Washington Park Pool
Built as a WPA project in 1939, the Washington Park recreation center and swimming pool was a favorite summer activity for close to 30 years. The pool cost $150,000 to construct and was considered "state of the art." The only one of its kind in Wisconsin, it was built with the idea of providing a seashore atmosphere in the heart of the City. The pool was closed in 1968 and later removed. The recreation building was complete with a gym and showers. The pool's changing rooms were located in two open air areas with benches and changing stalls. The boys were located on the east side of the building and the girls on the west side. Street clothes were placed in a basket and each patron would get a rubberized ankle band with a medal tag with the basket number on it. There was also a concession window which sold goodies for the long walk home.
Back in the mid '50's I lived on Carroll St. A group of friends, we would go there every day. It cost 10 cent to get in. I would get a quarter from my mother, 10 cent to get in and when we left we would stop at the A&W Root Beer stand on 12th Street and spend the last 15 cent on a large ice cold root beer.
One day a week was a free day, we had a name for it, but I won’t say what we called it.
Around the “Island” the water was 10 ft deep. There was a fence around it and at the fence it was about 4 ft and tapered up to about 6 in deep. I was pretty disappointed when they closed it.
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That's where I learned to swim! I would walk through Lincoln Park , then through Washington golf course BOTH ways! We had a litle basket to put our stuff in and afterwards we bought candy at the candy store there. Ah for the old days.
I never went there. Grew up on the north side, a block from North Beach. I didn't need a pool. I knew about it, though.
I think they ended up filling the empty pool with garbage and attempted to build tennis courts on top of the garbage, which turned out to be a joke. The rec center turned out to be a gang hang-out.
OMG does that bring back memories. We used to go there as kids and had a blast. Walked down Phillips Ave to Park, just like I did most days in high school.
Ah, the innocence of youth.
I learned to swim there also. It was a great place. My oldest sister had her bike generator stolen while she swam there. One of the reasons he used when we moved to Sturtevant in 64.
Green Bay still has a bunch of these public outdoor swimming parks. We went there almost daily as kids when we visited my grandma. I think it cost about a dime to get in. When we moved to Racine, I wasn't allowed to go to the Park pool. My mom felt the neighborhood was too dangerous.
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