Ragatz Family Pool at Madison West High School
Madison, WI, UNITED STATES
Facility Overview
Adult Admission Price & Policy
Full-Size, Year-Round Pools & Boards
Location
Teams That Use This Facility
We have no web links or contact information for teams that train at this facility.
Facility Notes
The pool described above replaced an old, 6-lane pool, that had been described at "Memorable for its cramped quarters, ridged ceiling and checkerboard tile wall..." The new pool opened in the fall of 2023.
This facility and the others in the Madison School & Community Recreation system offer adult lap swimming one evening per week from 6:15 to 8:15 PM.
The punch card can be purchased for the lifeguard on duty, is transferrable, and can be used at this pool and at any of the system's swimming pools:
Madison West High School School (this facility) on Mondays;
Madison East High School on Tuesdays;
Vel Phillips Memorial High School on Wednesdays; and
La Follette High School on Thursdays.
[December, 2022]
The punch card can be purchased for the lifeguard on duty, is transferrable, and can be used at this pool and at any of the system's swimming pools:
Madison West High School School (this facility) on Mondays;
Madison East High School on Tuesdays;
Vel Phillips Memorial High School on Wednesdays; and
La Follette High School on Thursdays.
[December, 2022]
Facility Reviews
This is a beautiful new pool. All the lanes start at a seven-foot depth, but at the other end some are as shallow as three-feet, eight-inches, and progress from there to most lanes ending at 12 feet. Stated another way, for all lanes the depth from the starting blocks is uniformly seven feet for some number of yards, after which some lanes get shallower toward the opposite end and others get deeper. At first, it was surprising that the lane I was using got deeper away from the starting blocks.
Unfortunately, the locker room is totally inadequate. In the dressing area there is only one bench along a short wall opposite a wall of 1/4 size lockers. There are no full-height lockers at all, which means possibly needing to use two or three of these small, nearly square lockers to store clothes, coat, towel, shoes, bag, et cetera. (Do you routinely carry three locks? I don't ;-) ) And since there are no hooks and shelves inside the locker, one can easily predict that, in winter, shoes will quickly dirty the same surface in the locker where you will be putting your clothes and towel.
Even worse than the tiny lockers, there are only four showers in a total area that could accommodate twice as many if the space had been more traditionally configured. This ensures a wait to use a shower if any significant number of people are using the pool.
As old and run-down as was the locker room for the old pool, at least it was fairly spacious, with normal full-height lockers, ample bench space for people to avoid congestion, and enough showers (even after accounting for the ones that didn't work and never got repaired). The only improvement over the old one is that the washroom area has more than just one toilet. (The locker room for the old pool had one toilet and two urinals; the new one has three toilets and no urinals.)
[October, 2023]
Unfortunately, the locker room is totally inadequate. In the dressing area there is only one bench along a short wall opposite a wall of 1/4 size lockers. There are no full-height lockers at all, which means possibly needing to use two or three of these small, nearly square lockers to store clothes, coat, towel, shoes, bag, et cetera. (Do you routinely carry three locks? I don't ;-) ) And since there are no hooks and shelves inside the locker, one can easily predict that, in winter, shoes will quickly dirty the same surface in the locker where you will be putting your clothes and towel.
Even worse than the tiny lockers, there are only four showers in a total area that could accommodate twice as many if the space had been more traditionally configured. This ensures a wait to use a shower if any significant number of people are using the pool.
As old and run-down as was the locker room for the old pool, at least it was fairly spacious, with normal full-height lockers, ample bench space for people to avoid congestion, and enough showers (even after accounting for the ones that didn't work and never got repaired). The only improvement over the old one is that the washroom area has more than just one toilet. (The locker room for the old pool had one toilet and two urinals; the new one has three toilets and no urinals.)
[October, 2023]