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    Franconia RECenter

    4.0 (36 reviews)
    Open 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Franconia RECenter Photos

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    Soft playroom
    Gretchen F.

    Came here for a birthday party, and want to return just for more fun! We got to enjoy some time in the soft playroom and got to see one of the party rooms as well -- I can see why this is a popular place for parties! I look forward to coming back to check out the playground and water park when it's A) warmer, and B) my baby can actually, like, play on those things, haha. Parking was plentiful and easy to find, thumbs up!

    Kids Playground
    DeJuan S.

    This Rec Centers Playground is fantastic for children ages 4-12. My daughter and son enjoyed themselves. If you plan on hosting a birthday party or any other event I recommend this Rec Center, there were various locations to entertain your guest including a Splash Park, Volleyball courts, basketball courts, and 2 big playgrounds for children.

    Parking lot
    Jessica M.

    Very nice splash park and free. My kid loves it. Next to Splash ground is big play area for kids . They also have tree house and seating are. All that's free ... awesome :)

    Playground

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    1 year ago

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    10 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Great pool near old town Alexandria. The basketball gym is also indoor and very nice.

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    10 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    8 years ago

    Staff taking the blind eye to the operation and maintenance of this place. Poorly managed...

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    10 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    12 years ago

    Great staff, nice facility. Great place to go swimming, take a class or work out. My kids loved the summer camps offered.

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    11 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    Ask the Community - Franconia RECenter

    Review Highlights - Franconia RECenter

    They do a lot learning through art and crafts, games and they go to the park, even if it rains they take them to the soft play room.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Wheaton Community Recreation Center - Ping Pong, Pool table and Video Games

    Wheaton Community Recreation Center

    4.4(14 reviews)
    19.2 mi

    Since I'm new to area one of my errands was getting library and rec center cards. Fortunately for…read moreme, you can do both things in one place. The Rec Center: Overall, I liked the layout of the rec center, and the folks that helped with getting a card were SUPER friendly and helpful. While I have not officially used the rec center, I was a bit disappointed with the the size of the weight room. The size of the weight room reminds of a weight room that one would find in a hotel. However, the gym did look like it had everything that one would need for a decent workout. Also, I was a bit surprised that the rec center does not open until 9 am on weekdays (and Saturday). Based on my prior rec center experiments, I'm used to rec centers opening from 5:30 to 7 am. Then again, perhaps, these hours are for the summer months. The Library: Again, the librarian who signed me up for a card was very friendly. Also, I loved how she gave me a very thorough overview of this branch's services and resources. Although I was in the library for only a few minutes, I thought it was very well organized.

    Was out and about with my 8 year old daughter and she wanted to go to the library and read and I…read moredid a quick Google search and it brought us here. This was our first time here and I did not know that this was more than just a library. Well first of all the library was great and my daughter was quite excited to read one of her favorite books to me. After reading we explored this place as something for everyone.....ping pong tables pool table, video games, basketball courts, indoor track, weight room, lots of event rooms and a playground outside for the little ones. The staff there were very friendly. Will definitely be back.

    Photos
    Wheaton Community Recreation Center - Outside

    Outside

    Wheaton Community Recreation Center
    Wheaton Community Recreation Center - Exercise Room

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    Exercise Room

    Lake Artemesia Natural Area - Wood duck family

    Lake Artemesia Natural Area

    4.4(69 reviews)
    18.3 mi

    I first learnt of this place through a coworker, someone who is from the area, went to school at…read moreUniversity of Maryland, and someone that has a little more knowledge of the history of the area as well. Also, I had not clue how extremely close I have been to this area on so many occasion and never discovered this until recently. Well hidden gem. If I hadn't done any type of research on this place, I would have assumed that this had always been here in the state that it is. When you see 'Natural Area' in the title of a place, you usually think that it was always wilderness. But not the case here. How Lake Artemesia is currently is due to the construction of the College Park and Greenbelt Metro stations. Locally sourcing materials from this area aiding in the construction. Once the metro stations were completed the lake as it is now was constructed. Fun fact: there are no naturally occurring lakes in Maryland, they are all manmade. But well before the Metro made its way through the area, the lake was created after stone was quarried in the area in the 1800s. Obviously a bit smaller than what you see today, but it was still there. Another fun fact, the smaller lake was originally used to raise goldfish. The history here also should be know that where the lake is was part of the Lakeland community. An African American community before being absorbed by College Park. This is the one thing I wish they focused on with the park. There are informative signs around the lake, touching on the wildlife you might stumble upon. I wish they would put some in with the history of the land. (I was also a little sad that I didn't get to see an otter) also, if there were some on the history, I just didn't see them or they were some that need some TLC)) This is a great park overall. It can be accessed by so many directions. I came in from the Berwyn Heights area, got a little dizzy on the pedestrian bridge that crosses the Green Line. The paths are ample for walking/bicycling. Sometimes, not everyone observes the fact that there are other people here and may take up the whole path, even though it is set up as a road essentially. Tons of seating throughout if you want to take a break. Great view of the ever changing skyline of College Park. I am sure this is better to visit when it is warmer, not on a cold, blustery winter day.

