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YouTubeMy daughter and I just went to the Thompson Aquatic Center Pool, on Hunter Avenue in Victorian Village!!! It opened this week.
This is so exciting. It's $1.50 for a "Leisure Card" ID, then 50 cents every time you swim. So basically free. The complex was in really great shape, it was as warm as a tropical oasis in there, and the enormous, immaculate pool was as warm as bathwater. I thought I died and went to aquatic heaven.
As far as I know, it's open swim Tues- Sat every week from 2-5 pm, so get down there! I am hoping to use my bathing suit over the winter, in preparation for bathing suit season next year. Added bonus: take your kids to swim off their winter cabin fever, they'll sleep more deeply too.
If anyone ever wants to go with us, pm me. Of course, I probably don't know you, and don't know if I'm eager to be seen in my old lady bathing suit, so... be kind. :lol:
Columbus Underground Messageboard » General Columbus Discussion
The Columbus Aquatics Center
[28 posts] [15 contributors]
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Manatee
The eternal present
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Posted 3 years ago # -
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Awesome! Been waiting forever for this to re-open! Anne & I only discovered it and got to go one time before they closed to renovations. And I thought the place looked fine then. ;)
Do they have a free swim session in the evenings? I think before they were doing Tue & Sat during certain later hours...
Can't wait to give Desi some more pool time!
Posted 3 years ago # -
honavery
Arizona
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Wait....is this the same rec center that has always been on Hunter? Did they give it a big make over?
immaculate pool was as warm as bathwater.
This is not a good thing for anyone looking to swim laps for any decent amount of time. Part of the reason I stopped going last year.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Cyclist
Peach District (State of Mind)
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Walker wrote Desi & I stopped by today. Got there around 2 and had the whole place to ourselves. Couple more people came in during the hour we were there, but far from crowded.
Probably the best kept secret in all of urban Columbus. :D
+1 up there with the OSU ice rink. Very inexpensive and super fun activity for all ages. Nice to have indoor "sports" facilities in town during the winter.
Posted 3 years ago # -
some dude in clintonville
Clintonville (obviously)
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Manatee wrote My daughter and I just went to the Thompson Aquatic Center Pool, on Hunter Avenue in Victorian Village!!! It opened this week.
I chuckled as I read this post, then looked at your name. :DThis is so exciting. It's $1.50 for a "Leisure Card" ID, then 50 cents every time you swim. So basically free. The complex was in really great shape, it was as warm as a tropical oasis in there, and the enormous, immaculate pool was as warm as bathwater. I thought I died and went to aquatic heaven.
As far as I know, it's open swim Tues- Sat every week from 2-5 pm, so get down there! I am hoping to use my bathing suit over the winter, in preparation for bathing suit season next year. Added bonus: take your kids to swim off their winter cabin fever, they'll sleep more deeply too.
If anyone ever wants to go with us, pm me. Of course, I probably don't know you, and don't know if I'm eager to be seen in my old lady bathing suit, so... be kind. :lol:
I might hit this up. Sounds sweet.
Posted 3 years ago # -
irresistiblue
Victorian Village
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As an avid swimmer, I think this place is great for residents of Columbus to exercise during the winter months. Only problem is availability. There is just no way for me to use it throughout the week since I work during those hours, and I'm assuming a lot of other people fall into this category. Once a week (Saturday) just isn't enough availability. I am very frustrated that they blocked off ALL evening hours during the week for high school swimming during the swim season (which is a large portion of the total time this pool is open).
I think it's great that high schools have a pool available to swim in, but wouldn't it be more fair and balanced if at least some portion of the facility were available during the evening for open swim? My suggestion: For two hours during the evening, two lanes be dedicated to open public swimming and the scheduled swim team can use the remaining four lanes. This allows the swim teams to utilize the pool, which is crucial to their training, while Columbus residents are actually able to use the facility to stay in shape, something I think is fair considering that my tax dollars help fund this facility.
Sorry for the rant... I'm just frustrated having moved from Washington, D.C., which had several pools that were open to the public during the evenings. And it boggles my mind that parks and recreations are in need of funding, yet this pools temperature is kept at too high of a temperature to effectively swim laps in.
