Seven of the eight indoor pools in Seattle were built between 1970 and 1977 with money
from the Forward Thrust campaign. The Forward Thrust program spent 118 million
dollars on improving and building new recreation parks and facilities throughout King
County. The goal of this campaign was to improve the quality of life for King County
citizens and at the time was the largest public improvement package in the nation.
Colman Pool
Colman was built in 1941 and donated to the City of Seattle by the Colman family in
honor of Laurence Colman. The 50 meter 8 lane outdoor pool is located on a scenic point
of land overlooking the beach in Lincoln Park. The pool replaced a popular tide fed
swimming hole which was located in the same location. The water for the 500,000
gallon pool comes from Puget Sound. This unique feature of saltwater has been
maintained in remembrance of the tide pool that the swimming pool replaced.
Facility Amenities include:
50 foot spiral slide added in 1998.
1 meter diving board
3 meter diving board
Evans Pool
Evans is a 25 yard 170,000 gallon pool that was opened in 1954. The pool was named
after Ben and Lou Evans who worked for the Department for a total of 80 years between
the two of them.
Facility Amenities include:
Sauna
1 meter diving board
Medgar Evers Pool
Medgar Evers is a 25 yard + 15 yard 240,000 gallon pool that opened in April 1970. The
pool was named after the slain civil rights leader Medgar Wylie Evers. Built with
Forward Thrust bonds, it was the first pool built with these levy funds and it's "unique"
architectural design immediately started causing problems and construction delays for the
contractors.
Facility Amenities include:
Sauna
1 meter diving board
Rope Swing
Weights Machine
Helene Madison Pool
Helene Madison is an 25 yard + 15 yard 240,000 gallon pool that opened in January
1972.
Facility Amenities include:
1 meter diving board
3 meter diving board
Captain William R. Ballard Pool
Ballard is a 25 yard 200,000 gallon pool that opened in August 1972.
Facility Amenities include:
1 meter diving board
24’ slide
Rope Swing
Warm Water Spa
Weight Machine
Rainier Beach Pool:
Rainier Beach is a 25 yard + 15 yard 240,000 gallon pool that was opened in 1975. The
pool is attached to the Rainier Beach Community Center and South Shore Middle School.
Facility Amenities include:
1 meter diving board
3 meter diving board
Weight Machine
Meadowbrook Pool
Meadowbrook is a 25yard 200,000 gallon pool that opened in October 1975.
Facility Amenities include:
1 meter diving board
3 meter diving board
Rope Swing
Southwest Pool
The pool and community center opened in January 1976 and was constructed with
Forward Thrust money. The cost of the building was $1.36 million, for a total of 27,100
square feet. The pool is 25 yards long and holds 200,000 gallons. In 1989, the SW
Advisory Council raised $42,000 to install a 10' by 13' spa on the pool deck.
Facility Amenities include:
1 meter diving board
3 meter diving board
Weight Machine
Rowing Machine and Cross Trainer
Sauna
Spa
Queen Anne Pool
Queen Anne is a 25yard 200,000 gallon pool that opened in November 21,1977.
Facility Amenities include:
1 meter diving board
3 meter diving board
Weight Machine
Sauna
Lowery C. “Pop” Mounger Pool
Mounger opened in June 1998. The outdoor facility features 25 yard 170,000 gallon lap
pool, a 40,000 gallon warm water teaching pool and a 50 foot corkscrew slide.
Lowery C. “Pop” Mounger was founder and president of Pacific Trail sportswear and a
longtime Magnolia resident. A former college athlete and semi-pro baseball player, he
strongly supported youth recreation, sponsoring numerous Little League teams and sports
programs. “Pop” Mounger was an outstanding civic leader and had a passion for helping
others. He remains an outstanding example to Seattle’s youth of the virtues of hard work,
honesty and athletics.
Facility Amenities include:
50’ spiral slide
25 yard lap pool
Warm water teaching pool
Note: This document comes from a draft document prepared by Seattle Parks and
Recreation in 2002. The information it contains has not yet been verified or updated.