I have been to MIT Recreational few times this year for competitive USA Swim meets. I am a fan in the stands. I can share it's a long walk to the parking lot. Lack of on street parking plus construction across the street currently doesn't help. The elevator is sometimes working. It's always clean and a lot of spectator seating but if they are running both pools during the competition you don't get a great vantage point of the rear pool. Very spacious. read more

MIT Recreation - One pool competition - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Basketball, tennis, golf tournament weekend too. Thanks you, Dr. Jacqueline Sacco, MD PhD read more

I have been using facilities of MIT recreation for two years and so far everything is satisfying. This is my favorite sports place in Boston. Service Open for public. You can purchase day pass or other membership at the front desk. They also offer some sports drink and MIT sports shirts. Lockers and sauna I love this place because of its convenient and spacious locker space in DuPont. There are always open lockers for daily use if you don't rent a locker. There's also a sauna room in the locker room, which makes showering after work out much more refreshing and enjoyable. Fitness room You can overlook the swimming pool or even the jumping platforms! from here. Swimming pool Nice and clean water in a space with high ceiling. I love it. Ice Rink This is a nice professional rink for both ice hockey and skating. I come here only during public skating hours in winter. They have a schedule online showing when it's open for public. Rental is available inside. Acceptable price. They also have sharpening shop. read more

MIT Recreation - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

It's a university gym - not a fancy gym but all one needs for a fantastic workout is there. Staff is friendly. It's not too expected but be sure to ask for pricing. If you don't expect a luxury gym and are happy to just work out - this is the place. Plus a 50 m pool. read more

Here's the thing: the pool is amazing. The facility itself is top-notch, with numerous lanes, a diving board, two swimming pools, and tons of other facilities. But what really dropped my ranking down was the customer service. I'll share an experience. I was at the swimming pool last week, and I witnessed a purple-haired lifeguard YELLING at a young child. The child was taking part in the sports camp that was using the MIT Pool facilities and was clearly unaware of a camp rule that you had to wait for a lifeguard to blow the whistle before getting into the water. The child was just dipping his feet in a little bit, and starting to lower himself into the water, when suddenly a certain purple-haired lifeguard aggressively SCREAMS at him and tells him "Get. Out." in one of the most aggressive and frustrating tones I've heard in a while. The lifeguard could have just said, "Oops, wait for me to blow my whistle!" or "Swimming time only starts in a few minutes!". In fact, just a day or two later, that same lifeguard was yelling at kids who were taking part in a driving class, even though the diving instructor was clearly managing all of her kids. The MIT Pool Facilities may be fantastic, but the kind of behavior that the lifeguard showed was abhorring, disgusting, blatantly unprofessional, and rude. IT IS ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL THAT THE POOL FACILITIES MAKE SURE LIFEGUARDS ARE TREATING THE POOL-GOERS, NO MATTER THEIR AGE, IN A KIND MANNER. I am giving this facility a single star. Again, great pool, but I cannot forgive such repulsive and rude behavior. If the MIT Pool staff has any questions about my review or would like to know more details about my personal experience being around that specific lifeguard, please feel free to reply to this review and I can send you my contact information. read more

Very poor customer service, and watch their billing. I'm part of the MIT community, but it's still extremely expensive. For the amount one is forced to pay (and the membership fee increases are extremely steep) it's better to go elsewhere after the first year. Luckily I was able to warn co-workers about the increases, and how MIT Recreation are not vey upfront about this after your first year membership converts to monthly. After carefully reading their own contract, they agree, and my coworkers have since also ended their monthly membership on account of this. Overall, I think this gym is not good value for your money, whether you are part of the MIT community or not, unless you are a student. The locker rooms are also not kept very clean. I've seen stuff like old towels, old sweatshirts left behind, etc. sitting in an open daily locker for 6 months or more, clearly untouched. I've had towels that were dirty, and then the people upfront at the desk arguing about this with you. Also have seen blood spots in the sauna that were not cleaned up for several weeks. Gross. Along with previous posts, I agree that it can be very uncomfortable to change in the swimming pool locker room with lots of younger kids, which is why I went to the larger, quieter Dupont one. read more

