About
The Aquatic Center at Building 447, W Idaho Ave, Holloman AFB, NM, serves as a year-round facility for fitness and recreation. It offers activities such as open swim, lap swim, physical training (PT), swim lessons, and pool party rentals, and is accessible to all base personnel, their families, retirees, and DOD civilians with base access.
The pool at the Aquatic Center is consistently heated to 82 degrees Fahrenheit (82°F) year-round.
What are people saying (AI review summary)? Reviews for the aquatic center are largely negative, despite initial praise for its features like rock climbing walls, diving boards, slides, and music, along with ample parking. The most significant complaints revolve around an extensive list of "unnecessary" and "nonsensical" rules, which include restrictions on rock wall usage (e.g., one person at a time, no climbing to the top, no goggles), prohibitions on items like balls, pool noodles, snorkels, and flippers, and strict limitations on parent-child interactions (e.g., no children on shoulders, specific distances for kids with floaties). Patrons frequently mention a rude manager who strictly enforces these rules, often yelling at guests and even reprimanding them for interacting with lifeguards. Adding to the frustration are random, unexplained hourly closures, sometimes for staff lunch, which inconvenience visitors. Many reviewers express feeling like "prisoners" due to the strict environment, questioning the point of the pool if so many activities are restricted, and leading some to state they will no longer support the facility.
Location
Gallery
Amenities
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Accessible Entrance
Reviews
Listing Reviews
June 4th, 2023Christopher Newhart (Mr. Newhart)
This is the coolest pool I have ever been to! I love the rock climbing walls, diving boards, slides, and music! The lifeguards are awesome as well! Plenty of parking and open until 7pm!
July 26th, 2025Bob Jones
Holloman already doesn’t have a lot to do, so my friends and I would go to the aquatic center a lot. Somehow, the people who work at the pool have made it the most unenjoyable place to go on base. There are a lot of completely unnecessary rules—for example, only one person is allowed on the rock walls at a time, and they aren’t allowed to climb to the top. You can’t bring any balls, or they’ll take them at the front desk. You might even get banned for talking to the lifeguards. The manager of the whole place is unnecessarily rude. The lifeguards would throw our football around with us, but as soon as the manager came by, she took it away and yelled at us. One of the lifeguards was also flirting with my friend and saying rude things about my other friends. We know the lifeguards personally, and they would message us on Instagram first—yet we got in trouble with the manager for texting them back. Even the lifeguard played football with us and then the manager came and to
May 27th, 2024Michael Gordon
Great pool with cool slides. However, only deserving two stars for their nonsensical rules. Pool noodles, inflatable balls, snorkels, and flippers aren’t allowed. No food or drink other than water. And they randomly close for an hour at a time and make everyone leave. Today they randomly closed from 2-3 pm, supposedly for lunch. Can the staff not take turns like everyone else? Yesterday they closed twice for an hour with no explanation.
June 11th, 2025Tanner Gray
OPEN THE POOL! We all have road blocks at our jobs and lives, figure it out! It’s the only good thing about Holloman!
June 29th, 2024Casey Gillette
What’s the point of the pool if you can’t do anything besides stand in the pool. Got the whistle blown on me for have my 5 yr old on my shoulders. One girl was told no climbing the rock wall with goggles. Kids can’t be more than 5 ft from parents if they have floaties on. The pool is on base but cops made a walk through so it feels like we are prisoners. I won’t be supporting the pool anymore