Marie H. Reed Learning Center Pool

I swam here in March 2023. It's a nice six lane, 25-yard pool. When I swam, two lanes were being used for lessons. When I started at around 4 PM, I was alone in the lane, but then two other people joined in. We were able to circle swim. One person left and the other was about my pace, so all was ok. It got pretty busy by the time I left.

It's a small but clean locker room. They don't like you to change or wear shoes on the deck.

During peak hours, the pool can range from surprisingly quiet to very busy - it's hard to detect a pattern. Both outside lanes are extra wide and can be very comfortably split or circled. The staff is generally friendly, but the signage and communication aren't great and lanes are sometimes taken out of commission for no apparent reason. The pool has a great "old school" feel reminiscent of urban high schools and YMCAs. The locker rooms are Spartan but adequate.

I found this pool clean and a bit on the warm side (but not uncomfortably so). Between 3 and 4 PM on a Tuesday, I had a lane to myself. The schedule indicated open swim, but five of the six lanes were reserved for lap swimming. The staff is very friendly and let me in for free; it had been so long since someone came for a single-day swim that the manager couldn't remember how to take payment. Kickboards and pull buoys are available poolside.

The water seemed cooler than at Rumsey Aquatic Center, which I also visited.

This is a good pool. It tends to get crowded during the evening with a lot of serious lap swimmers. Parking is tricky, but doable. The nearest Metro is DuPont Circle (north exit) and a hike from there.

In late 2008 the locker rooms were redone and cleaned up. The water is usually warmer than DC’s other pools.