Roosevelt Swimming Pool is part of Roosevelt Park south of downtown. It is one of several public swimming pools run by San Antonio Parks and Rec. All outdoor public swimming pools run by the city are free to all, open six days a week throughout the summer swimming season, and follow very similar rules and protocol. This review will focus on Roosevelt Swimming Pool and what sets it apart from other city swimming pools.
As with most city pools, you are required to sign in at the front desk with name, age group, and gender. These roles help the parks department obtain funding to continue operation of the pools, so it is very important to sign in.
Roosevelt Pool is a throwpack to 1950's pool design. Larger than most city pools, Roosevelt also is kidney shaped with several rows of concrete bleachers. This is one of the more popular pools and there are always dozens of people in the water, especially at the shallow end. It can get very crowded in the shallow area on weekends and holidays. The depth ranges from 3ft to about 10ft. There is usually ample room for swimming laps although the pool sides in the deep end can become crowded with teenagers, and we all know how they can be. Although it is a bigger pool, parking is limited, and you may find yourself waiting or walking up a stretch of hill to the entrance. There are male and female changing rooms that double as bathrooms.
Roosevelt Pool is feeling its age, and you will want to be careful not to cut yourself on the rough cracks on the walls and floor of the pool. They hurt!
The pool has a small waterslide for the kids, but they rarely open it up all season. Not sure why, but they just don't seem to like to. The manager for this pool is not the friendliest, and that attitude is passed along to the lifeguards who can be surly but are generally nice. Fruit and water are allowed in the pool area, but no other food. They have hourly or bi-hourly breaks for pH leveling, and you will spend between 20-30 minutes of time out of the water per break. The concrete can be very hot and shade is limited. read more