Jun 29, 2011

Longacre Pool

Me at Longacre Park, Indianapolis.

The year was 1973.

I can't say we went swimming there though. It was more like wading or bobbing.

We took plenty of swimming lesson there but I didn't learn to really swim until middle school.


I do remember the water slide they had and it seems like they also had some sort of barrel bolted under the water. Kids would try to stand on it and it would spin or they would swim under it.
I am sure nothing like that would ever be allowed in a pool today.

Wimps.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

thanks for the longacre pics ,great memories !

America's Best said...

I think about this sometimes almost every summer. When I went there as a kid, I thought it was too big to see it all. I don't think anybody could afford to have something like this now because you would have to go to some kinda theme park like Waterworld in Texas. Something like this would just be too much to maintain these days without major funding. The economy had to be better then, or just things in general..

Longacre lover said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

There is a very similar pool that is still operating in Indianapolis.
It is "the Rivi" or the Riviera Club which is located near 49th and Illinois.

It was built in 1933 and has almost 1.5 million gallons of water.

Anonymous said...

The website for the "Rivi" is rivi.org

Unknown said...

My Father managed long acre for 15 years! I grew up there in the summer taking all the red cross lessons up to lifesaver! My dad took the manage position from the owner then named dodgerill! I will tell you what happened to longacre! A jewish group of investors bought longacre! And because they wer tightwad! dumbass! Buisness people!! Filled the pool in and put fucking trailor trash people on top of it! My Dad was right when he told them they didnt know what the fuck they were doing! Which cost him his job! And it was just 3 years later they filled the pool in and shut it permanently! Those Sad!! SORRY ASSHOLES!!! I HATE DUMBASS PEOPLE WHI CARE LESS ABOUT ANYTHING BUT MONEY! HEY LONGACRE HOW YOU DOING NOW IN YOUR SOUTHSIDE SHITHOLE!!

Anonymous said...

My father was Manager the last few years long acre was open. The pool was in a state of disrepair, and to upgrade it to modern standards was just not feasible due to the costs. My Great Grandfather was friends with the creator of this pool/recreation center,Edwin Thompson. They went together to the Library of Congress in Washington DC to learn all about swimming pool construction. It was built in 1927 and many southsiders loved going. It had a sand beach, bathhouse with a dance hall, playground and picnic area,and a large lake with boats. In 1930, a baby pool was added. In 1960 there was a fire that burned down the dance hall, but it was rebuilt. it finally closed in the early 1980's, and filled in.

Randall putnam said...

Worked there in the late 60's. Do drill who owed it, had teenagers and winos lay much of the concrete pads the trailers sat on.it was the beginning of the end for the pool.