Barbara Morse Wackford Community & Aquatic Complex
Overview
Expert Summary
Detailed Insights
This complex is a popular summer destination offering an excellent swimming pool experience, particularly noted for its outstanding lap swimming facilities and a great high dive for older kids. It stands out with a very flexible policy that allows parents to bring outside food, drinks in ice chests, and personal items like lawn chairs, wagons, strollers, and life jackets, enhancing convenience and value. The facility also hosts unique, family-friendly events.
Key Highlights
- ✓Outstanding lap swimming pools: spacious, meticulously maintained, excellent water quality, and comfortable temperature (Review 1).
- ✓Very clean, modern facility with well-equipped locker rooms and great ambiance (Review 1).
- ✓Allows outside food, ice chests, wagons, strollers, personal lawn chairs, and life jackets, offering significant flexibility for families (Review 3).
- ✓Features a great high dive, appealing to older children and teens (Review 4).
- ✓Staff is friendly and helpful, especially noted during special events (Review 1, 5).
- ✓Hosts unique and engaging family-oriented events, such as a 'pool pumpkin patch' (Review 5).
Standout Features
- ⭐Excellent, well-maintained lap swimming pools (Review 1).
- ⭐Flexible policy allowing outside food, drinks, and personal seating/gear (Review 3).
- ⭐Ample parking, including some shaded by solar panels (Review 1, 2).
- ⭐Great high dive for older kids (Review 4).
- ⭐Friendly and helpful staff (Review 1, 5).
Perfect For
Ideal For
💡Pro Tips from Reviews
- →Always confirm specific 'open to the public' water play hours, as they may differ from general facility hours (Review 3).
- →Arrive early, especially for water play, to avoid long lines at entry and to secure one of the limited lounge/beach chairs (Review 3).
- →Bring your own lawn chairs, life jackets, wagons, strollers, and ice chests, as these items are permitted and can enhance your comfort and savings (Review 3).
- →If your younger children are sensitive to dark spaces, be aware the children's slide is enclosed (Review 4).
- →Be prepared for potentially cold water in the small pool, even on hot days (Review 4).
- →Check their schedule for unique community events like the 'pool pumpkin patch,' which can be a memorable family experience (Review 5).
Things to Consider
- ⚠The website lacks clear and easily accessible information regarding water play open hours and costs; specific times often require internal website searches (Review 3).
- ⚠Water play for the public may open later (e.g., 12pm) than general facility hours (e.g., 9:15am), causing confusion and early arrivals to wait (Review 3).
- ⚠Can become crowded quickly upon opening, leading to long lines and a rapid shortage of available lawn/beach chairs (Review 3).
- ⚠The children's slide is closed-in and dark, which may be unappealing or scary for younger children (e.g., a 3-year-old) (Review 4).
- ⚠The small pool was reported to be too cold, even on a hot day (Review 4).
Price & Value
Specific pricing is not mentioned in the reviews, but the value is significantly enhanced by the policy allowing outside food, drinks (in ice chests), and personal items like lawn chairs and life jackets. This allows families to reduce costs on concessions and rentals, making it a more budget-friendly option compared to venues with strict outside food policies. Review 3 implies that finding cost information on the website may be difficult.
♿Accessibility & Special Needs
- •No specific accessibility accommodations are mentioned in the reviews.
🍎Food & Drink Policy
- •Outside food and drinks (including ice chests) are explicitly allowed (Review 3).
- •Food is also available for purchase inside the complex (Review 3).
🚗Parking Info
- •Ample parking space is available, making it convenient for visitors (Review 1, 2).
- •Some parking spaces are covered by solar panels, offering shade (Review 2).
👥Crowd Levels
- •Described as 'one of the most popular places' in summer, indicating high demand (Review 2).
- •Lines form at opening for public water play, and lounge/beach chairs run out quickly, suggesting it gets busy very fast (Review 3).
🛡️Safety Features
- •The facility is noted for its meticulously maintained pools and excellent water quality (Review 1).
