It's really unfortunate that a community facility like McGaw doesn't offer senior programs through Silver Sneakers. The senior discount offered by McGaw is so minimal that membership is unaffordable for many on a fixed income. I find it disheartening that McGaw offers a larger discount to employees of its corporate partner members than it does to its local seniors. Other YMCAs in the Chicago metro area offer membership through the Silver Sneakers program. Plus, most nearby community fitness centers, including Morton Grove and Skokie, accept Silver Sneakers membership. Many seniors, including me, would absolutely join McGaw if they accepted Silver Sneakers, which would bring McGaw additional revenue while truly serving its community. read more

Excellent I go there every day, Great atmosphere and great ambiance Friendly people and great hospitality Great My home away from home Always a great place and great ambience read more

Great friendly staff! I have been a member for years. Indoor track. Basketball court. 2 pools. I workout in the clean workout room while I watch TV. Affordable monthly fee for activities, locker room with showers/sauna and massage therapy services and much more.. read more

McGaw YMCA - McGaw YMCA Front lawn :) - Gyms Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

McGaw Y has a variety of equipment to craft one's workout. Staff was helpful! All equipment was of good quality, available to use and allowed one to challenge one's personal best. Y Membership has value. It did not disappoint! Thank you! read more

McGaw YMCA - Gyms Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

See all

Great place, great staff. They foster a wonderful sense of community. The website is easy to use for reserving swimming and other activities. The staff is very creative with events, leagues, clubs, etc. A highly commendable institution all around. read more

Mixed feelings about McGaw Y. Pros: 1) friendly & attentive staff - most of the time; 2) clean workout areas and locker room; 3) posts schedules in advance, notifying patrons of off-days/closures Cons: 1) rarely, if ever, enforces rules in the workout areas and locker rooms. There are plenty of signs posted in the facility, notifying patrons that there is no food allowed in the workout areas & gym. I've see folks (mostly high schoolers) eating sandwiches & snacks in these areas. There are also signs that sandals & open-toe shoes are not allowed. You can see them worn nearly any day there (mostly by high schoolers). Signs are posted in the locker room that cameras are not allowed. There is ALWAYS someone using phones and cameras in the locker room. I don't expect staff to be everywhere at all times. But most of the time, fitness center staff are usually sitting at the desk, looking at their phones or are just not there. In other words, what use are the rules if there's interest to enforce them. read more

What was once a great institution, In Evanston has turned into a financial mess. I've been a member on and off for many years, but could no longer afford the family membership there and canceled it three months ago I was told I had already paid for the month of April but no payments would be taken out in May or June I just noticed they've taken payments out in both of those months which I cannot afford The person I talk to originally said it was taken care of, but the person I talked to today said there was a form I was supposed to fill out so basically "it's my fault" which is complete untrue The person on the phone was doing the best they could, but they were just "following the rules". I am thoroughly disgusted with the way this was handled read more

Our family has been members for almost two years. The Y is great. We particularly value being able to have private swim lessons in a less crowded pool for our child who is neurodivergent. Their family fun gym on Sunday mornings and other family programs are wonderful. We plan to be members for as long as we live nearby! read more

I'm Thankful to be a YMCA member! Today, November 17, the McGaw YMCA is celebrating our 137th birthday! That's 137 years of serving the Evanston community. The McGaw YMCA has been promoting health and well-being to the community for 137 years today. I celebrated the 137th birthday of the McGaw Y by moving in group exercise. Thank you. I recommend that you come and see what the Y has to offer you if you work or reside or attend school in the area. If you do not don't worry because guess what? You can visit a YMCA in your community or neighboring community and see what they offer and get moving. read more

McGaw YMCA - Happy 137th McGaw YMCA - Gyms Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

