City: Indianapolis, IN

Category: Spectator Sports

Telephone: (317) 274-3518

Address: 901 W. New York St.

Description: Built in 1982, the Indiana University Natatorium is one of the prime swimming and diving venues in the world. This facility boasts a swimming pool with adjustable lengths and an 18-foot-deep diving pool featuring five platforms and three springboards. Speed is built into the pool; it is exactly the right depth to reduce reverberation from the bottom. Events held here include U.S. Olympic swimming, diving and synchronized swimming trials, and NCAA Championships. The Natatorium is also home to the annual IHSAA boy’s and girl’s swimming championships, along with housing various swimming clubs from across the Midwest. The IU men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams have called the Natatorium home since their inception in 1998. Greg Louganis, Michael Phelps, and Jenny Thompson are among those who have competed at this facility, known as one of the world’s fastest pools. The seating capacity of the Natatorium is 4,700, making it the largest indoor pool in the United States. There is also room for additional seating of 1,500 on deck. The depth of the pool is 9 feet at the ends and 10 feet at the center. Water temperature is kept at 70 degrees. The main pool contains six underwater windows for TV cameras and coaching. It takes one million gallons of water to fill the main pool. To date, there have been 90 American records and 12 world records set in the pool.