“Look! There it is,” My husband exclaimed as we continued our hike from his conference at the Marriott Marquis.

Two flags extended from the elegant Italian Renaissance edifice, with its white columns, dark brick, and Beaux Arts details. 

My heart leaped, a combination of exertion, excitement, and nerves. I adjusted my bag, straightened my dress, smoothed my windblown hair, and squared my shoulders, wishing I’d taken at least part of the hilly journey via cable car rather than my sore feet. 

Then, channeling my inner Maria von Trapp, I stepped onto the portico between two marble statues of Greek boxers, and up to the carved wood double doors. I peered through beveled glass into the lobby of San Francisco’s esteemed Olympic Club City Clubhouse. 

Until a couple weeks prior, never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined my current situation: I had been invited for a personal tour of the prettiest indoor pool I had ever seen, and only in rare pictures! I felt like Cinderella arriving at the ball. 

How did this happen?? Founded in 1860, the Olympic Club (or “OC” for short) is one of the oldest operating athletic clubs in the country, and also one of the most exclusive. Only members, their guests, and members of reciprocal clubs are allowed. No exceptions, no entry even for a quick guided peek, according to others who had tried to swim there. In hope, I contacted the only person I know who had taken a dip in that pool, another swim-fluencer whose Masters coach knew the OC Masters coach. He reached out on my behalf, while I communicated with the OC membership and athletic staff about my blog and my desire to feature their pool. 

A few days later, the OC coach emailed me, saying she would see what she could do. I held my breath. Then Nick Lusson, the OC Athletic Director, offered to give me a tour! He only had 30 minutes, so we were sure to arrive 30 minutes early! 

Upon arrival, we checked in at the security desk, and then relaxed and chatted in the bright, elegant lobby, explored the lounge where the historian has displayed trophies from the club’s 165 years, and peeked into the restaurant where groups of friends enjoyed each other’s company. Meanwhile, a family checked into one of the club’s 18 hotel rooms. I peeked through a window down to the pool. It was even more beautiful than the pictures I’d seen.

At 1:30 as planned, Nick emerged from an elevator and gave me an OC swim cap! Then he showed me the history wall, the bar, and finally the crown jewel, the Natatorium! Built in 1912, its ornate style and jaw-dropping grandeur are like nothing I’d ever seen in person. Those domed ceiling windows… wow, just wow! Every pane is hung individually to prevent total destruction in an earthquake… and every pane must also be removed and cleaned individually!

The first permanent clubhouse, which had a natatorium, opened in 1893 but soon was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire, like much of the city. Understandably, a period of great sadness and uncertainty followed. Then a young attorney, William F. Humphrey, took the reins and led not only the reconstruction of the clubhouse over the ruins of the original but also the operations of the club for 46 years. 

FIN FACT:
Like the New Orleans Athletic Club, the OC began as a men’s club. After completion of the “new” OC clubhouse in 1912, women who wanted an athletic facility rallied and built their own nearby. The building for their Women’s Athletic Club of San Francisco was completed in 1917, housing many of the same athletic opportunities as the OC, but in a quieter, less ornate style. That club, now the Metropolitan Club, continues to serve only women, and like the OC, it is available only for members, their guests, and members of reciprocal clubs. 
In 1992, women were allowed to become OC members, and the first female club president, Susan Morse, was elected in 2007.

The OC, as one might imagine from the name, has a strong tradition of athletic excellence. When it opened, professional sports was in its infancy, and training at the OC provided one of the only opportunities for elite coaching and competition against the very best athletes. In 1924, the OC sent 23 athletes to the Paris Olympic Games, the largest delegation ever from a single club!  Although gymnastics was the club’s initial focus, today, members can compete in 16 amateur sports, with the top three being golf, basketball, and swimming. 

FIN FACT:
The OC Lakeside golf facility has 45 holes – a true world-class layout! In fact, since its 1918 acquisition of that clubhouse and land, the OC has hosted numerous USGA tournaments, including the US Open, the US Women’s Open, the US Amateur, and the US Junior Amateur. During my visit, hurried last minute preparations were happening for the following week’s 125th US Amateur Golf Tournament, which makes it even more surprising that their Athletic Director took time out of his busy schedule to meet with me. I am eternally thankful.
Sometimes visitors confuse the two clubhouses. Husband and I almost went to the Lakeside address for my tour! (While he, a golfer, would have LOVED to see those historic greens, I would have been sad because its pool was not the pool I was looking for.) Similarly, in the 90s, former President Bill Clinton’s staff did the opposite. He had planned to play golf, and his security detail informed him that the building was clear but they had seen no evidence of a golf course. They had gone to the City Clubhouse!

Regarding aquatics, the Masters swim team recently traveled to Singapore for the World Championships, the water polo team plays on the international stage, and they also have a junior swim team. The OC once excelled in diving as well, and older members remember diving from the balcony over the deep end. Those particular antics are no longer an option.

Given the open water swimming opportunities and the gorgeous trails in and around the city, the OC’s recent addition of a triathlon team is far from surprising! 

FIN FACT:
In 1905, on a bet, Olympic Club members ran from the Mill Creek Depot to the newly-opened Dipsea Inn and then decided to make it an annual challenge. Thus was born the oldest trail race in the USA. Today, the grueling but gorgeous 7.4 mile Dipsea Run entails a sea level start, sets of stairs as tall as a 50-story building, steep trails and switchbacks, and a summit at 1360 feet! 

As an encouragement, the OC offers perks to members who perform at an elite level, such as reduced membership rates, and the club offers membership privileges to members of the US Olympic team.

In the Natatorium, the OC hosts Aquatic Showcases for members, and they are quite a spectacle! The world-famous Santa Clara Aquamaids perform artistic swimming routines, and OC team members can compete against US Olympic team members! A lifeguard showed me a funny picture of one of their masters swimmers, who apparently likes to goof off, beating Team USA Olympians Nathan Adrian, Tom Shields, and Ryan Murphy off the blocks. The photo title: False Start. OC legend has it that the masters swimmer was quite tickled with his stunt!

FIN FACT: 
The Olympic Club supports disadvantaged Bay-area athletes and clubs through its philanthropic section, the Olympic Club Foundation, which was established in 1992. 

I also learned that the OC leaders and members are considering renovations and restorations, and such decisions can be difficult for any group, due to different ideas and personalities. Interestingly, the building does not have a protective historic designation like those offered by the National Register of Historic Places or the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Why? Because the price of protection is control. The OC would have to adhere to rules governing what they can and can’t do to their building. While the NR and NT rules exist to protect historic structures from demolition, damage, and neglect, the OC building seems to be doing well under its own management. In fact, in 1994, the OC acquired an adjacent building and in 2002 began a four-year restoration and renovation project. The new space allowed for new amenities, including a rooftop gymnasium, basketball courts, women’s locker rooms, a club store, food options, parking, and a modern competition pool, where lessons and practices take place.

The OC Natatorium also harbors a couple of mysteries. For one, the tiles have been removed and changed with renovations over the years, and no one knows the original tile colors or pattern. This information would be helpful when considering restoration possibilities.

The other mystery might be entitled The Case of the Missing Stained Glass Window. The upper balcony at each end of that pool has curved windows, with many yellow panels surrounded by a border of colored tiles. Once upon a time, one of those windows had multicolored glass tiles, which were then replaced with yellow ones. Why? Nobody knows, and the search continues for the originals! As Nick remarked, “There are many nooks and crannies in an old building like this,” so there’s hope! 

As we wrapped up the tour, I glanced back at the rectangular blue gem, gleaming below those domed ceiling windows. An ember of hope flickered in my heart, and a singular thought charged through my brain: Can I swim? Can I swim? Can I swim? Logic and all the information I had gathered shouted a resounding NO. But my grandmother’s and mother’s advice came to mind: If you ask, the worst thing that could happen is a no, and then at least you’d know. And they might say yes! 