I've been a member for many years. I typically just use the Z-Center pools; they're about as good as it gets. Unfortunately, the showers and locker rooms are poorly maintained; towards the end of the day they can be downright filthy! Membership prices are the same, regardless of what time you use the facility, so there's no excuse for not cleaning it regularly throughout the day! It took a long time for me to "win" a locker in the Z-Center. Unfortunately, many lockers remain unused- for years -as evidenced by the thick layer of dust visible through the sides. It's too bad they're not recycled to others, which would free up more day lockers for everyone. It's also a shame that the facility has reduced hours during Holiday breaks and especially during the summer. That's the very time that many people have a little extra time on their hands and perhaps even a little more motivation to get in shape. All-in-all though, the Z-Center is one of the (many) things I love about MIT and I'm very grateful to be able to swim there... it's inspiring! The desk staff are always friendly and the lifeguards are wonderful; in all the years I've been swimming there, I've never noticed anyone drown! read more

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I think it's hilarious a review below posted about the horrid towel lady. I went this weekend and I put my ticked in and she looked at me and straight yellasked me if I PRETENDED to put a ticket in. It seems MIT rec knows this lady has a habit of being nasty and they might encourage it. If you want to go swimming, professional swimmers will heckle you. It's quite horrible. It's always packed. The women's locker rooms allow young boys up to 7 years old in it and it is quite uncomfortable to change because they watch you. I used plenty of University gym's before and this is the first one where they let children in the locker rooms so I was shocked. They just seem to be able volume and getting the most bang for their buck. There is no customer service here and I could tolerate that, but not people's creepy children staring at you while you are trying to change or a nasty towel lady yelling at you! read more

If you are paying the price without being a student it isn't recommended. These are my issues with the gym: 1. The hours are poor, and it closes anytime MIT closes - holidays, etc... they just love being closed.... always closed, if it is cloudy they may be closed, it is ridiculous - especially since the few times students have to work out if class is cancelled then the gym is also closed, or even on holidays - It seems to be closed every single random holiday - are with severely shortened hours (opening up at 2pm) and then because of the severely shortened hours and the fact students don't have classes the small amount of hours they are open the place is crowded to the point they must be violating the fire code. 2. MIT Teams will take over the place on their schedule so you will have to know where there isn't practice or meets especially for the pool. 3. In the gym itself it is very hot many days, they really crank up the heat and it makes for an uncomfortable workout. 4. In the evening the lady at the check-in / towel desk is quite unpleasant, if you even think of taking an extra towel she will bark you out. 5. IT IS CROWDED - the actual gym area with weights and cardio equipment is far far far too small for the amount of students/staff/members who use it. 6. They are always out of small towels to wipe down the equipment, if you come between 5-8 there are no towels to wipe down the equipment - it gets really disgusting, people using the cardio equipment are unable to wipe down after use as they always run out of the small towels and don't seem to care. 7. As you see in other reviews about how nice this gym was for a science fair etc... this is a problem, they rent out the gym all the time for everything - just recently they rented it out for ballroom dance competition and the lockerrooms were completely full - so you couldn't use a locker.... this makes the gym awful for the purpose of being a gym to use to workout in, you are second to all the random events they decide to host. There are a slew of courts and equipment to use and check-out but the biggest issues are the core components of the gym - the weights and cardio equipment are lacking severely, and the place is usually messy - and always out of small towels to clean the equipment after use. read more

It is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo hot in the rockwell CT. no A/C at all. And nobody would help you if you accidentally hit the volleyball to the ceiling and could not get it out of the net. read more

I got the MIT staff rate, which is pricier than, say, Planet Fitness in Porter Sq, but less pricey than Healthworks (also in Porter). And the MIT gym is waaaay better than Healthworks. Mostly because of the pool. Yeah, the pool is legit. In the Z-center, you have one gigantic Olympic-sized pool that is not for the meek of heart. And then you have the learner's pool, which has 5 lanes and is usually 7-9 degrees warmer (umm...). In the Alumni/Wang center, you get a 5-lane deep pool which is not Olympic sized, but has empty stands and floor-to-ceiling windows. I just love the look of it. The Z-center pool also has a massive vaulting ceiling, with the second- and third-floor gyms viewable by floor-to-ceiling windows. Again, love the design. I took a couple swimming classes here, and found them challenging, inspiring and fun. I just loved it; it really boosted my confidence in the water, and I felt like a star. I can't recommend those highly enough. Getting into the locker room can sometimes be problematic if you're not a gym member - I cancelled my annual membership after year 1 and went in for just the swim classes. Suddenly I couldn't get into the locker rooms. Thankfully, it looks like this has been resolved - you can now borrow a swipe card - so it's a full 5-star experience again. read more

while in boston for the marathon, i wanted to do some low impact cross training, so decided to walk over to mit (about 1/2mi from my hotel) and use their rec center. the student rate is $10 for the entire day, and since i was a part time student elsewhere, i qualified for this rate! i have to say, this was a stellar facility, large, with fitness center, aquatics, and even an ice rink! since i just wanted to swim, i headed straight to the locker room, changed, and headed to the pool. there was not one, but three pools total, each of them sparkling clean! although i had to share a lane with another gal, the lanes were quite wide, so i never felt like i'd "swim" into her. i had a great swim, and afterwards, had a nice, hot shower in their locker room which provided basic toiletries and a hair dryer (i wish i knew, b/c then i wouldn't have had to bring my own!) . definitely a fitness center worth visiting if you need a place to workout, swim, or skate while visiting boston/cambridge. read more

MIT has an unbelievable workout center. And, unlike most colleges, it isn't just for MIT students. Anyone can use it! For just five bucks as a student, or ten as an adult you can have full access to all of the facilities. The track, the squash courts, the hundreds of machines on two levels and of course the massive Olympic sized pool. They open early 6 a.m. and close late 9 p.m. This facility is truly unbelievable and it s is incredible that MIT will let anyone use it. Definitely try it out. This one's a 10! read more

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This site was host to the MA state science fair and provided excellent service.!!we could not have had better hosts! In particular , the campus police did a great job. One officer stayed all night to guard the student projects and was always gracious. The facility was well run and a compliment to the MIT campus. read more

The membership is rather expensive if you are not a student, but the Z-Center is a nice place. There is a good amount of cardio and weight equipment. The multi-purpose courts are often set up for different sports at different times, so check the schedule. We like playing badminton there, but it's popular, so you want to show up early to claim a court, and you're limited in games you can play so the next people waiting can jump in. My favorite part about a DAPER membership, though, is free access to the Johnson ice rink. The ice rink is open mid-October through mid-March, and all DAPER members can attend general skate sessions for free. Skate rentals do cost $5 for students or $7 for everyone else if you don't have your own, though. read more

Oh MIT Zesiger center how I heart thee. After surveying the gyms in the Boston/Cambridge area, I returned to the gym of my undergraduate years. Why? For Alumni the cost is 25 to 50% less than other gyms in the area, and you get so much more! Not only do you get the standard set of cardio and weightlifting equipment, but an olympic sized pool, an ice skating rink in the winter, several full sized basketball courts, and racquetball courts. Like all gyms, it gets crowded in the after-class/work period of 5-7, but even then there are still a few machines open. Before and after that evening rush, there are so many free machines to choose from that its kind of appalling. The group exercise pass is also a great deal, $75 per quarter or $135 for a semester for unlimited group classes. Those classes will run you $15 to $20 a piece around here. All around a great deal for Alumni, and for 'Friends of MIT' the cost is comparable local area gyms rates. read more

Being an MIT-staff type with a membership, I've been able to use this gym a few times, though it's not nearly as convenient for me as Alumni, which is why I'll probably be switching gyms after my membership runs out in August. Furthermore, I had issues trying to get them to actually take my membership fees out of my paycheck, as they didn't process that part of it for four months. The pool is nice though, and the machines are better than I've seen elsewhere. read more

As an MIT student, this place is pure gold! Other than the after-work-rush, there are always machines/weights available, the pool is a great temperature with plenty of lanes, and I got a locker after only a week on the waiting list. Plus, it isn't full of meatheads so I don't feel like an out-of-shape slob when I go - there is quite a variety of folks working out! Hours are usually awesome except during holidays, which is the only real problem I have with this gym. read more

The pool is top notch. A bit expensive for the guy off the street but the best option in Cambridgeport for total fitness.

