BELMONT PLAZA OLYMPIC POOL
4000 Olympic Plaza
Long Beach, California 90803
Telephone: (562) 570-1806
Swimming Pool (opened 1968)
Seats 2,500
About Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool
This famed municipal facility gained worldwide recognition as the site of two sensational editions of the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials in 1968 and 1976, as well as NCAA championships in 1974 and 1978 and dozens of collegiate conference championship events.
More than 200,000 locals use the million-gallon pool for competition, training, fitness and fun during the year. It was a training site during the 1984 Olympic Games held in Los Angeles and was proposed as the site for diving in the Los Angeles bid for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Built at a cost of $3.7 million, the Greek Modern building faces the Pacific Ocean and features glass panel walls and sliding doors which can open the facility to the open-air if desired. The facility is slated to undergo a major renovation in the next few years which will enhance its attractiveness for major competitors.
Quick Facts
•The basics:
The pool measures 150 feet wide and 240 feet long (45.7 x 71.1 m) and 17 feet at its deepest, well beyond Olympic size and accommodates both swimming and diving competitions. There are one-meter and three-meter springboards and 6½ m and 10 m platforms, with a 50-foot ceiling height. There is permanent spectator seating on three sides for 2,500.
•Location and parking:
The pool is located on the beach, just south of Belmont Pier off Ocean Boulevard in the Long Beach neighborhood of Belmont Shore. The easiest access is from the 710 Freeway via the downtown exit onto Broadway, then going toward the Ocean to hit Ocean Boulevard and following it to the pool.
•Management:
Belmont Plaza is operated by the City of Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine. Contact the aquatics supervisor for information about facility use at (562) 570-1886 or by fax at (562) 570-1810.
•Technical information:
The larger-than-Olympic pool is supported by a high-quality metal- halide lighting system and augmented by natural light from the glass- panel wall facing the Pacific Ocean. Additional lighting for television purposes, however, will be required. There is a modest scoreboard available for displaying lane-by-lane times.