So, with trepidation, I asked Nick if I could possibly swim, even for a moment, and I said I totally understand if he could not allow it. He started telling me something and then stopped, looked at me, looked around–no one was there– then beckoned to me with a whispered, “Come on! We’re going swimming!” 

My hands flew to my cheeks in surprise, and tears sprang to my eyes. It’s happening! It’s really happening! A lifetime dream to swim here in the Olympic Club Natatorium would happen that day!

Nick then spoke with another staff member who agreed to the plan, and who would be my contact while Nick had another meeting. She asked if I needed the very fancy locker room or if the single bathroom stall near the pool would suffice. I had been most impressed with the amenities in the former (wood lockers, a lounge with plush seating, gleaming showers.) However, I opted for the latter for efficiency and desire to be as unobtrusive as possible. The faster I dive in, the less of a chance of being stopped.

Good thing I carry a swim-ergency pack on my daytrips! A large Ziplock bag in my purse contains a swimsuit, goggles, cap, and a quick-dry towel. I left my old cap in my stuff and donned my newest one, the white one with the Olympic Club symbol, a red O with wings. I would be an Olympian for an hour! 

My heart soared like the O on my new cap.

What an hour it was. In total I only swam a very relaxed, jet-lagged 1600 yards where about 600 was backstroke so I could admire my surroundings. But I also took photos and video to prove I swam here. I almost broke my ankle at the end! Kicking on my back as I videoed the ceiling, I was so distracted by beauty that I missed the backstroke flags and hit my head, then my ankle on the submerged toe-hold ledge, almost dropping my phone in the deep end while suppressing an urge to yell in pain. Not broken, just bruised! 

Post swim, I lowered myself into the hot tub and again admired my incredible surroundings, feeling a sense of profound gratitude.

On my way out, I tucked a paper napkin into my pocket with the emblem for the 125th US Amateur Golf Tournament, which would start the next week at the Olympic Club Lakeside Clubhouse. Again, hope flickered in my heart. Perhaps we can return to the OC for my husband’s bucket list item: the 2033 Ryder Cup!

POOL STATS:
Natatorium 
Year completed: 1912
Length: 33 ⅓ yards
Lanes: 5
Depth: 3.5-9 ft.
Temp: Perfect. Distracted by beauty meant I forgot to ask!
Water treatment: Chlorine, since conversion from saltwater in the 1960s.
Competition pool
Year completed: 2006
Length: 25 yards in main area, with shallower area sectioned off by bulkhead, creating a total length of 30 yards. 
Lanes: 8
Starting blocks: Yes
Depth: Deep enough for blocks!  
Water treatment: Chlorine
Locker rooms: Luxurious!
Food: Yes. The City Clubhouse has a bar and restaurant. Delicious, I’m told!
Public access: No. Only members, guests of members, and members of reciprocal clubs are permitted. 

Featured image at top of blog post: The Natatorium. Photo used with permission from the Olympic Club

References:

Hornberger + Worstell. (n.d.). The Olympic Club. Hornberger + Worstell. https://www.hornbergerworstell.com/projects/the-olympic-club/

The Olympic Club Foundation. (n.d.). The Olympic Club Foundation. https://www.olympicclubfoundation.org/

The Olympic Club. (n.d.). The Olympic Club facts. The Olympic Club. https://www.olyclub.com/press/

The Olympic Club. (n.d.). The Olympic Club | using olympic club images. Using Olympic Club Images. https://www.olyclub.com/public-request-olympic-club-images/

O’Hallarn, R., & Lusson, N. (2025, August 7). Olympic Club Natatorium Tour with Nick Lusson, Athletic Director. personal.

Plant Construction Company, L.P. (n.d.). Olympic Club. Olympic Club | Plant Construction Company, L.P. https://plantconstruction.com/projects/olympic-club/

Smith, J., & Abendroth, J. (2025, August 23). Behind Closed Doors: The Olympic Club’s Two Homes. Golf.com. YouTube. https://youtu.be/WOaU3dCbsgE?si=IE651KqW4sQz3G7l

Spitz, B. (n.d.). A Brief History of the Dipsea Race. The history of the Dipsea Race. https://www.dipsea.org/history.php