Venetian Pool: The Limestone Quarry That Became a Venetian Lagoon
The swimming pool holds 820,000 gallons of spring water and is refilled daily from underground artesian wells. It has two waterfalls, a cave you can swim through, and a coral rock grotto where the Miami Grand Opera once performed to an empty basin. A century ago, it was just a hole in the ground.
From Quarry Pit to Venetian Lagoon
In the early 1920s, this four-acre plot at 2701 De Soto Boulevard in Coral Gables was a limestone quarry. Bahamian stonemasons, expert craftsmen recruited from the islands, pulled coral rock from the earth to build the homes, archways, and ornamental facades of George Merrick’s planned Mediterranean Revival city. When the usable rock ran out, what remained was an ugly pit that did nothing for local real estate. In 1924, Merrick’s uncle, the artist and architect Denman Fink, redesigned the crater into something no one had seen before: a spring-fed swimming lagoon with Venetian bridges, waterfalls, loggias, and lookout towers topped with terracotta tile. Architect Phineas Paist helped execute the design. It opened as the Venetian Casino in 1924 and was an immediate sensation.
Spring Water, Tarzan, and an Opera in the Deep End
Underground artesian wells feed the pool with 820,000 gallons of fresh spring water every day. The water holds steady in the mid-70s year-round, which feels like relief in a Miami summer. Depths range from four feet to more than eight near the grand waterfall. Two cascades pour over the coral rock walls, and swimmers can duck into a grotto carved from the original quarry face. When the pool first opened, Johnny Weismuller (before he became Tarzan on screen) and Esther Williams both swam here. William Jennings Bryan gave lectures from the pool deck, selling the virtues of Coral Gables living. In 1926, the pool was drained so the Miami Grand Opera Company could perform in the basin, taking advantage of the quarry’s natural acoustics. The city repeated the trick in 2001 for an orchestral performance celebrating the 75th anniversary of Coral Gables.
Visiting the Pool
Venetian Pool was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. It was added to the register for both its architectural significance and its role in the development of Coral Gables. Non-resident admission runs $23 for adults and $18 for children ages 3 to 12 during peak season (Memorial Day through Labor Day), with lower rates in the off-season. Children under 3 are not permitted. The pool is located at 2701 De Soto Boulevard in Coral Gables, about 10 minutes south of downtown Miami. Hours vary by season, so check the City of Coral Gables website before you go.
Official page: Venetian Pool (City of Coral Gables)
