Marie Reed has a pretty decent lap pool. Been coming here during the (month long!) maintenance closure of Tenley pool. The locker room could be a little cleaner, but is basically fine. The showers have a handle that lets you select the temperature rather than the single-temperature, timed buttons that they use at Tenley, Lengthwise, the pool is 25 yards. Each time I have been there it was divided into six lanes. It doesn't seem too crowded after work, and according to the staff, the pool is open on the weekends as well. read more

Love this pool! Shallow ends but good swim lanes and good facility all well rounded staff!

I live two blocks from this pool, and am a big fan. It is small-ish, but there is always a lap lane available. The 25-yard pool is well kept. Locker area is old and not sparkling clean, but it does the job. I found the staff also to be nice and friendly but I hardly interacted with them. The biggest upside is it is free! The downside is that it is closed during the weekends. read more

Marie Reed Recreation Center - My own private pool? - Recreation Centers Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Great when it's open. However, beware of chronic DPR management issues with this pool. It is frequently unexpectedly closed during posted hours. For example it was supposed to be open today from 6am-9pm but when I went to swim at noon the door was locked and it was dark and unstaffed--with no notice posted on the door, no phone message explaining unexpected closure during regular hours, and no alert posted on DPR alerts https://dpr.dc.gov/page/dpralerts. This has happened to me more than once. Don't bother calling MRAC or DPR--they don't answer their phones. I have contacted city officials about this. Life guards are great and there is a good vibe. It's too bad it's so poorly managed by DPR. read more

I love the Marie Reed pool. Sure it isn't as fancy or big as Wilson Aquatic Center and the locker rooms are small and starting to look old but it is a free pool that is kept clean with a friendly staff and a great community feel. Check-in is very easy. Sign your name, zip code and time of check in and show a valid DC ID (DC drivers license, recent utility bill, DC One Card or local student ID are all proof of residency). Bring a lock if you want to use a locker and any showering necessities. The pool is 25 yards and has really weird hours. In the Summer it is open 6am-10am then 1pm-9pm. If you get there at opening time and find the door locked just give it a good knock and they will let you in. Between 1pm and 5pm it is family swim time where the pool is divided into lap swimming and general splashing around. They do a really good job of balancing the needs of community members who want to cool down and those who want exercise. They have kick boards, pull buoys and flippers available for free to use during your swim. The pool manager does a good job the chlorine levels seem right which is nice compared to some other pools. The staff is very friendly and enforces the rules in a consistent manner. If you don't shower before entering the pool, try taking pictures or run around on deck you can expect someone to go over the rules with you. They do this in a very calm non-confrontational way that makes the whole place seem relaxed and beginner friendly. read more

Free public swimming pools in D.C. - one of my most recent discoveries after living here for a year! The pool at Marie Reed is clean, not overly chlorinated and is open year-round. Go splash around from 3pm - 5:30pm or release your inner Michael Phelps from 5:30pm - 8pm. The locker rooms are old but clean, the showers work, just don't forget to bring a combination lock if you plan on storing your valuables. read more

This was my neighborhood pool for 2 years, and I went almost every day after work. A modestly sized indoor pool, Marie Reed does the job for the recreational lap swimmer. It can get quite crowded some evenings - I've swum with 4-5 people in a lane a few times, but it seems like this is most common in the summer, when interns are present in the city. The ladies' locker room is small (more than 4-5 people at once and you'll need to be a little lenient about personal space) and could use to be cleaned more often, but it's fine. Mosquitoes and houseflies are not uncommon patrons in the summertime, so watch yourself. You should bring a lock for the lockers here, but after I lost mine I usually left my bags on the pool deck. As the other posters mentioned, it's free - nobody checks for your proof of residency, just sign-in. read more

This is a great, free pool for DC residents. Just an FYI, it has new hours. It's now open for lap swimming Monday - Friday 6am -9am and 3pm - 8pm (Tue + Thur open until 9pm). read more

