George Merrick founded the “Venetian Casino” in 1924 in an old 4 acre coral rock quarry, previously abandoned in 1921. It was created as Coral Gables was being developed, in a Mediterranean Revival style. Because of this style, there was a lot of coral used in the ornamental decor for the city.
Architect Phineas Paist reconfigured the quarry, and artist Denman Fink was the designer. The pool was named for the city of Venice Italy and had a Venetian style bridge and mooring posts.
The Venetian Pool has undergone a wide variety of phases and changes over the years. It had an island at one point which allowed for docking gondolas, but has since been removed. It had a high diving platform above the tall waterfall that has since been torn down. The pool used to be drained to allow the Miami Symphony to perform inside it, because of the quarry’s natural acoustics. It was drained again in 2001 to allow for the 75th anniversary of the City of Coral Gables and an orchestra performance was had. 1989 was the year that many of the original historical features of the pool were restored. And in 1981 the pool was added to a register of Historic places, where it is the only pool listed. That register is the Nation Register of Historic Places.
The Pool displaces around 820,000 gallons of fresh water every single day from the artesian wells which is what makes this pool the largest freshwater pool in the entire United States. There are a variety of depths in the pool and it ranges from 2 feet deep, to over 8 feet deep by the grand waterfall.
The beauty of this pool is something that you must experience in person, photos just do not do it justice. The water is cool and fresh which is a wonderful breath of fresh air during the blistering hot days of South Florida summers. The pool’s hours change regularly so guests are encouraged to check the operating hours routinely before the head to the pool.
Enjoy the historical beauty of this large pool in person in Coral Gables. This city is an old and beautiful city that will take your breath away.