It may be a good fit for some, but not for me. Pros: variety of facilities/classes; mostly well maintained; most staff are friendly; a great info center about local events; diverse clientele Cons: unfriendly booking system which requires going through the front desk (tried three times but still could not get into a virtual class! Pls train the staff so they know how to operate their own system); pools are hard to book; some staff are unprofessional; some facilities have seen some wear and tear The last straw is how I was treated at the front desk. Unlike most gyms, McGaw requires members to personally speak to the front desk to be checked in. Although sometimes this "personal touch" can be charming, other times it just adds extra stress for one to spell out one's full name. The incident happened two months into my membership. I was getting known by most check-in staff so I could just spell out my last name followed by a read out of my first name. In fact, most staff told me I could just read out my name and they'd be able to identify me on their list. But one day, after spelling out my last name to a staff followed by a read out of my given name, he replied with a snarky "oh as if I know how to spell that!" Yes, I know it's a "foreign" name, but I don't think anyone deserves such unprofessional treatment. So bye, the Y, I have enough on my plate and I don't have the mental capacity to deal with snarky attitudes. read more

McGaw YMCA - Ceiling water mark - Gyms Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Had some pretty bad experiences with child programs: one was when my kids couldn't stand one of their sports programs after one session and a supervisor wouldn't refund because she said kids need to learn to stick-it-out (think kid was around 6 at the time, so I don't understand this philosophy) then, we tried a camp: both kids had negative experiences: one was, if I'm being honest, dehumanized by a staff member; the Y did take this seriously and tried to remedy but damage done; other involved one of my children getting terribly sunburned (we packed the spray the Y requested) but I guess staff were neglectful. If I'm being honest, I do not feel safe sending my kids here: staff needs major training. read more

kid went to summer camp, we all went to family camp, but years ago. These experiences different than now being a senior attending fitness classes and fitness center. Strength training machines are old, some with rusty parts. On weekends walking or running on top floor track can be hazardous, with children running around without parental supervision. In fitness center and track there is rarely a Y employee paying attention or even present. My senior monthly fee has gone up in 2025 closer by a few bucks to EAC. I understand & appreciate that kids and families are the core membership of McGaw, followed, though , by older adults. Ready to check out EAC. read more

wonderful place, wonderful staff. just raised their monthly rates. wifi often doesn't work in the main gym:( CEO has a main parking spot ?! while parking is extremely limited for members- is the CEO always always in the building ? at night? elitist behaviour for a "community" oriented non for profit. pay staff better wages. pay private swim instructors MORE make sure the wifi is always working get rid of CEO parking spot. no precedent- very elitist abolish rule of 3 at camp echo- ridiculous idea that breeds fear in children "you are not safe alone or with another adult..." STILL A great gym, a good value, although NU is less expensive (?!) pickleball program is outstanding programs for kids wonderful camp too expensive for ordinary folks- esp the trips read more

This is a warm, welcoming and fully equipped gym, with 2 great pools. It's a superb community resource that I use several times a week. I'd go crazy without this place! Highly recommended! read more

My name Jayhan I love the YMCA. I take swim lessons here and the kids club is cool. I've been coming here for a year

I don't think I've ever left a review because usually I just move on if something doesn't sit well with me, but this time felt different. I've lived in Evanston for nearly 30+ years of my life off and on and have been a member of the Y several times over. So trust me when I say I know what to expect in terms of the facility. Nevertheless, I needed a squat rack and equipment to do heavy lifting so I signed up. As a former professional athlete I know how to workout. I don't need much. A week into my membership the rails started to fall off. No water in the pool, no towels (during a pandemic to wipe off sweat - this in itself should be a post), and the final straw ... a closed weight room. I say this honestly: but what am I paying for!!!? Dumbbells and stationary bikes? I can do that at home! When I asked for my money back the manager on staff, Kim DeRaedt, informed me that she would "be happy to show me how to attain my fitness goals with the weights they have upstairs." Really Kim? You're going to show me how to squat 300lbs with dumbbells. LMFAO. There was a time when the staff was friendly and knowledgeable. This is not that time. She then informed me that there was notification of the gym closure, as she points to an 8x10 sign on blue paper where the words about the closure are written in .... Wait for it.... BLUE! I can't even make this stuff up anymore. No money refunded, no accommodations made, no notification that the gym would be closed for a week, no customer service. Trust me people it's not worth your time or your money. 10/10 trash. And if you happen to see Kim, don't laugh too hard when she's up there showing people how to collect enough dumbbells to make up for that missing squat rack . Absolutely ridiculous. read more