Not the newest or the biggest pool but it's just around the corner from the house, the staff is friendly, and it's free. They have begin checking ID however as of this week so, if you're not a DC resident, be prepared to spend $7 a visit. In the summer, they also have an outdoor shallow pool for kids. A note for lap swimmers: There are only two lanes open during the day (generally 1-7ish). After that, they rope off all the lanes. read more

What can I say....it's a pool. Well maintained facilities, nice locker rooms and a big hole in the ground with water in it. Mehhh. There have been a dozen or so children in day camps playing in one half of the pool the two times I have used the pool at Marie Reed. Nice kids but be warned, these kids can be loud (screeeeech). As with all DC pools, I always have a hard time figuring out definite times they are open and closed. Sometimes it will be closed when a website says it is open, and vice versa. read more

Went to the outdoor kiddie pool with my 1 year-old for the first time today and was a bit taken aback by the exterior building's appearance: you think you're in Havana, circa 1992. Access is not very easy with a stroller, changing rooms are pretty dreadful, but... the walking pool in itself is amazingly clean, and the lifeguards really nice and caring. They say they change the water every day! Imagine the cost. But as a result, it's very very pleasant once you are in the water. Another under-used, perfectly fine public DC pool. Will be renovated starting mid-August, and I'm looking forward to the new facility in the summer of 2010. read more

A no frills, FREE public pool. There are kickboards and leg floats available for use. Locker rooms are equipped with a shower and lockers. Bring your own locks and towels, and dive right in! read more

Facilities are really good! The main issue is the level of aggression from other swimmers when you try to join a lane. It's a public pool! If staff are going to sit there and let people aggressively bully other people, they should at least facilitate a wait list or assign lanes. read more

If you've swam at the nicer pools in DC (Wilson, Takoma) give this one a miss. It's dirty, extremely loud, the locker rooms while old (no problem with that) were disgusting when I visited. The women's locker room and men's (according to my boyfriend) both smelled like raw sewage. There was a swim class happening in the leisure lane - great! However, I don't think the teacher needed to yell at the top of their lungs non stop for the entire hour. Kids running around on the pool deck generally unsupervised. Not the environment I want for getting a workout in. Great if you have small children and want to let them run wild and get a swim in. Also lanes are full of swimmers who have no idea how to share a lane, resulting in your constantly being swam into. Never had this problem at other pools. Also, staff wasn't at the door checking IDs when I came in... not very professional. read more

Brought my kids (ages 18 months and 2 years) here because it was 93 degrees and we were bored indoors. Great spot! Pool is clean, no cracks or defects in the liner, not overly-chlorinated, mostly it is in the shade from a large neighboring tree. My son, who cannot swim, was able to stand independently in the 2-ft deep shallow end and walk around safely. We were the only ones there save one other mom and her two kids. There were two lifeguards working (not the friendliest, but at least they were watching). They let me bring my stroller on the patio and we just plopped our bag down on a chaise lounge. Parking was free for 2 hours on the street in front. There is a 'locker room' that is really just a shower, one toilet and an alcove for changing into your suit. This pool is no-frills. But it is a great spot for being active outside on a hot day! Some kids from a DC Summer camp arrived at 12:30 for swim. So I recommend using the pool before noon or after 2pm. To my knowledge, it is closed Saturday & Sunday. read more

Okay I'll preface this review with the fact that I've been a swimmer all my life and, consequently, have spent a large percentage of it in or around a pool. For a community center, this pool is perfectly fine. It's 25 yards with 6 lanes and it's usually not too crowded. The hours are good to get a swim in after work and admission is free. I don't think you can really ask for much more from a community center. The locker rooms are fine, and, yes, there may be some standing water, but it is really not that big of a deal. The only thing that really bothers me is that both of the time clocks are currently broken. Personally, I need a clock to stay motivated and to get a good work out in. Other than that, though, it's all good. read more

