Tom Muehlenbeck Center Plano: Hours, Pools, Fees and Visitor Guide

What the Tom Muehlenbeck Center is

Most people in west Plano just call it "TMC" or "Muehlenbeck." It is one of four full-service recreation centers run by Plano Parks and Recreation (the others are Carpenter Park, Liberty and Oak Point), and it is the one families tend to pick for swimming because it has both indoor and outdoor water. The building sits on West Parker Road between the Plano West Senior High School and Renner Middle School campuses, inside a park setting crossed by a creek.

The center opened in the late 2000s. Community Impact's 2024 reporting gives 2007 as the opening year, while another article from the same outlet says 2009, so we treat the exact year as unsettled. More useful for visitors is the recent history: the center closed for most of 2025 for a $15.9 million renovation paid for by Plano's 2021 bond program, then held its grand reopening on Dec. 4, 2025, with regular operations resuming the next morning. The work covered heating and cooling, locker rooms, a new children's pool play structure and pool deck, new cardio equipment, and resurfacing of the track and gym floor, according to city and Community Impact coverage.

It is also busy. Published estimates range from more than 400,000 to about 500,000 visits a year, which puts it at or near the top of Plano's recreation centers. Plano ISD lists the indoor competition pool as the home pool for Plano West Senior High's swimming and diving teams, which matters if you are trying to find open lanes on a weekday afternoon.

Official contact details and map

This guide is not the center. Calls and questions about accounts, refunds or registrations need to go to the City of Plano directly.

Tom Muehlenbeck Center amenities at a glance

The city's own amenity list is short: indoor track, weight and cardio room, a basketball gymnasium, indoor and outdoor pools, a game room, and classrooms and meeting rooms for rent, plus open play for pickleball and table tennis. Here is what each of those means in practice.

• Indoor lap pool25 yards with 8 lanes and diving, per Plano ISD; lane count varies by hour.
• Indoor leisure poolCurrent "river," slides and kid-friendly depth; adults-only blocks on weekday mornings.
• Outdoor poolSummer-only; slides with a 48-inch height rule. Closed for the 2026 season.
• Indoor trackWalkers inside lane, runners outside; strollers are allowed.
• Cardio & weight roomAges 13 and up; teens 13–15 need an adult (18+) actively supervising.
• GymnasiumBasketball plus open-play pickleball and table tennis; see the city's gym calendar.
• Game roomMembership card or paid admission required, like the gym and pool.
• Rentable roomsRooms A, B and C (up to 50 people each) or all three combined for 150.
• Camps & classesSummer Camp Connections, swim lessons and fitness classes through Plano Recreation Online.

For the long version, including the leisure pool features, the lap lane chart and the rules about flotation devices and swim attire, read our Tom Muehlenbeck Center pools and amenities guide.

Tom Muehlenbeck Center hours

Plano posts one set of building hours for its four big recreation centers. The current fall, winter and spring schedule took effect on Sept. 8, 2026.

The building being open does not mean every space is. The pools, the gym and the outdoor areas each run their own schedules inside those hours. Our full Tom Muehlenbeck Center hours and pool schedule breaks those out day by day.

Pool times in brief

If you only remember three things about swimming at TMC this season, make them these:

• Lap swimmers can use the indoor lap pool from 5 am on weekdays until 9:45 pm Monday–Thursday and 8:45 pm Friday; Saturday runs 8 am–5:45 pm and Sunday 1–5:45 pm. Lane counts change by the hour, from 2 lanes on weekday evenings up to all 8 in early afternoon.
• Families get the indoor leisure pool for all ages on Friday 5–8:45 pm, Saturday 10 am–5:45 pm, Sunday 1–5:45 pm, and late weekday evenings (8:15–9:45 pm, no slides), plus a no-slides open swim on Tuesday and Thursday 10 am–noon. The drop slide and diving board run on Friday evenings and weekend afternoons.
• The outdoor pool is seasonal and is listed as closed for the season on the city's fall 2026 schedule. Outdoor hours for summer 2027 had not been posted when we checked.

