Bath House Cultural Center at White Rock Lake. Photo by Renee Umsted.

It’s no secret that Dallas residents used to be able to swim at White Rock Lake, though that hasn’t been an option for decades.

People would head to the Bath House, those under age 12 would pay a dime, and then they’d change into their swimsuits, a KERA reporter notes in this video, courtesy of the G. William Jones Film and Video Collection at SMU.

After checking in, swimmers would get a safety pin tab, a towel and locker key. They were supposed to shower before jumping into the lake, but apparently people ignored that rule.

The Advocate wrote more last month about the opening of the Bath House and Bathing Beach.

The beach near the Bath House on E. Lawther closed in the 1950s, and it has never reopened.

Now, the historic building is managed by the Office of Arts and Culture. Since 2004, it has been home to the White Rock Lake Museum, and it also has theater space and other space for arts programming.

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