Wilson Aquatic Center

Washington, DC, UNITED STATES

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Updated April 14, 2020.

Facility Overview

Facility Name
Wilson Aquatic Center
[Closed for maintenance/repairs until further notice]
Address
Jackson-Reed High School, 4551 Fort Drive, N.W., Tenleytown
Washington, DC 20016
UNITED STATES
Telephone
(202) 730-0583 for the pool. 671-1289 for the Parks and Recreation Department Aquatics Headquarters.

Adult Admission Price & Policy

Drop-in/Casual
Residents: Free. Non-residents: $7.00; Senior Citizens (55) $4.00. Payment is not accepted at the pool; non-residents must purchase passes online HERE. Photo ID at entry is required for all. [August, 2022]
Note: Admission policies and prices shown in Swimmers Guide listings are believed to be correct as of the date shown in brackets. If not correct now, please click on the "Edit" button and tell us so this listing can be fixed and the information brought current. This site works best when its users take an active role in the maintenance of the data.

Full-Size, Year-Round Pools & Boards

Pool 1
50m, 8 lanes x 25y, 22 lanes, indoors, 80ºF (27ºC).
Diving
Two 1m diving boards and two 3m diving boards.

Location

GPS
38.948790, -77.077955

Teams That Use This Facility

Masters Swim
Click on the Team Name to view its website.
Masters Swim
Click on the Team Name to view its website.
Masters Swim
Click on the Team Name to view its website.
Triathlon
Click on the Team Name to view its website.
Youth Swim
Click on the Team Name to view its website.

Facility Notes

Kick boards, swim buoys, and fins are available. Bring your own lock and towel.
The facility, which used to have a 25y, 6 lane pool, was "closed for repairs" for several years - when it reopened in 2009, we found it had been "repaired" to twice its former size!
There is also a wading pool area and a 20m "therapy" pool (warmer water than main pool). Call ahead if you are hoping to use either of these because they are sometimes unavailable. (Calling ahead is a useful rule for any DC pool facility.)
NOTE: The pool which was closed from mid-February to mid-June, 2023 for "emergency repairs". reopened "temporarily" on June 12. It is planned that the pool will close again at the end of 2023 to complete the repairs necessary. See THIS ARTICLE.

Facility Reviews

A clean and well-maintained pool with wide lanes, not over-chlorinated. Circle swim is the rule with speed designated lanes. It's a busy pool. The women's locker room is basic. Showers on annoying timers. It is not the cleanest locker room, but it's OK.
It is beyond terrific. Nine 50m lanes, the extra is for 'leisure swimmers, walkers and anyone who can't really swim'. The showers are dodgy but they seem to work so far.
On the men’s side, at least, the showers are fine, the timer isn’t so bad.
This is a swimmer's pool and it is huge. It is well-used by lap swimmers, as well as having additional areas and separate pools for diving, water aerobics, and small children. There is also a hot tub. The locker rooms are decent and not cramped. Bring your own lock if you want to leave items in the locker room while you swim. The pool chemicals were strong-smelling (and tasting) the day I swam there but not unmanageable.
[July, 2017]
This is an outstanding pool. To the earlier reviews I will add only this: The pool has long adhered to a schedule with long-course (nine 50-meter lanes) Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, on the other days, it's short-course (eighteen 25-yard lanes). Check the website to confirm. On long-course days, circle swimming is the rule, but lanes are marked slow, medium, fast, and very fast, and swimmers are generally good about picking the right one. The pool is full of natural light. The locker rooms are fine.
[May, 2019]
The pool is set up in 50-meter configuration on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. On the other days it is in the 25-yard configuration. Evenings on Tuesdays and Thursdays are very crowded due to swim teams and other organized activities.

The showers in the men's locker room are mediocre - quite often there are problems with temperature (too hot or too cold) and/or water pressure. Even when they close the pool for annual maintenance, they never seem to fix the showers.
[February, 2020]
Over the last year, the pool has been in a 25y configuration only. The water is cool. There is a swimsuit spinner in the locker room.
[August, 2022]