, calming mural on the far wall. Lots of natural light and ventilation. No chlorine gas smell! Nice staff. Great locker rooms with hot showers. The pool area is heated a little bit so the air and water are just about perfect for recreational swimming, not cold and not too warm. Went on a Saturday afternoon for a fun swim, and got just what we were looking for. Can't say enough about the appeal of the building and how awesome it is not to be turned off by the chlorine off gassing the whole time you're there! I'll definitely be coming back to this place as regularly as possible and recommend it to friends. read more

The heater was broken again the pool is much to cold. Beware - Swimming at night 25 or so of overhead lights are out/broken since day one. Lap swim ends at 6PM???? It is clear that this building was opened way to soon. Shower handles are falling off. You can see inside the locker room from outside the building, due to very little frosting on the window. How does city staff open a building with broken lights since day one??? This has the potential to be an amazing place hopefully after the growing pains. read more

My boyfriend is trying to teach me how to swim and after researching diff options, we chose this place to .... Test the waters. Heh heh. No boards on the shallow end... Which I find strange if a little kid is trying to learn how to swim but okay... $5 to get in We usually go on Sundays. The first time it wasn't crowded but the last time I went there was a big group of kids but luckily by that "lesson" I was in the pool with the lanes. Lots of friendly people and teaching tools for my bf to utilize in his lessons :) Tip: bring a lock bc the lockers are broken! read more

I love this place! I take my kid here 3-4 times a week. The water is warm and the guards are nice. I wish they would hurry up and fix the heater in the ladies locker room. read more

Okay. Perhaps my undying love for Richmond, despite all the harsh economic, environmental, and social injustice realities it suffers under, is the fact almost all of my clear and beloved childhood memories occurred there. The Richmond Plunge (aka Richmond Municipal Natatorium) is a treasure, literally. Its grand, warm pool thrilled me as a child. No need to travel down south to my Aunt's pool or wait for the summer, you could live in the foggy Bay and still swim everyday! Pure magic! Currently, and sadly--especially for Richmond, a community much in need of a space for collective extra love and warmth to fortify its citizens as they struggle forward---the plunge is closed pending costly seismic repairs. However, thankfully, while the city is unable to afford the retrofit, a dedicated group of volunteers is hard at work to gather grants and donations to get the plunge up and running. http://www.richmondplunge.org/news.html So, if you ever have a bit extra---give them some love---buy a t-shirt! I promise when the Plunge reopens, you will NOT be disappointed. read more

I went here the first month they opened and came back last year. I love it before they divided the whole pool into sections just because it felt like you were swimming in an indoor ocean. But, now - it's more functional. I like how they have it set up for different swim levels and even have an area for kids. So thankful to have a nice, clean indoor pool close to work and in the sweet little town of Point Richmond. read more

I have been swimming here after work for the past two years. The pool is clean and the water is well heated. The building itself is an amazing old structure with tons of natural light. The restoration has gone very well and finally tax money well spent. The only negative i have is the lanes are very limited between 4-6pm. i know this is peak hour for everyone but it would be nice if the swim lessons would give up one or two lanes. I have always been able to swim but usually I have to share a lane. Not the end of the world but sometimes you will have to share with a water moose or someone with 6 foot arms. The lifeguards are very nice and seem to want everyone to enjoy their time. I do wish Richmond Plunge the best and hope they continue to offer lap swimming. read more

The Plunge is re-opening on August 14th! I'm so excited because the Plunge is pretty awesome. I grew up in Richmond and the only swimming options in the city were the Plunge or Keller's Beach. Sadly, I swam at both although I'm now freaked out by the fact I was swimming in dirty bay water directly next to a Chevron Refinery. It was probably better to swim indoors at a fancy place officially called the "Richmond Munincipal Natorium" and in a building dating to 1926. Plus you can go swimming no matter the weather! The Plunge closed in 1997 because it was deemed seismically unsafe and is now re-opening thirteen years later thanks to lot of hard work and fundraising. I'm so happy that we got to keep it! Enjoy your free swim sessions on opening day. read more

I love practicing my swimming here. Patrons are polite and chill. Lots of room to practice so no one gets bent out of shape if they have to share a lane with you (which is rare). Bathrooms are clean and there are lots of reminders posted to conserve water. read more

Love this place. It's a clean, indoor saline pool that I was looking for a long time. It has free lockers and soap in the shower. Really the best in the area! Update - as much as I love this place, it doesn't update its schedule. You go onto their site and the schedule is from last year. read more

We have attended 2 different sessions here. The teachers of the learn to swim program are amazing!!! Kind, patient, and also able to push your children to try new things. We stopped due to my child's fear and came back a year later and in three weeks she is doing a back float with no support!! Some schools do not allow the child to gain comfort and children need to gain comfort at their own rates. I am very content and so is my daughter. We love the plunge! read more