Mary T Meagher Aquatic Center — Attraction in Louisville

I wish the Mary T Meagher Natatorium was a spectacular facility. Louisville certainly has a strong enough history with Olympic swimmers but alas, it's fairly pedestrian.

The locker rooms are a bit worn and dated, but are generally kept pretty clean. (At least better than about 3 years ago.)

It features an Olympic sized pool, often divided with a bisecting moveable bulkhead that creates a walkable bridge dividing the 50 meter lanes into a set of 25 meter and a set of 25 yard lanes. (Not sure what the deal is with mixing metric and imperial units of measurement when the bulkhead is in place, perhaps some activist felt all the metric-ness at a 50 meter pool threatened 'Merica and lobbied for Imperial unit rights... dunno but it always results in me attempting painful unit conversion calculations ...in my head, when I have to use the 25 yard pool to swim my usual 800 meters ...and all my digits are otherwise occupied with swimming. I think it has a negative impact on my times. ...but I typically lose count mid swim, so I'm never sure.

There is also a therapy? warm? well not cold pool, but I've never seen anyone in it the few times I've been and when I ventured a look into the glass room that divides it form the Olympic pool area, I think to either keep the way pools warmness in or perhaps just to keep the Olympics pools chilness out, but I did see an sign hanging on a rope across the steps down into the water that said, kind of alarming (in my head) "Go find a life guard". Thought that sign was kind of a thinker. I mean, I couldn't decide if it was an urgent request, "quick, go find a lifeguard", or the first draft of the help wanted ad, or just an alternative to the traditional "No Lifeguard on Duty" signage used by most swimming pools. So I slinked off to take a peak at the weightlifting room and gear. I didn't use any of it or give it a thorough look but it did look cleaner than it did a few years ago which may be perhaps because I don't think I've ever seen anyone using any of the gear. Which looks like fairly well kept, antique fitness equipment. But heck, a dumbbell is pretty much a dumbbell and the benches: flat, incline and decline all look pretty functional and sturdy. And I noticed a barbell rack and cables. So not really sure why it's such a ghost town.

I wish the city would find funds (private donors/sponsors) to renovate and bring it up to the standards of facilities like the Ralph Wright natatorium at the University of Louisville or west Louisville's new world class premier track & field facility, the Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center.

It's not a bad facility. It's just not an inspirational one. Competitive swimming is a grind. Louisville's budding Olympic swimmers need and deserve...

How is a pool that has family swim on the exact time frame families are at work and school THEN ALLOW swim teams to hog the pool when they could've easily reserved one side for the teams to practice on? And they be in the pool from 3 PM ALL THE WAY till 8 pm? How is that a public pool? That's more like "if you're not a stay at home parent or toddler or swim team you're not welcome" I'd rather pay a family membership at the YMCA and get my money's worth on swimming than try to tip toe around swim teams. I have an elementary school niece and a middle school niece...I'm sorry but they like to swim just as much as a kid who doesnt go to school yet. If its lap swimming and people are waiting around for a lane to open when doing laps, how is it any different than recreational swimming in a lane waiting for you to get out? Because from what I observe, people would stay in the lap swimming lanes for as long as I was there one time for recreational...

I have been coming here for over a year now and I must say that while this place is great if you are looking to just randomly jump in the pool a few days in the month but if you are wanting to invest in a membership I'd suggest you look elsewhere. Not only are the hours restricted but if you a wanting a peaceful workout you have to alter your schedule around that of local junior high and high school swim team practices and meets. For people who are able to come during normal business hours (8AM to 3 PM) its great - but if you are a professional hoping to either come in before or after work you are only really able to access the facilities for 2-3 hours a day - if that. And for what they charge - I expect unlimited access. This in combination with the lack of exercise equipment is what lead me to look for...