I have visiting the Recreation & Physical Activity Center or RPAC for short at The Ohio State University campus for years for a tour and when the State Summer Games for Special Olympics Ohio is held there when Volleyball, serving lunch and dinner there at times for huge events, and other things that the RPAC hosts. I have to get my soda from a soda machine because the RPAC in the basement near the lockers only takes payments from students and facility who are members of the RPAC, but they have huge space for working out, taking fitness classes, and another pool that has 8 lanes (25 yards) that has a movable floor and waterslide area for families. Thank you for the RPAC at The Ohio State University. read more

Large workout space with many machines, classes, and various workout areas. Can get really busy in the late afternoon, so it's beneficial to time workouts accordingly! read more

This is a really nice, huge physical activity center. There is a ton of equipment available for use (weight machines, cardio machines, etc), plus plentiful sports space and large swimming pools. There are multiple levels and little touches mixed in - lounge space with pool tables, meeting rooms, a test kitchen space, a couple of places to grab some food, and such. They also offer a variety of classes and camps throughout the year, not only for students on campus but also for community members. It is well worth checking out whether you attend OSU or not! The staff is friendly and helpful. The one tricky thing is, as one might guess for campus area, parking. read more

If you are a student/staff/faculty at The Ohio State University, you've probably heard of the RPAC (Recreation and Physical Activity Center). The largest of several gyms on campus, the RPAC houses several basketball courts, cardio equipment, freeweights, and group fitness areas. The RPAC is also attached to 2 Olympic Pools in the McCorkle Aquatics Pavilion. Faculty/staff pay $40/month for unlimited access to the gym, along with group fitness classes held several times a day. read more

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Wooooow. I really don't know how else to describe the RPAC. It is simply GORGEOUS!! ...THIS is what a recreational center is supposed to look like! My experience with rec/sports centers have been very mixed. Starting from my alma mater at UCLA, our Wooden Center is fantastic and one of the top in the nation. Sadly I was not very healthy and spent all my time in the dining halls during my undergraduate years, and it wasn't until I moved over to USC for grad school when I realized how privileged I was back in Westwood. Seriously, Lyon Center at USC needs to get it together. Now that I am spending a summer here at OSU, I am HOT and SWEATY, both from the Summer heat and at how motivated I am to work out inside the RPAC. There's a reason that this is the top collegiate rec center in the nation (if not the world), and I cannot see any reason for a Buckeye to NOT work it out here. Cardio Canyon takes up half the bottom floor and you'll be sure to find a machine fit for your needs. Move on over to the free weights and strength training equipment, and just stare at the amazing architecture of the building, as well as the new and clean facilities that are available. I've never felt so good doing strength training in a brightly lit room, with the ceiling reaching high up to the sky. It's simply a marvel! It's also connected to the Aquatics center which has an Olympic size pool, smaller lounging pool, a large hot tub, and a sauna! Back on the main side, there's a separate floor dedicated to instructional classes (assuming you register into an actual course) that's larger than my own gym back at USC. On top of that, you've got FREE fitness classes year round, tons of dance performance spaces with full mirrors, loads of basketball courts, a lounge area with billiards, a MTV sponsored cardio room, and even a daycare center for those with children! Simply. EPIC. I really can't imagine giving this place less than 5-stars unless you just happened to experience an injury or it was too crowded. Believe me, this center comes out on top. Sign up if you are not a student and haven't done so already. This may truly be a milestone gym investment that I have just made in my life. Cheers to a healthier lifestyle! read more

Recreation & Physical Activity Center - Cardio Canyon - Recreation Centers Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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I absolutely love this gym! There is so much more to do than your typical weights and cardio equipment. There are basketball courts, racquetball, boxing bags, golf- you name it! The staff are students at the university, who in turn are my colleagues in a way. I get the staff discount for the membership, but OSU pays for the entire membership due to our Health Equity accounts, so that is an even greater plus. There is even a lounge to play video games and pool. Family hours allow you to bring children, that are your dependents, to enjoy the facilities with you (especially the swimming area). Don't hesitate and give it a visit in the near future. I have nothing bad to say about this place! read more

