July 01, 2026

From Our Readers: Historic Swimming Pools

Responses to the Question of the Month from the National Trust Weekly Newsletter

As temperatures rise and sunlight hours lengthen, people seek ways to cool down: fans, ice, shade, and, of course, swimming pools. In June, we asked readers of the National Trust’s weekly email newsletter to share which historic pool they would love to swim in. We received great responses from readers across the country, a sampling of which we share below.

Julia Morgan

photo by: Jay Graham

In addition to the Roman Pool and Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle, architect Julia Morgan designed the indoor pool at the Berkeley City Club in Berkeley, California.

If you could dive into any historic pool in the United States, which would it be?

Bonus points for any great stories or memories to share.

  • “I was a single mom taking my kids on a road trip to visit the grandparents. It was 1978 and we would be driving from Colorado to Connecticut where I was born and raised. We packed up our 1976 Datsun pick-up and headed east. Along the way we would stop at historic places and camp in National and State Parks. Eventually reaching Georgia, we stopped to visit the MLK Jr center. It was a hot and humid day in Georgia and I found a public pool where we could cool off. Suits on and into the pool we went.” - Elizabeth
  • “My family moved from the Bronx to Flushing Queens in 1954. One of the buildings that was not demolished after the fair was the Aquacade, on Meadow Lake, designed by Sloan and Robertson, funded by NYS, site of impressive aqua shows during the fair's run. It had a curved brick facade in the neo-classical moderne style popular in the late 1930's through the 1950's. It was re-used for the 1964 fair and retained for use as a public swimming pool after the fair. When the park re-opened for public use in 1965, I obtained a summer job with the NYC Dept of Parks as a ticket seller for the pool, which had a nominal admission charge. The pool also featured considerable raked bleacher seating, should any entrepreneur want to stage an aqua show-no takers. Unfortunately, in later years, the city determined the Aquacade was a maintenance headache and tore it down, replaced by the Gertrude [Ederle] Terrace. I always wished that the Aquacade could have been maintained, being both architecturally and historically significant so that I could swim in its impressive oudoor pool again.” - Lawrence L.
  • “My fave historic pool to cannonball into is the giant 1930s pool at Ranch in Death Valley in California. It is fed by aquifer water stored in the gravels and sands below the dry land surface, eroded off the higher rock sides of the valley. The pool water is beautiful, soft on the skin. Lots of historic photos of the pool at the Ranch, which is a terrific place. There is an associated property about two miles away called the Inn at Death Valley, run by the same folks. The Inn is also within Death Valley National Park. It is more upscale and quieter than the Ranch, which offers many activities and historic displays. Guests at one place can visit the other.” - Sarah F.
  • “Skaneateles, NY
    Public pool in center of town in 100 degrees
    Fully clothed
    Electric grid out in Northern USA
    Wish we had a picture
    Clothing dried off before we got back in A/C car!” - Landaw

    • For more on historic swimming pools, see this article about the pools located at Historic Artists' Homes and Studios and National Trust Historic Sites around the country. To learn more about Julia Morgan, the architect behind the iconic pool at the Berkeley City Club, see this profile on her work and legacy.

    Emma Peters is a content specialist at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. A history graduate, she is constantly humbled by the ways past lives and societies have shaped how we experience the present.

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