I've been a member of many health clubs over the years, but my experience at the YMCA has truly stood out -- and that's largely because of the incredible coaches who dedicate their time to helping us reach our health goals. In particular, I want to highlight the amazing Tonya C. Tonya is the kind of coach who strikes the perfect balance between encouragement and challenge. She knows how to push you past your comfort zone while making you feel supported every step of the way. Every class with her is more than just a workout -- it's a boost of confidence, a dose of motivation, and even a little therapy rolled into one. She sprinkles in wisdom and encouragement that make you believe in yourself and remind you that you can do hard things. At the ho It's clear that Tonya pours her heart into what she does. Her energy, dedication, and genuine care for her class members elevate the entire experience. I feel so fortunate to have her as my instructor for multiple classes, and I always leave feeling stronger in both body and mind. Looking forward to many more sessions with Tonya -- she truly makes the YMCA feel like a place where we grow together. read more

Small pool area. Upstairs weight room. There's enough free weights and a squat rack. A lot of cardio machines. Friendly staff. The nationwide membership is awesome. read more

See all

Pros: Diverse, a lot of ymcas are pretty homogenous which is a huge turn off but not this one which is nice. Nice, well maintained facility Negatives: you need a lock for your locker and no nice things in the car. At my old gym, a lock was optional. