The Avery Aquatic Center is the home of all Stanford aquatic teams, and is widely considered to be the finest outdoor swimming and diving facility in the United States and perhaps the world. The facility is home to the Cardinal's men's and women's water polo, men's and women's swimming and diving and synchronized swimming programs.
Avery Aquatic Center
Parking, Maps & Directions
Parking
Parking is located in the Varsity Parking Lot and Lot 2 (El Camino Grove). Varsity Parking can be accessed via Nelson Road, off of Galvez Street, north of Stanford Stadium. Lot 2 is located just north of Cagan Stadium, access via Nelson Road. A valid disabled placard (from any state) will be necessary to access the disabled parking areas. For larger events, overflow parking is available in Lot 2 (El Camino Grove) just east of Stanford Stadium, accessible via Nelson Road.
Seating Information
The capacity of Avery Aquatic Center is 2,480 for fixed seating. With compatibility for 25 disabled seats and an equal number of disabled companion seats, the total seating becomes 2,530. Avery Aquatic Center has aluminum bleacher-style seating in the grandstands.
Disabled Seating
Disabled seating is located at the north end of the venue and the southwest and southeast corners of the bleacher seating. The main entrance on the east side of the facility is wheelchair accessible and offers access to the seating areas. An elevator is located on the west side of the facility for guests that need to access the pool deck.
Cameras and Tripods
Small cameras, under 6" without cases, are permitted. Tripods are not permitted.
Ticket Information
Regular season Swimming & Diving, Water Polo, and Synchronized Swimming events are free. Post-season and some special events will require a ticket. Ticket windows are located at the East entrance of Avery Aquatic Center for tickets on the day of an event.
All other ticket inquiries, including advance tickets and tickets to other sporting events, are handled through the main Stanford Athletics Ticket Office, located at Gate 2 of Stanford Stadium. For events requiring paid admission, tickets may be purchased online at GoStanford.com.
Office Hours: Monday thru Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Closed Holidays.
Phone: 1-800-STANFORD (1-800-782-6367)
Email: athletictsickets@stanford.edu
Mail: Stanford Athletics Ticket Office, Arrillaga Family Sports Center, 641 Campus Drive, Suite 200, Stanford, CA 94305
Avery Aquatic Center Information & History
Guest Services
Guest Services, including Lost and Found, are handled through any Redcoat or the Event Manager.
Restrooms
Restrooms are located on the east and west sides of the stands on the Plaza Level.
Avery Aquatic Center History
If Stanford Athletics is recognized as "Home of Champions," then one can argue the most prolific room in the house is the Avery Aquatic Center. Since opening in its current form in 2001, the magnificent facility has been home to dozens of conference, NCAA and U.S. Collegiate team champions, hundreds of conference, NCAA and U.S. collegiate individual champions, and numerous Stanford Olympians in the sports of men's and women's water polo, men's and women's swimming and diving and synchronized swimming.
The Avery Aquatic Center is the home of all Stanford aquatic teams and widely considered to be the finest outdoor swimming and diving facility in the United States and perhaps the world. It has hosted numerous water polo, swimming and diving and synchronized swimming national championships at various age levels in addition to United States swimming and water polo teams prior to their departure for the Olympics on multiple occasions.
Initially christened the deGuerre Pool Complex after Dorothy and Sidney deGuerre, the original facility was completed in 1972. In May 1999, an extensive renovation and expansion began that would ensure a world-class home for Stanford Aquatics well into the future. Behind these efforts were the generosity and passion for water sports of Burt and Marion Avery and their family.
As it stands today, Avery Aquatic Center features four separate pools: the Avery Competition Pool, the Maas Diving Center, the Belardi Pool and the Baker Pool. The main attraction is the Competition Pool, which can hold up to 2,530 fans (2,480 fixed seating) and hosts all of Stanford's collegiate swimming, water polo and synchronized swimming events. One of the fastest pools in the nation, the Competition Pool is 37 meters long and 20 meters wide, tapers from 11 to 14 feet deep and features dual one-meter and three-meter springboards on the south end.
Avery Aquatic Center also houses the Maas Diving Center, which stands as the finest outdoor diving facility in the country. Stanford student-athletes, along with divers from around the world, are treated to a concrete dive tower with platforms at 1, 3, 5, 7.5 and 10 meters. The dive tower is flanked on each side by dual one-meter and three-meter springboards.
Complementing the two world-class competition areas are a pair of top-rate training pools which offer Stanford student-athletes and coaches tremendous flexibility when designing training programs. The Belardi Pool is 50 meters long, 25 meters wide and tapers to a depth of 11 feet in the center, while the Baker Pool is also 50 meters long, but 25 yards wide and with a varying depth of 4 1/2 to 8 1/2 feet.
Stanford's many student-athletes in the aquatic disciplines have four locker rooms at their disposal. The Sandy Foundation Team Room is used by the Men's Water Polo team and is located on the east side of the Avery competition pool deck. The Harold A. Miller Team Room is used by the Women's Water Polo and Synchronized Swimming teams and is located on the west side of the Avery competition pool deck. Both rooms were refurbished by Joan and Mel Lane in 1996 and then again in 2010 by an anonymous donor. In 2000, two additional team locker rooms were completed. The Men's Timkin Team Room and the Women's Team Room which are now in use by the Swimming and Diving teams.