Bloomfield Municipal Swimming Pool

Bloomfield Municipal Swimming Pool

Location: 625 E. Locust, Bloomfield, IA 52537 (641) 664-2457

Cost: $4.00 Kids and $5.00 Adults; Passes are available for $60 and up

Hours: Noon to 6:00 pm Daily except Sunday which is 1:00-6:00 pm ("So people can go to church.")

Description: The Bloomfield Municipal Swimming pool has a zero depth entry, a 3-5 foot lap swim area, a deep end with two diving boards, and a water slide. There is a separate kiddie pool area but this area had no water and was empty the day we visited.

Rules to Know: The slide says no one under 3 feet unless with an adult. The guard I talked to said they do let their "good swimmers" under 3 feet go without an adult. Dive sticks, water balls, beach balls, and masks are OK. Flotation devices need to be worn on the body. Also, it is OK to bring your own chair and set it in the zero depth entry portion of the pool. Be prepared for the lifeguard "break." We experienced a 15 minute break at 1:45. The diving boards were closed from 2:15-2:30 to allow for diving from the sides of the deep end.

Food: Snacks, drinks, chips, etc. ranging in price from $.25 - $2.00.

Cleanliness: OK. There's graffiti on the outside of the pool building. The boy cut his toe open on the deck and the guard bandaging him said their deck "needs some work."

Friendliness: OK. While we asked a few questions of employees, no one else really talked to us. We watched a person who must be a regular come in and remove an item of clothing on a deck chair so that she could take two ( of the 10 total) deck chairs to another location for her family.

Web-site: There isn't one. The only info I could find on-line was the visitdaviscounty.com site and that has a picture and a telephone number. I called to ask about hours and fees and then asked about hours again when I got to the pool.

Pros: The slide is a good kid friendly starter slide. The zero depth entry is nice. There are water basketball hoops on both sides of the 3-5 foot lap swim section. The dual low diving boards offer lots of jumping and diving opportunities.

Cons: 10 deck lounge chairs. To get to the pool you have to go through the locker room areas. So, if you are traveling with a child of the opposite sex, they have to enter the pool area without you. No family bathroom as we have found in other pools. The price is extremely high for what you get! It cost us $14.00 to swim. The prices of the season passes are even quite expensive until you start to add on additional family members to your pass at $15 per person. Then it becomes more economical. No diversity noted both in staff and swimmers.

Fun Factor: The boy enjoyed the slide and the deep end. We were there maybe 2 hours and he was ready to leave.

To read how this pool stacks up against others we have visited in Southeast Iowa, click on the pool name to read the review: Edmundson Park Swimming Pool in Oskaloosa, Pella Aquatic Center with Adventure River, Monroe County Aquatic Center in Albia, The Beach Ottumwa, and Fairfield Municipal Swimming Pool. Our travels to pools continues and you never know where we might go next!