Tom Muehlenbeck Center fees and memberships

You do not need a membership to visit. Anyone can pay a daily admission at the front desk. Plano residents pay less, and proof of residency is required for resident rates.

• Day pass, ages 16+Recreation center daily admission

  Plano resident

  $7

  Non-resident

  $10

• Day pass, ages 3–15Children 2 and under are free

  Plano resident

  $4

  Non-resident

  $6

Month-to-month memberships run $13–$22 a month for an individual Plano resident and $56 for a resident family; the non-resident adult rate is $33 a month. A one-month user fee of $33 covers visitors in town short term. A resident adult who swims or works out more than about two dozen times a year comes out ahead with the annual pass. Our Tom Muehlenbeck Center day pass and membership price guide has every tier, the break-even math, and the health-plan programs the city accepts.

Camps, classes and rentals

Classes. Swim lessons, fitness classes and youth programs at TMC are listed in Plano's seasonal recreation catalog and booked through Plano Recreation Online. You do not need a membership to take a class.

Summer camp. Camp Connections is the center's week-long summer day camp. The city lists it as running 8 am–4 pm, with drop-off from 7:30 am and pick-up until 5:30 pm included, at $159 a week. Campers use the outdoor pool two or three times a week and take a swim test before using the deep end.

Rooms. Rooms A, B and C each hold up to 50 people and rent for $75 an hour (resident) or $85 (non-resident); all three together seat 150 for $225 or $248 an hour. The double-court gym is rentable only in the Saturday after-hours slot (6:30–8:30 pm).

Pool parties. During the school year, the indoor party room package covers admission for up to 40 people for $220 (resident) or $340 (non-resident). After-hours private rentals of the indoor leisure pool start at $645. Rentals must be paid in full when booked, can be made up to two months ahead, and private rentals need at least two weeks' notice.

Getting there and parking

TMC is at 5801 W. Parker Road in the 75093 ZIP code, the far west side of Plano. Its neighbors make it easy to find: Plano West Senior High School is at 5601 W. Parker Road and Renner Middle School at 5701 W. Parker Road, so the center is the next campus west along the same stretch of Parker.

• By car: Parker Road is the main approach. The center has its own parking lot. The building was designed with the lot on one side of a creek and pedestrian bridges leading to the entrance and outdoor pool, so allow a minute or two to walk in with kids and pool bags.
• Timing: if you are coming to swim laps, the city's lane chart shows the fewest open lanes (two) on Monday–Thursday evenings between 5 and 9 pm, and the most in early afternoon.
• Transit: Plano is part of the DART system. Routes change, so check DART's trip planner for current service to Parker Road before relying on a bus.
• Accessibility: the 2025 renovation included ADA compliance additions and new sidewalks around the building and parking lot. Call the front desk for specific access questions.

First-visit checklist

1. Bring ID and proof of address if you want resident pricing or plan to buy a membership. Membership cards are issued at the center during open hours.
2. Check in at the front desk every visit with your card or daily fee. Re-entry to the pool requires proof of payment.
3. Plan supervision for kids. Children under 10 must come with a parent or guardian aged 16 or older, and children under 7 must be actively supervised within arm's reach in the water.
4. Dress for the space. Shirts and closed-toe athletic shoes are required on the track and in the weight room; court shoes in the gym; swim-specific attire in the pool (no cut-offs or jeans).
5. Pack for the pool. Coolers with food and drinks are allowed at the pools but are checked by staff; no glass or alcohol. Only U.S. Coast Guard approved flotation devices, and swim diapers for little ones.
6. Check the weather for the outdoor pool. Swimmers are cleared for 30 minutes after thunder or lightning. TMC does not issue rain checks, because the indoor pools stay available.

How TMC compares with Plano's other recreation centers

All four large centers share the same hours and the same daily fees, and one membership covers all of them. The differences are in the water and the courts: Carpenter Park adds racquetball and squash and a big indoor pool, Oak Point has indoor and outdoor pools on the east side, and Liberty has an outdoor summer pool only. See our side-by-side Plano recreation centers comparison for addresses, phone numbers and pool types.