Deep Eddy Municipal Pool — Attraction in Austin

I've lived in Austin for nine years and I just went to Deep Eddy pool for the first time a month ago. I had heard that it's ever so slightly warmer than Barton Springs (which is way too chilly for me to enjoy) so I was looking forward to finally giving it a shot. I guess I picked a less than perfect day because it was overcast and a bit grey and gloomy. While I do agree that it is closer to being tolerable, it was still pretty cold for me. I even jumped in to speed up the acclamation process. And then it started raining, so I was even colder. What made me feel better was shortly after I got in, this super buff-looking guy walked down the stairs, dipped his toes in, and made a horrific face. He then tried from another side, same thing. And then once more before he finally left after only ten minutes or so. At least I was half submerged, right? I'll try again on a typical hot Austin summer day.

All in all, even though Deep Eddy might be a few degrees warmer, there's still just something about Barton Springs that's so appealing. I think it's way more beautiful, there's more room to spread out and lay on the grass, and it looks more natural. But Deep Eddy isn't without its charms. It's smaller, which many may prefer, and may be better for younger children because it has a shallow end. They also show movies there during the summer. To...

Absolutely horrific experience at Deep Eddy this evening! The water in both the shallow and swim lanes sections was utterly filthy. I have been a frequent patron here for over 20 years and never have I seen it this bad. We asked for a refund due to it feeling unsafe to swim in….a thick film all over the surface, tons of debris, a foul odor, signs of mold, etc. I am not squeamish as I again swim here often but even after sharing that I have an autoimmune disease which makes extensive bacteria dangerous…NO REFUND. The manager actually said “we can’t” which actually means we won’t and we don’t care. He could not have cared less which was the worst part. We even asked if we could get a stamp or pass so we could go over to Barton instead. Nope. Didn’t even try to offer any consolation. The other employee at the front desk even argued that the pool was clean because it had been emptied out last night. Unbelievable as it was again utterly filthy….not just a little bit. And, her lack of concern was also not appreciated. This place is just not what it used to be in many regards. So sad as it had always been my happy place. Tonight, I left there in tears feeling so disregarded. Not to mention we drove round trip an hour to pay $10 and...

Terrible management and attitude. We were kicked out with no warning because we didn’t know food (nor alcohol) were allowed and we had GOLDFISH FOR OUR TODDLERS. When the lifeguard came by to tell us no snacks were allowed and we had to leave, we promptly apologized and told him we would put it away. He said it was zero tolerance and that we had to leave. We pleaded with him to give us a warning and let us stay since we didn’t know and had JUST paid $14 to get in and they said no. The manager-kid then stood over us while we told our crying kids that we had to leave and packed up our stuff. He literally walked behind us all the way to the door to escort us out. Others also thought it was ridiculous as several people asked him if he was really making a family with two kids leave over goldfish. This is completely ridiculous as we weren’t being belligerent or rowdy AT ALL.

Turns out there is a small sign that we missed on the way in, but if the policy is zero tolerance then they should definitely have bigger signs or tell people when they enter. Super disappointing.

The pool was fun for the 20 minutes we got to play in it and our kids (1 & 4yo) loved it, but management and staff attitude is awful and we will...