JAS

Review of Westerville Recreation Center

The hours for the Rec Center are good for people w...

The hours for the Rec Center are good for people who work. I used to go over and swim a couple of miles around 6 AM.

Our son is a huge b-ball player and they have plenty of courts. Sometimes the high schools practice here. Not sure why but they're all really nice kids and are welcoming to new kids. .

This is a great place to swim in the 2 pools - one for laps and diving and one with lazy river, kids area, and deeper end. They have a lot of swim classes but parents beware watch your children at ALL times this pool can get very busy. Also watch during little ones swim lessons. There was one occasion that I'm aware of where a child almost drown. The parent had to jump in fully clothed to pull their child out. That teacher was obviously not paying close enough attention but for the most part they do a good job. During free swim we're always in the pool and right with our little ones when they're in the pool.

In the summertime there are great camps for kids ages K - 5th grade, run from 9 AM till 4 PM. You can pay a little extra for early drop off or late pick up. You can do that for the length of camp or by the day/week. If you have a child who's less outdoorsy or can't be in the sun, there are indoor activities and there's always a person in each of the rooms. The kids come home tanned, sweaty, and usually pretty worn out. If you have a child who's less than enthusiastic, they'll acclimate quickly. (As far as I'm aware there have never been problems with kids or counselors.)

There are travel camps for the older kids which are really nice as well. They go by bus Lots of places some camps stick closer to home others travel further.

There's a room for pre-teens and teens with some video games and room to chill, get a snack, and do homework or listen to music. They have some teen activity nights which seem to be well attended.

In the atrium there's a really nice climbing wall, and some themed play structures for younger children. This is NOT a supervised area, you are required to stay with your kids at all times in this area... All areas for the younger ones unless they're in childcare. But there's really nice comfortable seating for the parents. This area doesn't get crowded at least not during the day when I've been there.

People work out in the fully equipped gym from 6 AM til 9 PM. They have personal trainers if you'd like that, and a track to run or walk. And I think they also do body fat measurements.

They have all sorts of lessons, activities, and classes for toddlers thru adults.They have a nice clean room with child care for a very reasonable fee which was on an incremental punch card system. I believe it's on a half hour or maybe an hourly rate per punch which of course they tally up. So be advised if you only meant to take an hour but end up coming back an hour and 15 min to an hour and 59 min you'll pay for an extra punch. Cards are purchased at the front as you walk into the building. They cannot accommodate children who are sick because it's just one room which generally has several children and lots of surfaces that would hold germs. So keep your sickies at home where they belong! (BTW, This it should be obvious, but you just never know, childcare is only for very young children AND is only for parents who are in the building taking a class, swimming, playing in the gym, or in the weight and track area. Don't leave the building, other than maybe to run to your car, or you might be greeted by the police or child services when you return!)

It's a really nice facility with pretty much something for everyone. As a resident you can join. It's not cheap but it has so much to offer. You can get a day pass for $5 and there's also a 3 month program. You can join the entire facility, just the pool, or just the gym. So it's pretty flexible. Rates for non-residents are just a bit higher.