Beautiful beautiful facility! It's still fairly new compared to other gyms on campus and it shows. It's about 3 stories high which is full of group classrooms, open areas, a track, machines, a smoothie bar, a cafe and more! It's very clean and I've never had an issue with people not cleaning up behind themselves. As a student, it's part of my tuition so I try to use it when I can. It's not hard to find a machine even at peak times and the dressing rooms are great. It never smells sweaty like the PF I've used in the past. It's also full of sports players at any given time that aren't too hard to be around! They keep up my motivation and i enjoy the variety of body types that work out here. Unlike some places that have mainly super fit people, this one has a nice mix that helps my confidence. I enjoy this location since it's close to the PAES building (connected to) that all my classes are in. It's not in an ideal area otherwise. read more

Good gym Columbus,Ohio Stress free lots of good equipment too chose from way more things to do can work them hard parts easier Staffing was very helpful an positive at all times I really enjoyed my time Very clean too I felt safe I be going back much as possible Best gym I've been too! read more

Right off the bat I want to note that the above hours for the RPAC are their hours while students are in classes. The weeks between quarters and during holidays are not usually as accomodating. But wow, this gym is awesome. I was a student during the days of Larkins, the old fitness building, then I remember when the first phase of the RPAC opened up. It was beautiful, especially when you compared it to Larkins - it was decrepit, smelly, cold and it was like a maze in there sometimes. I always felt like I could get lost somewhere down there and no one would ever find me because my cell phone got no reception in there at all. *shudders* Working out at Larkins was like punishing yourself for wanting to get off your butt and work out. Then along comes the RPAC, all bright, shiny and new, and it made you actually want to work out. People who never worked out a day in their lives were suddenly coming up with excuses to go to the gym. And there were other reasons to go there besides exercise. There was the Courtside Cafe: right inside the door you could have a seat at this little cafe and eat snacks and sandwiches, like their peanut butter and banana with granola sandwich. That thing was huge, yummy, and so filling that I got 3 meals out of it. There was also the Juice Bar, where you could get smoothies, coffee, teas, etc. There was also a little shop downstairs where you could buy Powerbars and things like that. If you felt like getting semi-active, you could change into your bathing suit and hit the recreational pool. Seriously, free awesome swimming pool on campus. Greatest thing ever. There was a little part of the pool that looked like a hot tub but wasn't, unfortunately. And half the pool was roped off for those who wanted to swim laps. But it was big enough to go and play around. The locker rooms were also nice, had plenty of space, but you had to pay to use the lockers. I really liked the private bathrooms. They have like two or three of them, close to where the pool is, and if you're lucky enough to snag one, you have a whole bathroom (that you lock) to yourself. This includes a toilet, sink, shower and sitting area. There was also a daycare center in there so people could leave their kids in there to play and watch cartoons while they did their thing. I should also mention that there were 2 gyms where you could play basketball and volleyball and stuff like that. I remember that while I was there, and not too long after the RPAC opened, the gym on the lower floor flooded and was shut down for a while because they had to redo it. But I'm sure it's back to normal by now. I loved the second floor cardio area and used to live on the EFX machines and the treadmills. There was a whole canyon of them downstairs, but that was too crowded for my taste. Plus I liked the upstairs because you could see out the glass walls to the outside and it was so bright and cheery up there from all the sunshine coming through. They had TVs mounted from the ceiling in front of the exercise equipment so you had something to look at, but the sound wasn't very loud and you couldn't hear the TV. They usually had the TVs playing mtvU - the college MTV channel. I always just brought my iPod and listened to that. There was usually plenty of machines to go around, but sometimes you had to wait. I can't really say when the busy hours were, but I remember them being something around noon and 5-6 pm during the weekdays. I tried to go at odd times and hardly ever had a problem getting right on a machine. There was a huge weight room downstairs, but I never went there to work out, although I would have liked to. It was usually full of guys who looked like they were taking lifting weights too seriously, and I didn't really want to go in there and show off that lifting 50 pounds with my weak lady arms is a struggle for me. Just a bit intimidating. There were all kinds of classrooms in the RPAC, and I had a few classes in there, like Women's Self Defense. I know that they also hosted martial arts and yoga classes. I almost forgot to mention the running track upstairs. That was awesome. It was at the highest point in the buidling, and when you were up there looking over the railing you could see down through the RPAC. It is such a pretty building. Too bad I only got to use it for part of my college career. Back then my loans were paying for my reduced membership. But now that I'm out of school? I don't think I'm even eligible to join, but even if I was, I can't afford it. It's so expensive, but I think you have to be a staff member or grad student or something to purchase a membership outside of undergrad school. That sucks, because I would love to work out here again. If you are able to get a membership, try it out. It's the best gym I've ever worked out in and I miss it! read more

