Banneker Pool

Banneker is an awesome pool to check out in the summer.
They are pretty inconsistent with asking for ID. Sometimes they just let you in and just have you write down your name. So for non-​DC residents, you might not even have to pay the $ 7 if you want to go.
The pool and seating areas are large, but still it’s often very crowded and there aren’t places to lie down. Getting there in the late afternoon during the week or right at opening on the weekends is your best bet.
Most importantly, having hotdogs and froyo available in case you work up an appetite makes it all come together.

Went for the first time today and it was great! Not too many kids in the main pool since there’s a kid’s section. They played music from the speakers so it felt almost Vegas club like… Almost. But it’s a great diverse crowd and great people watching. There are also hot dogs, burgers, chips, and soft serve for sale.

Non DC resident speaking: I paid the $ 7 fee (tip — they only except debt/​credit cards) and got in with no problem.
Unfortunately, all the seats and lounge chairs were taken. So for a good hour and a half I sun bathed on floor on the thin towel I brought. Next time, I’ll be sure to bring multiple towels and an umbrella. To be honest, that is the only reason I took a star away. INVEST IN MORE CHAIRS PLEASE!
When seats became available, me and my bestie had an awesome time people watching and reading our books. LOL there were a ton of preteen boys hanging around us making it so obvious that they were staring us, but hey what are to going to do? :)
We didn’t order any food but I can tell you those hot dogs smelt so ooooooooooo good! Also the music selection was on point. It was top 40 (hip hop) and everyone seem to have a good time as well. I’ll definitely return!

Newly renovated. Very diverse and community friendly. Only pool in DC with a full snack bar. FROZENYO Nathan’s Hotdogs Nachos Hamburgers Vegan options. Great Great Place

Pros: Clean, newly remodeled
Cons:no kickboard or buoys for lap swimmers, few showers
lots of kids
Tip: bring your own lock for lockers

I am pleasantly surprised with Banneker pool. I went today and it was great. Mind you it was a monday evening (around 6 pm when i got there) but it was super clean and there was a nice amount of people out.
I appreciate the fact that it is open until 8pm so that I can still head there after work. There’s a diverse crowd, but that just reflects the neighborhood as a whole. This is the most fun I’ve had for FREE in as long as I can remember!

I love this pool!!! I can’t believe I’ve lived so close for the past 2 years and I’ve never visited. There is such a great mix of people. I was able to lay out, read my book, and enjoy my friends. Everything was pretty clean. The only down side was that there’s not a lot of chairs… but I brought my towel and was fine with laying out on the ground. I see this being one of my favorite summer hang-​outs.

After all of the beautification efforts they made in the off season, I was expecting it to be even better than before. Unfortunately though, I’m growing less enthused with this neighborhood pool. For all of the new sidewalks and pretty landscaping and paved roadway, I cannot believe that the same broken end-​of-​season chairs are still there. It couldn’t cost that much (comparatively) to replace those.
Lounging on the pavement wouldn’t be a terrible alternative except that it is always dirty … Hair, weave, dead bugs, etc are always blowing around. There are almost always extra staff around that could busy themselves with a broom but I’ve never seen anyone make an attempt at basic upkeep.
The staff this year is really kind of unpleasant. Attitudes, not friendly, making up rules to suit the day and closing sections of the pool but not posting it … Instead they just yell at whatever poor soul tries to get in to an area they aren’t guarding. It’s very bizarre. But hey don’t bother to address the young hipsters who are smoking right next to children on the deck or rolling in with their 6-​packs.
It’s a shame. I’m giving it 3 stars for what it used to be … a really awesome place to spend a sweltering summer afternoon in DC.

How can you not love a free public pool, with a diving board, and an amazing cross section of DC residents? The people watching is fabulous, and you can generally bring in your own food and drink without issue (from what I’ve seen thus far). There are lots of children, so if you don’t like them, I would not recommend coming here. They also close the pool about once an hour (not sure why), and I’ve heard stories of puke in the pool on several occasions, though thankfully have not witnessed it.

Yay for DC residents, not so Yay for non residents. the fee went up to $ 7 from last year’s $ 5. You have to get there and wait in line if you want a chair to sit on instead of concrete. The bathrooms are clean, there is plenty of space/​sunshine for sun bathing. On saturdays they also do this «cute» thing called «adult swim» where they make the kiddies get out of the pool for like 15 minutes. not sure what that does, but it’s funny watching the kids itching to go back in.

