Evelyn Kirrane Aquatics Center in Brookline

The most amazing swimming spot. I love it the staff are all really nice and I love the locker room mirrors because you can see the back of ur head at a angle

Great pool. I heard it is the oldest public pool in the country. Wish they had more hours they were open for lap swim including Sundays. Also sometime lanes are closed even though those lanes are not being used at that time forcing people to have to share a lane to lap swim when there are empty unused lanes. Not quite sure what the logic is on this. Would be nicer if they kept those lanes open until they need to use them and at that time they asked people to move out of the lane. Oldest public pool in the country. Love this place even though it can be crowded at times.

Update: Zeus was kind enough to get my 4 year old in for a trial private lesson when he had an opening in his schedule. I saw more potential for rapid progress in that 30 min than in 2 years in another swim program. She floated on her back with no assistance for the first time and jumped into the pool (something she’d never dared to do before)- and not just once but 3 times. This speaks to something that I had observed myself and which was confirmed by my daughter’s lesson: teaching is an art and one he has mastered. What she attempted in the lesson with him was even more surprising given all of the layers of newness (the swim facility, a private lesson, an unfamiliar teacher) and speaks to his ability to quickly establish trust and instill a sense of calm. The pool where she’s been taking lessons for the past 2 years has seen frequent teacher turnover, which has resulted in a tearful transition into the water lately. When I left her with Zeus, she didn’t even look back to watch me leave as he engaged her in conversation and eased her into the pool. I give him my highest recommendation for anyone looking for a positive and productive swim experience! 🌟 *** I have been taking adult swim for about a month now. Having never learned as a kid, I signed up to feel like less of a hypocrite for telling my own daughter (with her all too familiar aversion to getting her face wet) to just stick with it. I told a friend that I hoped to be able to get across the pool by the end of the session and, maybe someday, even enjoy swimming (though that was very hard for me to imagine at the time!). I was seriously dreading the first lesson, counting down the hours until I had to go. What happened in just a few sessions caught me by total surprise. I left the initial lessons far happier than when I had arrived at them. By week 3, I was already looking forward to class, happy to return and continue to build my skill set. I 100% attribute this 180 shift in my attitude to Zeus. He puts students at ease from day 1, always calm and collected. When he sensed that I was uncomfortable in the first lesson, he pulled me aside and met me where I was at. And never once did he make me feel judged or embarrassed for my fears, no matter how irrational I knew them to be. I was amazed to see my skills progressing so quickly and attribute this growth to his masterful instruction. When I told my mom about gliding across the pool with my face in the water after a few weeks, she said, “How did he do that?!” I’m honestly not sure 😅 but I recognize that his teaching is a true gift. He offers clear guidance and knows how to motivate students to try new things each week. And thanks to Zeus, I can *already* say that I enjoy being in the pool and learning more each class. I recommend him to everyone I know and can’t speak highly enough about what an asset he is to the rec center!!!🙌⚡️

My 4 year old (now 5 year old) son has been taking private lessons with Zeus and I can't say enough good things! My son was very nervous at first, especially about putting his head underwater. Zeus is extremely patient but also firm and really helps kids to build confidence in the water while having fun. My son has been making wonderful progress and Zeus is the reason we keep coming back, can't recommend him as an instructor highly enough. My son said to give him 10 stars 😄.

The woman who works at the front desk on Fridays has an attitude that I do not like, as I am just trying to swim without any problems. The way she looked and talked to my kids is simply intolerable to me. She is always making snappy remarks and I do not appreciate being spoken to like a person who just tried to rob their swimming pool. In the future, i’d recommend choosing a different person to man the front desk. Update: I have already written my opinions on some of the secretary staff of this establishment, and now I’m writing again to share my children’s experience with a certain lifeguard. There is an elder lifeguard who was working on Tuesday morning (Feb. 19, 2024) and she was disturbing my girls while they were simply trying to swim. She came up to my youngest saying that she needs to wear goggles, however this has never been a problem and is not a requirement. The lifeguard stated that not wearing goggles makes her feel unsafe and nervous. She later went up to them again, and made my girl try on goggles. While this was happening she also complained that my girls were taking too many breaks and talking. My girls are taking breaks because they are younger, they do not have the physical capacity to constantly be swimming without a break. The guard said that the adults are actually trying to swim and it is not okay to be crowding up the space. This is completely unfair as those adults were also taking breaks but they didn’t get warnings? Unbelievable. Those adults are not going to the Olympics, and I think they can handle being around children. My girls also mentioned they felt a racist tone. This is crazy that my girls can’t feel equal to others in their own town. I have paid like everyone else and I expect that everyone is treated the same. No racism or ageism. Something needs to be done.

I have been to the Aquatics Center a few times alone with my 3.5 year old daughter. The facility is always clean with large men's/women's locker rooms and shower areas as well as (2?) Small family bathrooms/changing rooms with a locking door that offer privacy to shower. The different pools are perfect for all ages. Walk-in prices for an adult and child are very reasonable. The venue is good, but the star of the show is definitely the professional instruction. My daughter's swim teacher, Zeus, has been nothing short of spectacular. Last Summer my daughter spent many long days in a family member's pool with only Mom and Dad to teach her the basics. She lacked the confidence to swim without large floats and was uncomfortable dunking her head at all. After several classes, Zeus had built up her skill and confidence levels to the point where she can jump feet-first into the pool, swim half the length of the pool without assistance, and float on her back without assistance. We are all amazed how she can now hold her breath to dive down in the shallow end and pick up rings off the bottom. The progress she has made in just a few months is a testament to Zeus' skill and experience working with small children. Thank you Zeus!

I have been bringing my children here for swim lessons for the past 2 years (on and off due to Covid). My kids love the lessons, it has become the highlight of our week. I appreciate the flexibility with which we were able to schedule classes (once our usual session filled up), the facility is great (there’s a special shallow pool for the kids) and the instructor, Zeus, is the best! He is great with kids and has become one of my son’s favorite people. He makes the class fun, works with my son to progress his skills and helps build his confidence. We are very happy with the classes and facility.

Had a very nice swimming experience here. Great place to come, especially in the winter. Lots of locker room space, but they don’t have much of an open swim area. Facilities are clean, and it’s cheap to get in especially if you’re a Brookline resident.