Recreation & Physical Activity Center - from the Ohio State Rec Sports website - Recreation Centers Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Facility : Beautiful, the gym is huge and the equipment variety and quality is really nice. Pretty much my dream gym. That's the only good thing about this place. Functionality : It's always packed! I have gone out of my way to miss the crowds and there are still so many people you can't find a machine or finish a workout in a decent amount of time. I always have to modify my workouts which is annoying and kind of ruins the point of following a program. I don't want to have to freestyle every single workout. Maybe it's because it's a college campus gym or because of all the resolution-ers, but going to this gym is NOT enjoyable unless you are going 10pm or later. Dresscode : Is absolute garbage. It's 2018 let people where crop top, light weight white shirt or sports bras to the gym ! I'm all about dressing appropriately for the task, I'm at the gym not a job interview! Other Rules : No bags, must use a locker. No outside equipment, I don't know how seriously they take this/enforce it because I always avoided being my own stuff. No videos or content that they won't make money from - typical greedy College facility/gym that forces students to pay fees to facilities they might not even use or benefit from. No substances aside from water - You can definitely work around that, bring a solid/opaque water bottle and they'll never know if it's water or BCAA's. Honestly feels like I'm at a Planet Fitness, what a joke. Bottom line don't waste your time, every time I go I end up having to cut my workout short because I have a time limit to get my workout done and can't because of all the freaking people! read more

As far as college gyms goes, this one may be one of the best. Let me just highlight some of the best parts: -Boxing bags -Ping pong tables -Badmitton -Exercise classes -A LOT of basketball courts -Cardio canyon (aka a lot of cardio machines) -Huge weight room area -MTV cardio area (less busy then cardio canyon) -Olympic size pool -Kiddie pool area (yes, where college kids can play too) -Lap Pool -Saunas -Indoor track -Plenty of space to plop down and people watch -Cafe and smoothies -Plenty of lockers Welp, I do love this place. It fluctuates depending on time of day and if school is in session about how busy it is, but I have never had a problem not getting on a machine I wanted to use. So whether you are a student, faculty member, staff, or a visitor this is definitely a place to check out for the newest (and cleanliest) gyms! read more

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the RPAC is where it's at. I never have complaints about this place; it makes me so glad that I go to Ohio State.