I've been a member for many years and always enjoyed it. I must say the current YMCA staff in front desk is very welcoming and helpful, Edgar, Isaac, Alan, including locker room attendant Grey. I swim and the pools are great, including the lifeguards, especially Steve. I highly recommend becoming a member. read more

First, the AM team is really, really super. Most importantly, the best part of being a member of the Y is being a part of a community. A really good community. Peter M read more

I've been a member and regular attendee at the McGaw YMCA for more than twenty years and have always been a fan. It has TWO excellent pools, 6-lane and 4-lane (a little warmer) where I swam for years until I branched out to try classes too. I've never been disappointed! I've taken step, Zumba, yoga, work-out classes that strengthen and provide excellent cardio, pilates, Tai-Chi, etc. For the working person there are classes starting at 6am (swimming starts at 5am) and multiple classes during the days. Lots of Pickleball options, including a pickleball league. Whatever you're looking for in a workout facility, the Y has it. It's also the best deal in town! The staff is super friendly and helpful (we all love the cleaning help too!) and the place has a cozy, welcoming feel that some other local places don't. It's a super friendly place where I meet up with folks I've come to know through classes and have also made friends in the locker rooms. As a member of the Y, you'll also help support the myriad ways the McGaw Y serves our community members, from housing for men to programs and after-school help for kids. They also have a terrific summer camp: Camp Echo. The McGaw YMCA is really special. Give it a try. read more

Jean F Comfortable and friendly atmosphere with a variety of classes for all ages. Enjoy having easy access to fitness trainers. read more

I just got punched. Now I have a bad pain in MaJaw. I think it may be dislocated. In order to take my mind off the pain, I'll review this Evanston YMCA. This gym was not my favorite to work out at. Most of the machines work well and are pretty new, but they are not the kinds that I am used to, and I think in a lot of cases they are somewhat inferior. Also there is only one of every machine, so when it's busy you will definitely have to wait a while. They don't seem to have the chest cables or the pull-downs that most gyms have. It's definitely a scaled-back version of one of the better locations. For example the one in Lakeview Chicago has plenty of everything, and also doesn't seem to get as busy as this one. On the positive side the shower was wonderful. I've rarely had a shower this good at a YMCA. The bikes for cardio were okay. At least they had TVs on them. They worked fine but are not my favourite kind. They don't have any kinds of mats at all for getting your stretches and push-ups and sit-ups. The flimsy portable mats they have basically feel like you're laying on the floor. Ew. The people at the front desk were friendly enough, but they took a pretty long while to get me checked in and of course they insisted on calling my home location which I must point out the Lakeview location did not do. My favourite thing about this location is probably the masses of flags surrounding the weight room. And the fact that everything is in the same area helps. I do like that it's in a gorgeous old building. I parked across the street but they let me know that any day other than Sunday I could not park there. I think it's funny that the staff get Prime parking. At a lot of the YMCA locations it would be the opposite. Also I wanted to sleep over in time for them opening up in the morning and I got scared by a homeless guy yelling at me from across the street so I went to sleep elsewhere. It's not a bad area but it's also a little creepy at night. read more

See all

They were not welcoming at all, also very rigid in their policies. I moved on to a different club.

