Visiting a Century-Old Swimming Pool

The waterfall at the pool.

We all have bucket lists, and mine isn't really too long. In fact, there's nothing on it right now, but for a long time, visiting the Venetian Pool just outside of Miami was tops on mine. What's so special about this pool? The fact that it's over 100 years old! I love vintage things, swimming pools included. But from the first time I saw a picture of this pool, I knew I just had to go someday.

The pool is actually in Coral Gables, just next to Miami. Now even though I live in Florida, Miami is nowhere near close to me. It took a birthday weekend and two nights in a motel to pull this off, but I'm so glad I did. 

The picture above was one of my favorite spots in the pool. It's a waterfall that you can actually swim over to and let the water splash on your head. And below are a few more pictures to give you a feel for the place.

Upper left, me in the pool. Upper right: stairs to the lifeguard station. Upper center: There are many old photos like this showing the pool when it first opened, and throughout the decades.

The Spanish architecture was a favorite of mine. You actually walk through this room to get from the front desk to the pool area.

A couple of other nice things are that the pool is quite large so there's room for everyone and there are some shady spots around the water's edge to get out of the sun.

If you get the chance to go, you'll love it! It's owned by the city of Coral Gables and you'll want to get reservations to insure you'll be able to get in. The water was cold to me, even in August in Miami, but it was doable, at least for me-hubby stayed in the chair. They also have a little sandy area to relax on, and a place to get snacks. It's a little pricey, $21.00 for adults and $16.00 for kids, but I only wanted to go once, so it wasn't too bad. It was wonderful being able to step back in history and get a feel for this historic place, both in the past and today.