If you've lived, worked, or accidentally gotten lost on OSU's campus you've inevitably heard about the RPAC. It's OSU's behemoth of a gym with everything you could possibly need (and tons of things you don't need) in it. Anyone near OSU will prattle on about the basics of the RPAC: it's big, state-of-the-art, shitloads of glass, blah blah blah. I'm here to give you some practical information. Call it's Amanda B.'s Practical Guide to Surviving the RPAC: 1) The RPAC has a lot of bros. Bros get in the way, they hog squat racks doing things that do not require a squat rack, and none seem to have mastered the art of re-racking their weights. If you see a bro, do not make eye contact. Do not initiate conversation. Headphones are advised to deflect any attempt by a bro to talk to you. 2) On that note, the best time to go to the RPAC is anytime before 11am. This is when the bros are still asleep. It is also when the place is most empty in general. If you are not able to make it before 11am, I advise you to avoid going between the hours of 5 and 8pm AT ALL COSTS. This is when the place gets so full that your chances of finding a machine (or a spare free weight) are basically nil. 3) Don't expect much from the gym employees, as most of them seem to be fairly unmotivated students. Periodically they'll go around telling people to take their bags off the floor, but that's just about all I ever see them do. I've tried a few times to get them to show me where a particular piece of equipment is, but haven't had much luck. They'll leave you alone but they aren't going to give you much customer service. 4) Locks are available at the sport shop by the locker rooms. If you have stuff with you, get a lock and use it. Or don't complain when your ish gets stolen. 5) Try something out of your norm. There are pools, boxing bags, shitloads of cardio machines, anything you could possibly want. If you go there just to hop on an elliptical machine and nothing else, you're wasting your time and money. (On that note, if you are a woman, you should try the weight room. I could use some female company in there.) 6) The fitness classes are cheap (I think $5 a class?), so it's worth trying a few. I've done spinning, yoga, pilates, and zumba there. The quality of the instructors vary, but if you don't like one you can always try a different one, there are a ton of times and options to choose from. 7) Use basic gym manners. Rerack your weights. Don't grunt unless you're actually lifting a significant amount of weight. Same goes for throwing your weights down on the floor after a lift. Don't hog the cardio machines for ridiculous amounts of time, especially if there is a line. If you want to run a marathon, go outside to do it. If you're swimming, share your lane with someone and pay attention to the lane speeds. If you're confused about what is/is not appropriate, just ask someone who looks like they know what they're doing. Overall, I think I'd personally prefer a smaller and less crowded gym, even if it didn't have all the state of the art stuff. The RPAC is pretty to look at but often difficult to use. But since I'm paying for it regardless, I'm making the best of it. And in all fairness, the RPAC has great equipment and a lot to offer if you're willing to be a bit flexible or wait for some of the more popular areas. read more

I rejoiced for 12 straight months when the old, grimy Larkins Hall was torn down and the new, state-of-the-art RPAC was built. Cardio Canyon was my home away from home. I studied while on the ARC trainer, ate while on the EFX, and napped while on the recumbent bike. Then my inner social side got the best/worst of me and my workouts consisted of 2-hour chatfests with friends, employees, faculty, strangers, weirdos. I saw the numbers on the scales creeping up and bawled like a baby. After three days of binge eating, I signed my fat 5'4.5" 120lb frame for a new membership at the gym right down the street from my place. So long, RPAC! Thanks for the memories... and the fancy-schmancy swimming pools I never used. (Please, no sending eating disorder surveys to my mailbox.) read more

Recreation & Physical Activity Center - Photo courtesy of osu.edu - Recreation Centers Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

When I lived in Columbus and was a staff member/grad student at OSU, I belonged to RPAC. Amazing is the best way to describe it. Pools, cardio, weights, raquetball and more abound at RPAC. My membership was $32/month (staff rate) and I had automatic withdrawal from my checking account each month which was very convenient. I actually prefer the second level cardio zone as opposed to Cardio Canyon...less noisy and without as many annoying people. Cardio Canyon is fine though and is lined with wall to wall TVs which show everything from the news to ESPN to MTV. The one thing about the TVs I didn't like was that there were no boxes on the machines to plug headphones into so you could hear sound (my current gym has them and they rock!). Of course since it is on the Ohio State campus, at times RPAC oozes with freshmen girls who travel in packs determined to not gain the freshmen 15 and who want 12 machines all in a row; meatheads; and the occasional creepy older faculty member. A great gym and recreational center nevertheless and much much better than its Larkins Hall predecessor! read more

