Above is a postcard depicting the Moana Hot Springs Baths, from 1910, when the facility served as a training camp for heavyweight boxer Jim Jeffries prior to his bout with Jack Johnson.

Moana Springs derived its name from a well-known hot springs complex that once stood on a lot at the corner of West Moana and Baker lanes and that resort was named after a famous Hawaiian resort-spa.

Reno’s Moana Hot Springs opened on Oct. 29, 1905, and boasted a large bath house with a pool fed by natural hot springs at the site as well as a hotel, clubhouse, baseball diamonds and lush picnic grounds.

It set on top of a geothermal belt running through that part of the Truckee Meadows. The warm waters in the pool were promoted as having healing, medicinal qualities.
In 1957, the city of Reno acquired the property, demolished all of the old buildings and, in 1960, built a functional covered pool and wooden baseball stadium on the site (which was home of the Reno Silver Sox and Reno Padres minor league teams for many years).

The Moana Pool provided recreational swimming for residents until 2007, when the city closed the facility, which was badly in need of rehabilitation. In 2012, it was demolished.
Now under construction, the Moana Springs Community Aquatics and Fitness Center, has a target for completion of summer 2024.

The City’s funding plan for the Moana Springs Community Aquatic and Fitness Center includes a generous $9 million pledge from The William N. Pennington Foundation.

“We could not have done this without the support of The William N. Pennington Foundation,” Reno City Manager Doug Thornley said. “We are extremely grateful to the Pennington Foundation for their vision and financial assistance. We also owe a huge thanks to Sierra Nevada Community Aquatics for their dedication over the past decade in pursuing this project.”
The two-level facility, located at 240 West Moana Lane adjacent to the existing soccer fields, will include:

  • Indoor competition pool for swimming, water polo, and diving.
  • Indoor multi-use pool for lessons and leisurely swimming. Includes a water slide, zero-depth entry, splash features, and a resistance pool.
  • Outdoor heated soaking pool for relaxing.
  • Multi-purpose room for classes, birthday parties, and community meetings.
  • Locker rooms on the first floor.
  • Fitness Center on the second floor.
“This is the City of Reno’s first major public pool project in almost three decades, and we couldn’t be more excited,” Reno City Council member Naomi Duerr said.

“This facility is needed to meet the recreational needs of our growing community, but it will also have a positive impact on the local economy by bringing out-of-town athletes and their families to the area for competitive swimming.”