    My thankful Thursday goes to Lake Artemisia. This place is beautiful. When they say some of the…read morebest things in life are free! I agree. The loop is roughly 2.4 miles, it's paved and clean; I've never seen litter or trash lying around. The lake was also home to a historical African American community called Lakeland established in 1890. Walking the park you'll see a few plaques and markers with brief history. Many years ago the citizens of this segregated society, developed their own institutions and cultural traditions, including the area's only high school for African Americans, built in 1928. There is a Lakeland Community Heritage Project that was created to preserve its history and the stories of its people through photographic archives and now the Lakeland College Park Community Center. Thankful that this is a peaceful place to run, walk, ride my bike, or simply sit and reflect. Greenery unique to the area is the mimosa trees that bloom in the summer and the giant reed grass surrounding the lake. Parks & Planning along with other organizations also hosts activities like birdwatching and community walks . In addition to this, there is a small playground and ergonomic gym. Lovely in every season and rich in American history, Lake Artemisia is the beating heart to lots of people in the Greenbelt community. Let's love, honor, and cherish Her for generations to come! #ThankfulThursdays

    Photos
    Lake Artemesia Natural Area
    Lake Artemesia Natural Area
    Lake Artemesia Natural Area

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    Palisades Recreation Center - Soccer Field

    Palisades Recreation Center

    4.1(14 reviews)
    10.4 miPalisades

    Along the Potomac River northwest of Georgetown is a close-knit community called The Palisades…read more This is its recreation center. There's a small parking lot in the front and trails that lead to an actual recreation center, fields and a playground that doubles as a splash park in the summer. My four-year-old daughter loved the playground. It's modeled after an Indigenous American village along the Potomac River with slides, etc. For being in a wealthy neighborhood, it's a little run down, but still a lot of fun. If you like quirky art, take the small dirt path to the right when facing the parking lot. Walk a few yards to a small opening in the forest to find the "Glass Forest" with art hanging on the trees. It's a little creepy, but also quirky!

    Hmmm...I suppose I was assuming this playground would be more than it was given the area…read more The good: *a couple slides, things to climb on *dedicated parking lot *fitness equipment *skate park (definitely check this out) The issues: *the equipment is old and run down: pieces of the padded floor are all over the place and kids throw them *back to those kids and why we won't be back....where are the parents, nannies, guardians, SOME adult?! There were lots around but no one was telling their kid to not throw pieces of the ground at people. My son was excited about the slide....until he was trampled while going down it by 4 kids (at least 8 years old so they should know better anyways) running up the slide. This hasn't ever been an issue before since caretakers are usually at least sort of watching their kids but nope not here. Overall the equipment was boring and the playground way beyond capacity, particularly during these times. Not a fan, won't be back.

    Photos
    Palisades Recreation Center - Skate Area

    Skate Area

    Palisades Recreation Center - Multipurpose room

    Multipurpose room

    Palisades Recreation Center - Rec center sign

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    Rec center sign

    Chinquapin Park Recreation Center - Chinquababies class

    Chinquapin Park Recreation Center

    2.9(30 reviews)
    3.6 mi

    The pool was good enough in a pinch, however the lack of a deep end was somewhat annoying for me as…read moreI prefer swimming laps in deeper water. This was a more affordable option than other indoor pools in the area, so I returned a few times. The locker rooms require quarters if you want to store your belongings.

    Meh. I joined Chinquapin Rec Center as a resident of Alexandria, it's really close to my house. The…read morepool is wonderful, clearly the main feature. There are also racquet ball courts which evidently are pretty nice according to the guys I spoke with who use them. There are payrooms for younger children and they evidently also have a party room for birthdays. Finally, there's a weight room. The Rec Center is reasonably clean and there's a sauna in both changing rooms. You can bring your own lock, use no lock, or pay 50 cents to use the key on the locker. The staff at this Rec Center are wonderful. They're friendly, helpful and accommodating. Clearly however, this place is severely underresourced. Three men's locker room is cold, really cold when you come in from the pool. There are about 6 showers, but half of them don't have earn enough warm water to take a comfortable shower. The pool is really nice, and it's great that the length is 25 meters, not yards. But given the high demand and the ever changing schedule, swimming laps isn't as easy as it ought to be. Especially on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The weight room is truly sad. The room is small, that's a function of the building's size. That's not the issue for me. There are several machines that haven't been maintained for what looks like a very long time. They are rusted, most squeak, some so loudly that you really can't use them. The padding is worn on several of the machines as well. There are also treadmills, arc trainers and a rowing machine. The rowing machine is in relatively good repair. I didn't use the others. Unfortunately, other than a very low membership fee, especially for residents of Alexandria, there are just so many better options available that I don't recommend Chinquapin Rec Center. I've decided to join the Franconia Rec center in Fairfax. It's more expensive, but it's twice as good!

    Photos
    Chinquapin Park Recreation Center - Water Aerobics class

    Water Aerobics class

    Chinquapin Park Recreation Center
    Chinquapin Park Recreation Center - Soft playroom for little kids

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    Soft playroom for little kids

    Franconia RECenter - recreation - Updated May 2026

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