Normally I do not post on this place. But after reading some of the comments, it has become pretty clear that a lot of people do not know the variations of pools. I have been a competitive swimmer for 20+ years. I state this because I have been in many nasty pools. First and foremost, this is a community pool. Your expectations already should be pretty low. All you can hope for is that the water temperature of the isn't hot to the touch as it become a health hazard when swimming at high output. If a person can get a well maintained pool, it's already got high marks. And they try to maintain those temps and chemical ratios there best. Additionally, like most community center, funding is basically non-existent. It really comes down to how many people show up and sign on sheet. That basically tells the board that they might need to allocate more money, or lifeguards. While no one is a fan of wet and messy floors, the reality is that the complex isn't maintained well and isn't particularly well designed. Also, they do not have the right tools for the job. As a former lifeguard both at a nice residential public pool and beach, sometimes the people allocating money do not give you the tools to clean. Nor will it help. The fact is people are walking through the pool every hour of the day wet, and disgusting. Even if the locker rooms were to be cleaned every hour, people would still complain because they walked in at an inconvenient time. Plus, the locker rooms are stuck back in the 70s or even 80s, so no matter what you do, unless there is a major overhaul, it will never be a satisfactory locker room to those that expect it. Remember, it's a community pool with limited money, resources, and staff. As long as the pool is maintained and temp is reasonable, and the main pool deck is reasonably maintained, there really shouldn't be any complaints. read more

Ummm can you give a free swimming pool less than 5 stars? This place is great when it's cold out or my knee is hurting and I can't run, I just go do laps! I was hesistant to write this review as Marie Reed is kind of my secret, but I guess I can share... The pool has good hours, Mon-Fri 3-5:30 and then lap swimming only: Tues/Thurs 6am-9am, Mon/Wed/Thurs: 5:30-8pm, Tues/Friday: 5:30pm-9pm. It's a nice, clean, public pool that always has people but has never been overly packed when I have gone. Enjoy the swim! read more

Free DC city pool that's a great place to swim laps during the week, closer than Takoma. People with a wide variety of swimming levels practice here- last time I went lap swimming there were even adult swimming lessons going on, so the atmosphere is not intimidating for the less competitive. Circle-swimming or lane-sharing is the norm, so make sure you are up on you lap etiquette! It's not shiny, new, or even particularly large, but it meets basic lap swimming needs perfectly and for free! They also have kickboards and pull buoys available, but no paddles. The DCAC practices here on the weekends I believe, so lap lanes are only available during the week to recreational swimmers. Probably you could get some laps in earlier in the day, but official lap swimming is from 5:30 to 9 something (new hours, not sure if they extend after the summer) read more

I'm a big fan of having a lap swimming option in the neighborhood. It's a great resource and much improved with the renovation. The pool area has more light and is airier. The equipment has been refreshed. The locker rooms are w ENORMOUSLY improved -- more space, less grungy and better laid out. The pool is never all that crowded (at least compared to Wilson) and the swimmers are pretty cordial. My only complaint is the lack of any open time on the weekends. Fingers crossed that will change. read more

I used to go here twice a week at 6 AM for a morning swim. It is very minimal with 6 lanes, 25 yards each. It does get somewhat crowded in the mornings and you often will share a lane with 1 or 2 other people. If you are a serious swimmer, you might find this annoying as most of the swimmers are not very fast. It is more crowded in the evenings, though, so I would recommend mornings. The hours here are weird...it was open Tues & Thurs mornings, but not other mornings, and it's not open on weekends. Some nights it closes at 8, some at 9 from what I recall, and it's not open mid-day (opens at 3 or something after the morning). Also, the 2 time clocks broke in late 2008 or early 2009 and had not been fixed by August 2009. I found the water to be generally clean, but the facility is obviously very old. The lockers are rusty and the locker rooms are dirty and odorous. It is definitely a place you want to get in and get out quickly after your workout. Most people will place their bags deckside (as I did) rather than use the lockers. Parking is easy. Old Morgan School Place is the street that leads up to the entrance, and parking is unrestricted there except for around 7:30 AM when school buses use the street, I believe. I also see people take bikes onto the pool deck so you can do that, too. In March, they finally started checking IDs after threatening it for a while so you do need your DC ID or you will have to pay $7. Overall, it's a decent facility, but the newer and nicer Wilson Pool is now open with much better hours and I'll be going there once I resume swimming. read more