We took swimming lessons here and I wasn't impressed. My biggest complaint is with MIT's policies and facilities. Kids 5 years and older can't use the opposite sex locker rooms, and the family locker room is about the size of a single bathroom. Its so small that you can't even open the door if one family is in it. So if you are a mother of a son, age 5 or older, you are literally out of luck. They are strict about not changing kids pool side or in the lobby. I can understand why they've had to be strict because they've left NO options to the mothers of young boys. My 6 year old isn't great with snaps and buttons, especially when he's damp and shivery after a swim lesson. Its UNREAL to me that a facility of this size hasn't dealt with this problem. The person in charge must not be a mother or not have a son. read more

i'm not an mit student, alum, or friend/family. that means if i want to take a swim class here i have pay a pretty penny. i pay the fee for the class (which is actually quite reasonably priced), but i also have to pay for a day pass everytime i go to class - $12 for my non-mit-affiliated ass. for my ducks, i get a towel card and the privilege of standing in line behind someone for a good 20 mins before i can collect my picture i.d. after swim class (for some reason, i always get stuck behind people w/some funky something going on w/their membership and the desk person is always confused about what exactly to do. so i'm thinking the membership/gym-club software that they run is quite bad and i'd expect more from an institute of technology. but, i digress). for some reason, when i came here in the past for some TKD events i thought the Z-center was awesome looking. actually, being in there is not that awesome. pool is nice, everything else gets a check minus. btw, i decided: swimming + breathing + mags = bad times. p.s. apparently badminton is a sweaty sport read more

I just discovered this place, alas, I am an idiot. If you are an MIT student/staff/whatever, go here! It is one of the nicer gyms in the area and it is freeee. Giant pool, basketball courts, squash courts, good equipment, classes. If they had tvs on the machines I'd be in heaven, but at least this way I catch up with my podcasts. read more

Great rate for MIT and Whitehead Institute members. This facility has pretty much everything I need for my training, a great swimming pool, a two-floor fitness center, indoor and outdoor tracks, saunas. It's always clean, and the staff is very nice. They provide cheap massages and nutritional counseling of quality as well. read more

Gym is not worth going to unless you are a student. They want 20 percent down for the year up front and they have all kinds of pointless rules and fees for no reason other then to take your money. Don't join this gym if your looking to get into swimming and other activities not offered at other gyms go to a ymca instead. read more

LOOOOOOOVE IT!!! there are 2 pools with the entire building kinda empty in the middle. It's great since you don't have to share a pool with the swim team, the water polo team, swim class, and free swimming. There is more flexibility. Great facilities read more

I go there for the group classes and I can tell that the zumba and step classes are great. Particularly the zumba instructors are amazing! However, there are two bad things to consider: - afternoon classes are really full and it is really difficult to enjoy the class because you spend the time trying to figure out where the instuctor is. After more than a year in the gym, the managers do not seem to worry about the customer experience. If it were not for the instructors I would have already considered leaving. I would recommend managers to increase the number of classes offered because compared with other gyms, there are few classes compared with the number of people in the class. - Group exercise classes are not offered during MIT classes breaks like spring break. This is really inconvenient because a week of not working out for is not acceptable, even if there are no classes. they should improve this read more

Very we'll equipped with diversed choices. I like the steam room the most. It has high enough temperature and feels clean. I enjoy the powerful shower head a lot because it feels like a message after steam room. read more

I became an employee at MIT after graduating from the University of Texas. UT, of course, had amazing facilities. MIT's are not as nice, but very impressive for the size of the campus. I signed up for the Pre-Master's Swimming class, and I'm very happy with the experience. Other classes at UT and at the YMCA were not as advanced, and ended up wasting my time and money. I think the MIT course description was accurate. read more

Appears to be a run of the mill college fitness center - HOWEVER- I will attest to the awesomeness of the basketball runs on Sat a.m. Although I didnt organize, it seems like $35 gets you full court for 2 hours. Bring 10 guys and playing in an air conditioned, wood court gym for 3.50 a piece is a steal. read more

Pool is great and is the reason I go. Lockeroom (men's) often filthy, usually smells of BO, should be cleaned much more often. read more

Best Pool in Boston area. I swim here regularly, and 10 times out of 10 it is clean and not too crowded. Usually split a lane at worst. If you are serious swimmer, you should definitely check it out. I would give it 5 stars, but it is a little pricey for the non-affiliated member. The same at a regular gym would get ya steam rooms and saunas as well. Oh well - there are always pros and cons to everything... read more

It's nice. I use the gym and the skating rink. The ice is well maintained (better than, e.g., Simoni Rink) but the hours are a bit off (I guess it is mostly used for classes). I also don't like that your friends have to buy a day-pass to spend 90 minutes on the ice. read more

We've done infant/parent and toddler/parent swim classes here. We aren't members, but have really enjoyed the classes. Some days, it is a little crazy in the center, with everything to swim meets, volleyball tournaments and dance competitions going on, but the locker rooms are clean and the instructors seem to know what they are doing. The kids have fun, too!! read more