I love this new program where they have you do a review for your color. It will indicate the exercise you are. Categories like efficiency, committed, structured, disciplined, etc. AND you get a free shirt with your color. A nice program. read more

Pros: I love the blend of people at the YMCA. There's a good variety of classes. Wishes: More Zumba/dance-based classes in the evening and classes that started at 5:15 instead of 5 p.m. read more

Pros: As a father of two little kids, the family gym is key during winter months and rainy days when you can't get to a park or go outside. Coach Dewayne is great with little kids, especially in basketball. He makes classes fun for everyone with creative activities where kids are rarely waiting in lines or bored. Regarding the gym itself, it has its pros and cons. I only use it for a few things, mostly to lift weights. Large, open weight room has very high ceilings and you rarely have to wait for a machine, bench, or free weights. The basketball courts are usually available so you can find your own basket to shoot around for 15+ minutes. Great, safe place for older kids and high school students to improve their shot, but there is neither enough organized full-court pickup games nor competition to really improve your game. This could easily happen but doesn't for whatever reason. There's a great, quiet stretch room that is very peaceful and always has space, which is nice. Water refill stations offer clean and cold water. Staff is very friendly. Cons: Limited, almost dysfunctional WiFi and technology available. Few TVs have landline cable, which is slightly delayed when watching sports games. Only a handful of TVs are mounted in front of the first row of treadmills. Need a few more cable pulley machines like a low row, another pec deck, and lat pull down. read more

I am grateful for welcoming smiles at the service desk, our class instructors, and my fellow enthusiasts! Since attending more regularly, I've been meeting new friends and feel supported in making healthy choices. I value the variety of resources offered and love my Y family! read more

The McGaw YMCA is just great. I love to walk the track, they have great machines, they have a nice weight selection, and their SMART Start consultation is such an amazing benefit. One of my favorite things is Kristy's Zumba class. I feel safe because everything is very clean, and masks are mandated. read more

We were members probably since the early 1990s. My children attended the childcare center, Camp Echo many many years, leagues, and lessons. As the decades went by, we used our family membership less and less, but still retained it even throughout most of the pandemic. We canceled at the end of last year, however. We decided to rejoin a few months ago, but realized it just was not in the cards to continue. Being billed on the second of every month I called to cancel on the July 28th and was told we would be charged for the next month because I had to cancel by the 25th of the month because ....? Checking the agreement, I did find that little tidbit is mentioned. So my bad. But when I tried to seek some compassion and understanding I was met with, not rudeness, but what I would call matter-of-factness while making my case. After mentioning our longtime member status, I pointed out that when we joined in June we were charged a prorated amount for the joining, why isn't it the same for leaving? The bottomline is that after at least 28 years as member A05089 and probably around $40k of membership and fees, they get another $102 from me. Obviously, as proven by the fact we were members for so long, the glowing reviews of the programs are mostly accurate. Just hate to leave on this note. I have to ask myself, where's the "C" in this YMCA? read more

Deceptive business practices/fees. Management does not directly communicate with customer, relays messages through very kind front-line staff. I strongly recommend not joining. read more

Okay, so the building is a little confusing to navigate at first, but that's pretty much the only negative thing I can say about this Y. Staff was helpful from the get-go (especially Meghan, the aquatics director, who had a bunch of tips on the best aquatics, and non-aquatics, group exercise classes for me - thanks Meghan!). And where other gyms I considered in the area had higher pressure sales tactics (like deals that would expire if you didn't join right then), McGaw YMCA was pretty chill. When I came in for a visit - no appointment necessary - they gave me a full tour or the facilities, and even left me with a few guest passes to use to try out the group fitness classes I was interested in. Membership is month-to-month. I've enjoyed the cycling and BodyPump classes so far, and have spent time in the fitness center. All of the instructors are fantastic (there's only one instructor I avoid, but that's just a personal preference thing), there's a great mix of different types of people here, and a community atmosphere. Of course, it's not the fanciest place, but towels are provided, and nearby parking is included in the membership fees. read more

See all

I just joined a few months ago but I've been coming here about five times a week ever since. There are very good Zumba classes, as well as yoga and water aerobics, but I spend the most time here in the pool. It's nice that there are two pools so I never feel crowded or have to wait to swim. I also appreciate how friendly and helpful the staff are everyday. read more

Place is great on paper. Great facilities nice building. Unfortunately, they will change schedules at a moment's notice to accommodate other stakeholder as they see fit without any explanation. This happened to me in the past playing volleyball (where class was suddenly changed to Basketball; although the schedule is already packed with basketball time slots), swimming where time slots allocated to lap swim mysteriously become 'unavailable' and then you see that they changes timing for their swim team practice. They close generally early on weekends and also close often on bank holidays. Their health club members are just there to subsidize their other activities. read more

