History

Fort Lauderdale's swimming heritage dates back to the Civitan raft off Las Olas Boulevard and the monumental Casino Pool, which followed in 1928. As the first pool of Olympic size (50m x 20m) in Florida, it remained at the forefront of the swimming scene for nearly half a century and consequently witnessed a great deal of American swimming history.

Located directly on the beach at what is now known as D.C. Alexander Park, just south of Las Olas Boulevard, this beautiful Spanish-style facility was engineered by Clifford Root and filled twice a week with salt water directly from the Atlantic Ocean.. The Casino Pool (1928-1966) was home to the nation's top swimmers for decades, namely, Katherine Rawls, Fort Lauderdale's first celebrity of sport and international athletic ambassador. The pool cost $150,000, and measured 50.38 meters by 18.3 meters (55 yards by 20 yards).

Built in 1965, the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Complex, formerly named the Hall of Fame Aquatic Complex and before that the City of Fort Lauderdale Municipal Swimming Pool, is owned and operated by the City of Fort Lauderdale. Considered a leader and pioneer among the world's top aquatic centers, the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Complex contains two 50-meter Olympic-size pools, a diving pool, a teaching pool and a spa.

The Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Complex is home to U.S. National Team Champions, the Fort Lauderdale Dive Team and Swim Team.

Fort Lauderdale native Duffy Dillon, a two-time U.S National Swimming Champion and 2000 Olympic Coach (Panama), directs the swim team, and Dave Burgering, 2008 USA Olympic Coach, member of the 1980 USA Olympic, and President of USA Diving directs the diving team.

Open 365 days a year, the aquatic complex is an active facility and hosts an average of 50 events each year over an impressive 100 days. The pool's legacy includes the Annual College Swim Forum; U.S. National Swimming Championships; YMCA National Swimming & Diving Championships; U.S. Masters National Swimming Championships; NCAA National Water Polo Championships; the FINA/U.S. International Diving Invitational and national and international synchronized swimming competitions.

As a training site for many national and international teams, the complex is unique in that it is also a public facility, operated by the City's Department of Business Enterprises. Citizens and visitors of Fort Lauderdale have an opportunity to swim in the same pool that Olympic and World Champions train and ten world records have been set.

For more information, visit the International Swimming Hall of Fame web site at www.ishof.org.