How can I use the Fort Hamilton Army Base Pool?
It’s getting hot and you hear everyone else is going to the Fort Hamilton Army Base Pool so naturally you want to go to, right? The FHCC (Fort Hamilton Community Club) has two types of memberships which you can purchase to the pool.
July 2018: No more memberships are for sale. Try back in April 2019. You no longer need to be connected to anyone at the base and you no longer need to be sponsored by a current member. You just need to pass a background check and pay around $325 membership fee. 718- 765-7368 *They may bring back sponsors next year.
These are the pool hours: here
Anyone with ID can purchase a daily pool pass:
July 2017 Update: It has become a lot harder to be a member of this club since a new base commander and club manager in recent years were appointed to the Army base. Many people who were members in the past can not get membership because they are reverting back to the old way that membership was done at the pool (see two types of memberships below). If you can’t get membership at the Fort Hamilton Army Base, check out the Seagate Pool Club (in the gated community of Sea Gate Brooklyn – exit 6 on the Belt Parkway) and other pools in the area.
Ft. Hamilton Army Base
207 Sterling Drive – Fort Hamilton
Brooklyn, NY 11252
One type of membership is the pool guest membership. You will need to be sponsored by a current authorized member of the club. Members can only sponsor a maximum of 4 guests for the pool season. Sponsored guests may bring in two additional guests per day. Sponsored guests may only sponsor a family of four for the pool season.
The current member needs to send a letter (address below) requesting for you to be a pool a guest. In the letter, the current member will put your name, address, phone number and SS#. They will contact you and you will need to pay $450 for the an individual membership seasonal pass or $700 for a family seasonal pool pass. Sponsored members are limited to the Community Club ONLY.
Mr. Grant, MWR Director
137 C Poly Place Suite 3A
Brooklyn, NY 11252
The other way is Authorized membership which is open to all active duty, retired military, reservists, National guard, DOD employees, federal employees, VA, NYPD, FDNY and foreign military personnel.can get access to the Fort Hamilton Army Base pool is if you have a family member who is a federal/state employee (like a postal worker). The fed./state employee would send a letter (address above) and ask for membership for you. In the letter, they would put your name, relation to them, address, phone number and SS#.
If you receive this membership, you will need to pay $27.00 a month to be part of the Fort Hamilton Community Club plus $250 for an individual seasonal pool pass or $395 for a seasonal family of four pool pass.
You can call 718 765-7338 to talk with them about membership. Also the operator number there is 718-765-7368 718-630-4903 718-630-4361 (old numbers: 718-630-4101 718-630-4848). Other phone numbers for the army base are here.
City employees do not qualify for membership at the army base. You may know teachers and garbage men that are members, but that means they were sponsored by someone in the military (remember this is a military base pool so there needs to be some relation to the military. Years ago, some people got membership because they allowed sponsored members to sponsor their friends…..that is not the case anymore because they reverted to the old way of membership). See more info here.
Once you get approved for membership, you will need to go to the military base to take your membership photo. When you go on the base they will ask for your driver’s license. It must be current. Also the registration for your car must be current too. They officers at the gate may walk around your car to inspect it.
Once you pay your membership fee and for the seasonal pass, they will take your photo for a picture ID card. The pool opens kind of late and they close early, except for Friday night when they stay open for a barbecue. Every hour on the hour there is an adult swim for 15 minutes.
Locker fee for the season is $15.00
You need to pay for chair usage as well.
The only other way for you to use the pool is to be a guest of a current member. You and the current member to to the pool together on the day you want to use it. Your friend the member has to pay $20 for each adult guest and $15 for each child over 4 years old.
Outside food and drinks are not allowed, so some people leave their food and drinks in the car and go outside to eat. There is a website for the MWR Pool at Ft Hamilton Army Base (MWR stands for Morale, Welfare and Recreation), but there isn’t anything on it because the MWR pool closed up. Yes, there were two swimming pools on the base up until a few years ago.
