Save the Colonies House Pool — Keep the Heart of Our Community Beating

For 60 years, the Colonies House Pool has been more than just a place to swim — it’s been the heart of the Colonies North and surrounding community in San Antonio. Generations have grown up here: learning to swim, competing with the Dolphin Swim Team, celebrating birthdays, gathering for summer barbecues, competing in the “famous” greased watermelon games and cannonball contests, bravely enduring a polar plunge and sharing laughter that echoed across the water. But today, that heart is in danger of being lost forever.

Over the years, many dedicated boards and members have worked tirelessly to patch up our aging pool and facilities. Over the past two years, many members have put blood, sweat and tears into improving the grounds, re-painting furniture, and cleaning the hall. Several members have given generous donations to bring back the diving board and numerous other projects, which we are very thankful and grateful for. Our current board of directors has been successful in many crucial improvements, including new pool pumps and filters,

But this summer, major leaks forced an early closure of the pool — a difficult moment that also reminded us how much this pool means to our community and how worth saving it truly is. Our Aqua Zumba program was immediately impacted, and the future of the Dolphin Swim team for next season is in serious jeopardy.

Professional inspections by three pool companies revealed the need for significant repairs before the pool can reopen safely. Without these critical repairs, the Colonies House Pool — and the entire facility — will eventually be forced to close permanently.

And if it closes, the loss is far greater than a pool.

Under the original agreement, if the Colonies House no longer runs as a recreational and social club, the property will revert back to the land’s original owner, and will likely become a multi-residential, low-income facility. Once that happens, the Colonies House — a cornerstone of our neighborhood for six decades — will be gone forever.

The Colonies House Board and our community are determined not to let that happen. After receiving three professional evaluations of the pool, it has been determined that preservation of the pool can be completed in two phases:

1. Immediate leak repairs and

2. Pool resurfacing. We are launching this initial fundraiser to support phase 1 in order to reopen the pool for 2026. All funds raised in this fundraiser will go directly to the Colonies House to be used promptly to address the current leak issues, including the replacement of all ten skimmers and the repair of an underground return-line leak. And we will launch future fundraisers for phase 2 at a later date.

However, this project is about more than infrastructure — it’s about preserving the shared history and connections that make our neighborhood special. As one community member stated,

“I learned to swim at the Colonies House Pool when I was five years old. Years later, I watched my own kids jump off the same diving board. This pool is where our stories overlap — where the community truly lives.”

The Colonies House is one of the last remaining independent neighborhood pools in San Antonio. Its loss would mean the loss of the Colonies House Dolphin Swim Team and the disappearance of a cherished gathering place that has brought families and neighbors together for over half a century.

Your donation — large or small — will make a real difference. Together, we can make sure the next generation of Colonies North families experiences the same joy, connection, and community pride that we’ve all shared here.

Please help us save the Colonies House Pool and keep the spirit of Colonies North alive.

We would like to thank you for donating, sharing, and spreading the word — because when a community comes together, we can keep its heart beating.