Wish we had discovered this city last summer. A great place to beat the heat when stuck in the city on a hot summer day. An eclectic mix of people and a feeling that all are welcomed. Visited today and the only downside was having to wait in line for entry. Apparently the pool was at capacity. Can’t wait to return.

Fantastic, huge pool. Diverse crowd, separate kid’s pool area, adult-​only side of the pool, two diving boards, two shaded areas. Clean locker rooms, clean pool area.
Why not 5 stars? Not enough lounge chairs. And on Saturdays in July, you pretty much have to be there at exactly 12 noon standing in line to get one. I showed up at 12:15pm and they were all gone. Bring a thick beach towel to lie poolside. Wait any longer, and it’ll get so crowded there may not even be any spots near the pool to lie your towel!
Other helpful tips:
1. Bring your own lock if you plan to store anything in the lockers.
2. Bike racks are outside the pool, but that too fills up fast.
3. McDonald’s, Subway, and Potbelly are just a block away if you want to grab food after a long day of swimming.

Exercise, people watching, vitamin D.
All of this, free (for DC residents)? Fabulous!

I’m down with Banneker. If all you want is some cold water to swim in and some rays to soak up, you will be happy. There usually aren’t enough chairs so make sure you bring a large towel to lay on. One time I found red mites crawling everywhere which was gross but that only happened once. The pool is relatively clean. I have never witnesses lap lanes, which would up this to one more star. If you want to swim for exercise, you have to swim laps across the short end (rather than the full length of the pool) — it makes for lots of extra flip turns but it’s not terrible. The diving board can be entertaining, as men often do funny dives off of it. One plus is that there seem to be lots of adult swims AND there’s a kiddie pool for the really young ones. There is also a deep end (which is actually in the middle so not truly and END). Overall, I like this pool and I’m grateful that it is right down the street from me. However, if it was NOT down the street from me, I would not come a long distance to swim here.

Hot DC Days are made much better when there is a pool near by…
The pool is huge, but only the shallow end was open, as they are currently understaffed. This was okay, but not great, as I wanted to swim some laps. (OTHER REVIEWERS SAID THIS WAS NOT A LAP POOL, but I had to check it out myself). I got through about 1000 yards, before the kids were everywhere, so it wasn’t too bad.
The lifeguards did inform me that they do have LAP SWIMMING 8am –10am. I am going to check that out in the morning.
The bathrooms and locker rooms left something to be desired. I didn’t bother to use either.
There is a parking lot right behind the pool, so I just took in the necessities, and locked the rest in the car. There were plenty of lawn chairs, and deck space. :)

I’m ashamed to say that I’ve lived in the neighborhood for 2 years, but only managed to make my way to Banneker Pool yesterday. What a wonderful gathering place right in my own backyard. The pool is huge (bigger than Olympic size), there are two diving boards, a little wading pool area, and a wonderful crowd. Ok, they could use a few more chairs, but after 30 minutes, my group of three was all lounging comfortably. Awesome.

Oh we will miss sleeping away hangover poolside at Banneker. Despite the sleepy lifeguards and grumpy «manager», there is always a great time to be had here because of the community!!! The hipster dive-​board club, inventive suits, and everyone in between thank you for providing a much-​needed diversion from another shopping trip at Target or beer at Wonderland.
See you next year!

What an eclectic mix of people. You have your Howard University students, your Georgia Avenue ruffians, your Columbia Heights hipsters, your caddy Caucasian gays, families a plenty and children from all walks of life. I absolutely love the diversity of this pool. No where else in DC can I (white gay dude) make friends with a 10 year old african-​american kid named «DJ.» Banneker is a great way to escape the Summer heat and enjoy your day off work.
Summary: Banneker puts the «community» in «community pool.»
A caveat: definitely not a place to come swim laps, especially if it’s hot out. You’ll be dodging people left and right and leave unsatisfied.

Not a place to work out your body, but to show your hard worked body! Come here to sunbathe and jump off the dive board.
There are no lanes so, it’s not the ideal place to do laps.
They check IDs and DC residency so make sure you bring your ID and a piece of mail, if you don’t have a DC driver’s license.
Oh, and best of all. It’s free!

I hesitate to review this pool, since part of the charm is that I have it all to myself! The locker rooms were recently renovated; they are clean and respectable.
The pool has an area of laps (50m) and a couple of diving boards. There are usually enough chairs and lounges for everyone, but be prepared to sit on a towell on the deck if the pool is busy.
Plus, the entire she-​bang is free to DC residents — sweet!