Posted 3 years ago # -
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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I work in aquatics and get a fair share of complaints about swim teams. I don't know this facilities policy, but we charge our swim teams lane rental fees. To my knowledge we're the only department to have seen an increase in revenue at our facility, mostly because of the increase in rentals. Our policy is to keep at least one lane for member swim, often two with up to 3 lanes available for swim team. As to pool temp, depending on what they offer many pools keep the heat up for arthritis programs and swim lessons. We keep ours at 85-86 and the kids still turn blue after a half hour. We usually remind the coaches to make sure the swimmers stay hydrated.
It sucks and it's frustrating but it's a fact of life when you want to swim in the winter season. If swim teams are paying for use of the facility, it's probably helping offset the cost and making sure the indoor pool does remain open to the public.
Have you checked out the Y downtown? The pool is on the small side, but they seem to have a pretty open schedule. I don't even think they have swim teams, just lessons. Not as cheap as the Columbus Parks and Rec pool, but may be an option.
Posted 3 years ago # -
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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I can't even find a current schedule. The one I saw for a few years ago looked to have open swim on Tuesday and Fridays from 7-9:30.
I wonder if they are just running a tight schedule to keep staff cost down?
Posted 3 years ago # -
Manatee
The eternal present
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Yeah, it pretty much sucks. I think the schedule is WAAAY more restricted now. My kid is unhappy about it, especially because we walk by the place almost every day and she has mad cabin fever.
Maybe we could convince someone higher up in government that people actually manufacture cars at these facilities. Get some dollars flowing in.
Posted 3 years ago # -
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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Yeah it really does since this is the cheapest option in town until summer hits.
I can go both ways, speaking as someone who works in the field and someone who can see it as a potential patron.
Staff costs are probably the biggest issues right now. The powers that be stepped in and told our Aquatics Director and Assistant AD to start taking shifts and sitting in the chair. So they took the opening shifts, which took some of my hours. Thankfully they helped me make them up other ways.
Posted 3 years ago # -
honavery
Arizona
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lifeontwowheels wrote >>
Have you checked out the Y downtown? The pool is on the small side, but they seem to have a pretty open schedule. I don't even think they have swim teams, just lessons. Not as cheap as the Columbus Parks and Rec pool, but may be an option.I belong to the Y and I just can't swim laps in a 20 yard pool (God only knows why they made it 20 yards). I've been driving out to the Gahanna Y to swim, which is pretty nice. Not very close to me though. I was swimming Masters with Greater Columbus for a little while also over at St. Charles, which has a nice indoor pool.
Posted 3 years ago # -
alison
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Update on Thompson -- leisure card is now $1, but the hours have shrunk as well: Tuesady-Friday 1-3pm, Saturday 2-5pm.
I'm going to check it out tomorrow. I can't even remember the last time I went swimming, but it seems a shame to have lived downt the street from this pool for nearly 15 years, and never having gone!
Posted 3 years ago # -
Rocknrolloutlaws
German Village
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I struggled for a while to find a pool close to downtown where I could swim laps and eventually just gave up.
I was spoiled by the RPAC when I was still in school, they have a dedicated 6 lane lap pool that's open whenever the building is open. On top of that it was at an appropriate temperature for swimming laps. Not overheated like a lot of pools that cater to multiple different groups with different needs.
I too don't understand the 20 yard pool, that doesn't make any sense to me. The Athletic Club has one of those as well as I discovered when looking for a downtown pool.
Posted 3 years ago # -
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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Probably because of space and cost. Cheaper to run a small pool if there is not much demand/use.
ETA
My facility is a stone's throw from downtown, just south of Capital if anyone is looking for a pool. It's membership based for the whole facility, so that may be a turn off. We do our best to make swimming as available as possible and try our hardest to always keep one lane, if not more, open for member swim despite lessons, aquatic fitness classes or swim team. We're open 5:30 AM-9:30 PM M-Th; 5:30-5:30 F; 1:30-5:30 S and 8-7:30/8 Sundays. Indoor and Outdoor pools in the summer, giving you even more space to swim.
I apologize for the blatant advertising, just thought I would pass it on.
Posted 3 years ago #
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