I'm surprised at all the four stars for this facility, despite the glowing reviews. I've never been in a place like this. My exercising consisted of running at a beautiful park in my old city. I'd put on a podcast to keep my mind off running (I have a love/hate relationship with running) and go. My husband and I decided to try the RPAC since our student fees cover membership. We went into the "Cardio canyon," because we were too dazed by the size of the place to really explore yet. So we descended into the canyon, deciding to give running a break in favor of the recumbent bikes. They were a little daunting to me; I've never used any form of exercise equipment, so trying to figure out what program to use was an interesting button-pressing adventure. The machine asked for my weight, which I guessed at, and even monitored my heart rate as I pedaled. It was definitely something to get used to (the program I selected alternated between extreme resistance and none at all), but I definitely felt the workout. I realized with excitement that I can bring books here and study while I walk or bike. Although I don't see myself utilizing all the gym's features (I'm no weight lifter), I love the variety. This seems like such a state of the art facility and despite the huge population of students and staff, didn't seem at all crowded. I think this place will be an awesome option for us to stay active, especially in the winter months when running outdoors is less feasible. read more

The biggest gym on any college campus in the world...need I say much more? Any athletic endeavor you want to undertake can be found in the RPAC. They have a ton of weights (machines, dumbbells, and barbells) to the point where I'm still discovering new areas of the RPAC with machines I haven't seen before. The cardio canyon is great for runners. They have a ton of different bikes, awesome basketball courts, racquetball, volleyball, private rooms, a sauna, Olympic pools, and probably a ton more I don't even know about. All of the equipment is state of the art. They also offer a plethora of fitness classes and instruction if desired. My only complaint is that the weight benches often get crowded during busy times so you have to wait a few minutes before starting your next lift at times, but overall the RPAC is awesome and gives everyone at OSU no excuse not to live healthy. read more

More than a Gym, a true Recreation Center When I first moved here Larkin Hall was still up and the central gym facility for OSU. When the RPAC was built there was much hype around it. It was called innovative and state of the art when it was put up. Those descriptions fall short to explain just how not only large, but versatile the RPAC is. There are a great deal of levels to it (i wanna say 6 but not 100% sure). Rooms for gym classes, courts on 2 different floors, racquetball courts, punching bags, an indoor track, huge weightlifting area, enormous "cardio canyon" with ellipticals, treadmills and bikes (there's 2 other areas with these as well), and even an area with pool tables. I almost forgot about the golfing area too. The place has ALMOST everything (does not have full soccer fields like the ARC). It also connects to the aquatic center so you can walk over to the pools, jacuzzis, and steam rooms. After your workout is over there are 2 food places available to get a bite to eat. there's also tables for studying, even a sun deck. The only drawbacks to the RPAC are that they regularly have things on the courts so you cannot use them for basketball/volleyball. If i could give a 4 1/2 star rating i would because this place is almost perfect. read more

As an OSU student, I'm ashamed I didn't come sooner and see how amazing this gym is. I've been twice to the RPAC. Compared to gyms I've been to in the past, I'd say this would be a $200/month equivalent for all of the amenities it provides students. Proud buckeye. However, I'd say the only flaw is the food quality they offer. Great variety at the Courtside Cafe, but pricey, and far from perfection. Nevertheless, the RPAC is my favorite facility at OSU. read more

Woo! All fitness classes now free to all students (just activate your BuckID at the start of the semester). Bummer I only have a few months left... Parking still isn't ideal, but at least there's the nearby garage for when it rains ($2/hr). Machines are still top notch. Unbeknownst to me, the service desk also has extra hair-ties (wish I had known this before!) along with the lock and equipment rentals. I have since gone to more classes and am always pretty pleased. Cross training and cardio sculpt will get you sweating, and zumba is fun. Cardio kickboxing was somewhat disappointing. I kind of expect to at least break a sweat in a class with a name like 'cardio kickboxing'. And some of the yoga classes are hit or miss... depending on what you want out of yoga. You may be sleeping in some and sweating in others! read more

"Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah" is what I hear when I enter the doors of the RPAC. This majestic, airport gym makes me proud to be an OSU student, even if it is sucking $80 out of my wallet every quarter. The new updated Lounge offers free pizza one day a week sponsored by Donato's during Fall, Winter, and Spring Qtrs. Can't beat that while you play a game of pool or Wii! (At a gym? Seriously?! Score!) Another bonus? The huge locker rooms! I never have a problem getting a day locker, and will hopefully win the locker lottery so I don't have to lug my stuff around! Between the pool, hot tub, and sauna- I can mix up my workouts sans running the track or hitting the machines. I have to admit though, I'm usually terrified or embarrased to enter the huge weight lifting area. Arnold Schwarzenegger men scare the ba-jeebees outta me! Post workout grab a smoothie or even if you are searching for a good lunch with friends, can't go wrong with Courtside! It's my favorite place to eat on campus! -1 star for having to pay $50/qtr for the fitness classes. I'm so busy during the day I could never make any of the times! I know this is probably cheap compared to real life gym/class rates, but, hey...I'm poor and in college. read more

This place has everything-- weights, cardio machines, basketball and racquetball courts, a pool, and even air hockey just to name a few. My favorite thing they offer is the group fitness classes. They have almost every class you can think of, and they're free if you're an OSU student! read more

Other reviews really lay it all out the amenities quite nicely so I'm going to contribute my own personal insight: OSU's RPAC makes working out enjoyable. I've never liked going to the gym and always quit after a few days because it's so damn boring. I really believe a huge part of the success of my workout routine now is because RPAC is a beautiful recreation center and not just a gym. I can go there and have FUN. How cool is that? They have a sauna, pool room, racquetball courts, squash courts, even a play area for kids. They also have day lockers all over near different workout areas so you can just stash your stuff for a quick workout and not even have to to go the locker room. In and out, bam! It's all about mindset and RPAC puts you in a great, positive one. read more

I've played softball here for a few years now and the fields are usually pretty well maintained. There's the occasional goose poop, but I guess you can't really prevent that. Field #2 is kind of smelly near 1st base as there's some kind of sewage system that runs underneath. There's plenty of parking, but you have to pay $1.50/hr, which can be kind of annoying if you don't have an OSU parking pass. There's also plenty of grassy areas where I've seen people play frisbee or catch with their dogs. It's also really cool that there's a nice view of Ohio Stadium from some of the park. read more

Huge and Awesome. I love the sauna. Sucks in the winter because there's no where to park. Even if you have a parking pass, you have to park at least 10 minutes (walking distance) away read more

As the other reviews have stated, the equipment at the RPAC is incredible. What sucks is that it's currently SURROUNDED by construction. My student fees cover my membership to the RPAC, so I figured one night after classes I'd go check it out. After attempting to move my car to a closer parking spot since it was dark, I ended up about a half mile from the facility and had to wait 10 minutes for a bus to take me. The entire building is surrounded by a construction zone, so access is difficult by any means but CABS (Campus Area Bus Service), and if you do want to park closer to the facility, you have to pay whether you have a parking pass or not. Employees (who I assume are students) aren't particularly friendly or encouraging, and aren't too helpful or knowledgeable on what the facility has to offer. The hours are okay though there are other gyms in the area which are 24/7 and comparable as far as membership goes (for non-enrolled students). All in all, it's a great gym, but I wouldn't waste my time, effort, or money on it until all the construction crap is done and over with. read more

The RPAC looks great from the outside, as well when entering through the doors, but due to the staff providing me with the wrong information as to how to obtain a membership, I have been unable to see the rest of what they have to offer. Each time I have returned with the criteria I was told I needed, I was then told (by the same front desk employees who gave me the previous guidelines) that these guidelines weren't correct and that I didn't have what I needed to get my membership. I have no problems with the guidelines in place, but when these guidelines are not known by the staff who should be trained to know such information, it has only led to me wasting my time and effort. I was willing to follow the guidelines and pay the membership fee, but after returning the third time and leaving without a membership I have realized I'm just wasting my time here. The staff essentially told me that what I was told before wasn't correct for the second time, including the membership cost (which the first two times was told it was $82, but a week later I'm being told I'll have to pay $144 for the quarter). read more