The White House has a swimming pool that, despite rarely being mentioned in reports, is not a pool funded by the government. For nearly 50 years, it has provided a place for successive American presidents to indulge in a swim when they feel like it or relax when they are not in a good mood.
According to The Hill, the current White House swimming pool is located on the south lawn of the West Wing, built at the request of President Gerald Ford. Ford, who loved swimming, expressed regret at the lack of a pool at the White House shortly after taking office in 1974.
The idea of building a new pool at the White House was not entirely welcomed among Ford’s advisors, as they were concerned that it would not be a wise use of funds after Ford himself called for cuts in federal spending. According to the White House Historical Association, Ford eventually circumvented this issue by using approximately $67,000 in private donations to build the 54 x 22-foot swimming pool.
After the pool was completed, Ford took his first swim on July 1, 1975. A few days later, he even invited the media to watch his swimming activities.
However, long before Ford requested the construction of this pool, the White House was already equipped with a swimming pool. In 1933, an indoor swimming pool was built in the West Wing for President Franklin Roosevelt. According to the White House Historical Association, this pool was also not constructed with federal funds but with money raised from a fundraising campaign led by the New York tabloid Daily News.
This indoor swimming pool was in use until President Richard Nixon covered it up and built the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room. However, the pool’s floor remains beneath the briefing room and has been used in recent years to store communication and computer equipment.