Goldfish Swim School - Alexandria

About

Goldfish Swim School - Alexandria, located at 3155-B Duke St, Alexandria, VA, is a dedicated swim school offering a range of learn-to-swim programs for infants, toddlers, and children. It focuses on water safety and skill development in a fun, tropical-themed environment, utilizing small class sizes and a unique curriculum to build confidence in the water.

The pools at Goldfish Swim School - Alexandria are consistently heated to a comfortable, 'shiver-free' 90 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 32 degrees Celsius) to ensure a warm and enjoyable learning experience for all students.

What are people saying (AI review summary)? The reviews for Goldfish Swim School present a mixed picture of customer experiences. Many highly praise the staff, specifically mentioning Rakeb (general manager), Hester (instructor), and Adrian (checkout) for their exceptional compassion, accommodation (especially for children with special needs), patience, and ability to make lessons fun and supportive. Other instructors like Jordan and Livy are also commended for making learning enjoyable and for helping children improve their skills. Customers appreciate the welcoming atmosphere, clean facilities, and the availability of free open family swim. However, significant criticisms include dissatisfaction with the quality of instruction, particularly observations that classes are led by high school students and children get limited individual swim time. There are also complaints about last-minute class cancellations, negative instructor interactions that left children upset and lacking confidence, and a restrictive make-up class policy that renders vouchers invalid if membership is paused. Some customers also reported difficulties in obtaining refunds for unused services.

Location

Gallery

Amenities

• Accepts Credit Cards
• Accessible Entrance

Reviews

Listing Reviews

April 13th, 2025

Collecha Newby

Today was our very first swim lesson, and it was an incredible experience from start to finish. I initially tried to book online but wasn’t confident I did it correctly, so I called the next day. That’s when I spoke with Rakeb, the general manager—she was absolutely amazing. I explained that my child has special needs, and she went above and beyond to both educate and accommodate us with such compassion and care. When we arrived for our class, we were quite early and my little one was having a really tough time waiting. Rakeb came over with crayons and gently encouraged us to explore the beautiful fish tank to help pass the time—such a thoughtful gesture that made a big difference. Our swim instructor, Hester, was patient, understanding, and incredibly kind. She made our first lesson feel calm, supportive, and fun. At checkout, Adrian helped us and she, too, was fantastic—answering all 900 of my questions with grace and a smile. We felt welcomed, understood, and cared for every step of the way. We’re so grateful to have found this place!

August 18th, 2025

Li Lee

On June 9, 2025, I visited Goldfish Swim School to register my children for swim classes and paid $306 total. At the time, I was informed of a promotion that included 2 free classes. Unfortunately, after attending, I found the program was not a good fit for my children. The instruction was not as expected — classes were led by high school students, only half of the pool was used, and with multiple children rotating in a 30-minute session, my children were limited to swimming just 2 strokes before being stopped for the next student. This does not provide the quality of instruction I was led to believe we would receive. Additionally, one scheduled class was canceled at the last minute, after I had already driven 20 miles to the location. Because of these issues, I contacted your team by both phone and email requesting a refund. To date, my request has not been honored. Given that my children did not continue with the program after the initial class and I am clearly dissatisfied with the quality of services provided. 6 additional classes that were never redeemed for 2 children.

May 8th, 2025

Mackenzie Schultz

I have been taking my two young kids here for a couple years now and have had a great experience. The entire staff have gone above and beyond to help my kids feel comfortable when they first started and continue to make sure they are having fun and always continuing to improve on their skills. They have moved my older kid up through three levels and even worked with me to move my younger down a level temporarily (upon my request) when I felt like she wasn’t ready for the independent class yet. Our favorite instructors have been Jordan and Livy, they have made learning to swim so fun for my kids! Free open family swim has also been super fun, highly recommend taking advantage of that!

August 2nd, 2025

Shaquinda Noakes

I’m very disappointed with our recent experience at Goldfish Swim School. My child left their swim lesson visibly upset and in tears after an interaction with Instructor Kate. As a parent, it’s heartbreaking to see your child lose confidence in a place that’s supposed to feel fun and safe. I hope the school addresses this and ensures all instructors are trained in positive, supportive communication with kids.

July 18th, 2025

Christi Morrissey

I wish I could wholeheartedly recommend Goldfish, but unfortunately I can’t. Goldfish Swim School has friendly staff, clean facilities, and my son had a great time during his lessons. They also offer free family swim, which is a nice perk even if the times aren’t feasible for working parents. However, their make-up class policy is a dealbreaker for us. Although the vouchers “don’t expire,” they can only be used while your membership is active. We paused our membership, intending to use the vouchers before resuming, but were told they were no longer valid (our son takes lessons once a week and we had four vouchers we needed to use…about $130 in class credits). In order to utilize the credits, we have to re-enroll and find time for twice weekly lessons. It would be helpful if there were a grace period after cancellation to use any remaining vouchers (or if they offered a bi-monthly membership that still enables us to use the vouchers between lessons). It’s a shame, as my son (Liam D.) genuinely enjoyed his Mini 1 classes and instructors.