Your child can use the Army Base Swimming Pool when they are taking lessons or practicing with their swim team. CLICK HERE FOR SWIMMING LESSONS FOR CHILDREN AT THE FORT HAMILTON ARMY BASE AND OTHER PLACES TOO
Did you know that there are stores and places to eat on the Fort Hamilton Army Base? See here for a list there is a Burger King and Subway Sandwich place open to the public on the Fort Hamilton Army Base? There’s also the Harbor Defense Museum. There are a few other things on the base including a bowling alley (see this page for more about bowling on base.) – most are for the military only, but not everything – here. You can even have a ft. hamilton bowling party at the base (you get the whole bowling alley for 40-50 people, 3 hours, food and unlimited soda included – $500. Food includes pizza, and trays of chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks and wings).
There’s even a Holiday Inn on the base for military families. If you are from a military family, join the Bases FB page here.
**If you can’t become a member at the Fort Hamilton Army Base, some people head down to Seagate Brooklyn and become a member of the beach club there by renting a cabana for the seasons. More info here.
What about other pools are in Bay Ridge?
Fort Hamilton High School has a pool that ONLY alumni can use or people take classes there,
If you can’t get membership at the Fort Hamilton Army Base – What other pools are there in Brooklyn?
1) Check out the Seagate Pool Club (in the gated community of Sea Gate Brooklyn – exit 6 on the Belt Parkway).
2) Poly Prep has two six week program for lap swimming for adults (begins in September for the Fall Program – there is also a Spring program as well – no summer lap swimming program) – It’s on Monday and Wednesday nights from 9 pm to 10 pm. There is no other type of swimming membership here for adults (other than children or adults taking lessons at Poly). Ellen Kinnane is in charge of this at Poly Prep. (718) 836-9800 extension 3220
3) Camp Olympia has Family Swim at John Jay High School 237 7th Ave, at 5th St. (enter at the 5th St. entrance)
Only on Sundays from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm for $5.00 a person (even babies cost $5). They have a lot of floaties and kickboards to use. You do not have to be registered in their program to go to Family Swim. Everyone is welcome! Tip from a reader: If you go, the pool will look crowded when you arrive, don’t be intimidated – once you get in, you will see there is plenty of room and you won’t notice anyone around you.
4) Brooklyn College Pool – $350 for 6 months or $600 for the year. Brooklyn College has a recreation center that’s open to the students all the time and to the public some of the time. *You sign up as a continuing education student (see bottom).
5) Dodge YMCA – Downtown Brooklyn diagonally across the street from Trader Joes is the Sovereign Bank with a YMCA outdoor pool there. The membership in the club is $18 a month and then the pool season pass is $225 for 2-4 family member (6 lanes – 12 when split) 5:30am – 10:30pm M-F and 8am – 6:30pm and 7:30pm on Sat and Sun No kids after 7pm. Info and FB page here
6) Brooklyn Sports Club has a pool. Around $600 a year for membership.
7) Redhook Recreation Center 155 Bay Street – They have a kiddie pool and a huge pool Olympic sized pool: 330′ x 130′ x 4′. It’s a free NYC pool so it goes by NYC rules (you have to have a lock, no newspapers, magazines or electronics, real bathing suits, flip flops and only white t-shirts, etc). Plenty of lifeguards on staff. They have Red Hook Night Owl – it’s an adult swim time at night. The locker rooms are sparse and have a staff member monitoring them so they are clean.
8) Here are other pools in the area AND even year round indoor public swimming pools.
9) Jack Rabbit Sports in Park Slope has triathlon swimming training.
If you really love swimming, check out the SWIM NY events – the Great Hudson River Swim, Statue of Liberty Swim and Governors Island Swim.
Did you know you can rent out St. Francis College pool? If you would like to use the pool, contact Carl Quigley, Assistant Athletic Director at 718-489-5252.
If you are looking for swim classes for your child, see here.
Hugs,
marlene
Topics: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
April 11th, 2012 at 11:29 pm
I have wondered about this for years Marlene. Thanks for putting up the info and sharing it with us!