The McGaw Y has a lot to offer. They seem better organized since the pandemic, adding new programs & services. On the other hand, I don't agree with certain aspects of their business model. I strongly object to their system of calculating your monthly fees based on your household income. If they considered my income alone, I would be eligible for a lower rate. But they asked for me to include my husband's pension income which resulted in a higher rate ($70/month). And my husband has never belonged to the Y - ever! I should've held back that info like other members. Similarly, I know several patrons who lie about individuals being family members, thus making them eligible for a family plan w/ lower membership fees. I know my fees support the Y's mission. But if the Y keeps raising my monthly fee based on these standards, then I'll need to cancel. read more

This place has all the things you need for community and health. The trainers and massage therapists are excellent, the nutritionist has a wonderful manner and great knowledge. Being a part of their mission is the best icing on the cake. read more

I've been overall pleased with my experience at the McGaw YMCA. I've been a member for a few years now, and can tell that the Y cares about it's members and is always looking to improve. The re-modeled HIIT studio is really nice and never too crowded. They're always trying new things to engage members more and see what people like. Facilities and equipment are always clean and in good condition. The people who work here are friendly and helpful. They have group fitness classes (I'm in it for the Body Pump classes) at varied dates and times, which is great to find what works best for my schedule. I also really appreciate that they offer membership rates based on your income, that has helped me maintain a membership for so long. Would definitely recommend if you're looking for a gym with lots of offerings in Evanston! read more

this ymca is such a beautiful environment and experience. the staff are absolutely tremendous especially the gym staff they are so helpful. i highly recommend this facility especially there workout space. read more

I joined the McGaw Y in order to consolidate my gym efforts. A yoga studio, a spin studio and a general gym all in one, right? Isn't that better? As it turns out, maybe not because the spinning is just too amateur and the yoga isn't super convenient. (the best yoga is at, like, 9 am on Saturday, and that just hasn't been working :/ ) The locker rooms are sweaty. The equipment apparently was just all replaced but it seems weak. I guess I need more, so I'll likely be going back to separate studios, but for the average family or senior in Evanston, the Y is certainly a source of many ways to stay active and engaged in the community. The pools seem nice as well (and so warm), but I don't swim. Large b-ball courts. Even pilates, private, I believe. Great for others, just not for me. read more

So I've been a member here for about a year now. The only reason why I joined the gym was because my friend wanted me to do Zumba with her. Classes were great in the beginning up until the room started to fill up and there was no room what so ever to dance. It would be nice if they moved it to the main gym so that everyone could go. I'm thinking of probably canceling my membership because of the lack of room. I'm pretty much paying monthly just for 2 days of zumba a week!!!!! To top it off I don't even live in the Evanston area so I'll be lucky if go after work. I mean I work down the street but dread to go because there's never any room. And some of the ladies need to relax with their attitude, no ones perfect so don't walk around like your crap don't stink!!!!!! read more

What the Y has in classes and gym equipment, it lacks in customer service. After checking their website yesterday before going to the pool, I arrived to learn that the 6 lane pool had been closed since the night before. Last summer, towels were being rationed and I was given one for my shower after swimming. When I asked for a second, the Y employee shrugged her shoulders and told me that's what everyone was allowed. Three times I've filled out customer service cards, each time marking yes to the question of whether I would like a staff member to contact me, no one does. I'll be looking into other options. read more

Loving this "Y" so much I sacrafice the local Southside YMCA just to go to McGaw. McGaw is so full of programs for personal growth or family centered activities. Their aquatics center is top notch and the staff is quite helpful. The gyms are great and you can always find the athletic gadget of your choice. At McGaw, kids and adults can thrive for sure. Sidenote, McGaw has some very interesting history that is worth reading about. http://www.mcgawymca.org/resources/member/History_of_McGaw.pdf read more