- •Parents are advised to 'bring your own life jackets,' which suggests that facility-provided ones may be limited or not available (Review 3).
⏰When to Avoid
- • Arriving before the actual public water play opening hours, as you may be turned away or have a long wait (Review 3).
- • If your younger children (e.g., 3-year-olds) dislike dark, enclosed slides or are sensitive to cold water in smaller pools (Review 4).
- • If you arrive late and are relying on securing a facility-provided lawn/beach chair, as they run out quickly (Review 3).
- • If you expect extensive 'good slides' specifically designed for younger children, as some reviewers prefer other complexes for this (Review 4).
Pricing/Package/Events
Events & Schedule
Special Events(Last 2 months - Next 6 months)
Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin Festival
October
Think you’ve seen it all? Wait until you see what’s growing in Elk Grove this October.
Youth Basketball League - First Scrimmage
Oct 11
Elk Grove Lions Club Community Breakfast
Teen Pathways Field Trip - Dave's Pumpkin Patch
Teen Takeover
Oct 13
Fire Prevention Week Youth Poster Contest
Spark your creativity and help spread the word about fire safety!
🛡️Safety Policy
- • Life Jacket Loan (available via 'How Do I... Apply For')
- • Drowning prevention programs (via Cosumnes Fire Department Public Safety)
📅Booking Policy
- • Aquatic complexes and reception rooms available for rent via Permits & Rentals
- • Online registration required for all Parks & Recreation programs (customers must create an account)
- • Ability to sign up for Pools, Swim Lessons, Activity or Event online
What People Say
What's Great
- Friendly and helpful staff (mentioned in 6 reviews)
- Spacious play areas (mentioned in 5 reviews)
Areas for Improvement
- Parking can be challenging (mentioned in 4 reviews)
Recent Reviews
Tung Ho
a year agoI recently discovered the Barbara Morse Wackford Community and Aquatic Complex, and I must say, I'm thoroughly impressed! The lap swimming pools here are truly outstanding. The facility is well-designed, modern, and offers a great ambiance for swimmers. The lap pools are spacious and meticulously maintained. The water quality is excellent, and the temperature is always comfortable. I appreciate the attention to detail in keeping the pools clean and clear. It's a pleasure to swim here and focus on my laps without any distractions. The complex goes above and beyond with its amenities. The locker rooms are clean and well-equipped, providing a hassle-free changing experience. The staff is friendly and helpful, ensuring that everything runs smoothly. The facility also offers ample parking space, making it convenient for visitors. If you're looking for a swimming facility with excellent lap swimming pools, look no further than the Barbara Morse Wackford Community and Aquatic Complex.⁹
Michael W.
11 months agoBarbara Morse Wackford Community Aquatic Complex is one of the most popular places where parents can bring their kids to enjoy the hot summer. It has an excellent swimming pool and more. The complex has a ballroom and is next to a park with many parking spaces available. Solar panels cover some parking spaces.
Jenny Estrada
a year agoYou can bring out side food. They have a food to purchase inside. Bring you own lawn chairs and life jackets. You can bring in a wagon, ice chest, strollers. I didn’t find much info on the website. I don’t like to have to search within the websites search engine to find out the time and cost. I went there at around 9:15am thinking it was open according to open hours. When I got there I was told they open at 12pm for water play open to the public. When we did get it there was a line already formed once in, there was no lawn/beach chairs left.
Nicole Mullnix
a year agoI prefer the Antelope or Natomas aquatic complex (I have not tried the other Elk Grove pool). This pool is nice and better than the 2 in Rancho Cordova, but I will not be driving here again. It has a great high dive for older kids, but my 3 year old wanted to go to one of the other pools with the “good slides.” The children’s slide at this pool is a closed in (dark) slide which she dose not like and the small pool was also too cold even on a hot day.
Chad Chapman
2 years agoThe community center was able to provide the local community with an amazing pool pumpkin patch the my daughters and wife absolutely loved! We all had a blast! The staff was incredibly friendly and wonderful during the event. We will absolutely be coming back to this facility many more times in the future!