This is a nice, free public pool that isn't crowded. I certainly cannot complain. Bring a lock for your locker, or just bring your bag out into the pool area instead. The locker rooms aren't luxurious by any means, but they're acceptable for quickly changing into your suit and then showering off before you get into the pool. read more

I just swam here for the first time, and can't believe I didn't know about this place till now! I swam competitively for many years and I'm so pleased with the experience I had: a six lane, 25 yard pool, with pretty good hours, convenient, and free?! I will definitely be back. One thing to note is you will need to bring your own lock and towel!!! read more

The pool at my gym is temporarily closed for maintenance, so I tried out the pool here. Overall, if you're a DC resident it's a great deal (i.e., free!). If not, there is a charge and they are checking IDs at the door. Speaking of the door, it's not obvious how you get to the pool, even if you know where the building is. Enter through a single door on the west side of Champlain Street, under the bridge/overpass. The pool is clean and big -- standard 25 yards, I think, with six lanes. From 7 to 8 pm on a weeknight, it wasn't too crowded, with about 2 people sharing each lane. Staff and users were friendly and polite. I think the water quality was a bit better than at my gym. As other have noted, the locker rooms are the biggest drawback. It would be nice if they could install floor drains to deal with the standing water, and the lockers are kind of rusty. But the standing water could probably be dealt with inexpensively if they just installed towel hooks inside the shower area and put up a sign asking people to towel off before returning to the lockers. As it is, there is nowhere to put a towel (and you must bring your own), so your only choice is to walk back to the lockers soaking wet, dripping water all over the floor. read more

I used to love this pool. I loved the class and some of the staff. The staff has gotten a bit mean lately. This one particular lady who works in the evening kept accusing me of not showering before I got in the pool even though I was clearly dripping wet. There was a roach in the shower. Now every time I think about swimming I just remember getting harassed by this lady and don't end up going. I miss the community feel. read more

While a bit old (in particular locker room and showers) and only 25m, Marie Reed pool is still a great place to do laps. The staff is always extra nice and very welcoming, and above all super cool! read more

I love Marie Reed pool. After moving to the city in 2007, I was happy to find this pool so close by. Unfortunately at the time, it was looking pretty ragged. I wrote to Jim Graham and the head of the DPR got some stimulus money to fix it up. Now there are good staff, especially Dion and Webster, who are professionals and really take pride in their work. Only complaint is about the swimmers who don't shower and give the staff guff when they are asked to do so. I'm on the staff's side on this one. It's a health department law, and no one is above it. read more

I'm writing this about 6 months after the last review and not much has changed here. I swim here during the week, usually late morning or early afternoon, and I have always had my own lane (which is great). The locker rooms are old and damp, but sufficient. The suit dryer in the women's locker room was broken for the last 1-2 months, but it's working now! It's a good place for a solo swim, especially if you time your workout to avoid swim lesson time. read more

Reed is a pretty decent pool when it's open but the problem is that if you go there during regular operating hours there is a 36-50% chance that it will be close for some completely unannounced reason. I went there today and they were closed because they had no staff during regular business hours. The last time I went it was some unspecific maintenance issue that closed it. Really annoying how unreliable this place is. read more

The pool is really clean, and, like all the DC pools, it's free. But the locker-rooms are pretty foul. I live about 3 blocks from this pool, so I change at home. I prob'ly wouldn't go here if i had to use the locker rooms, and i definitely wouldn't go here if i had to change and go to work. read more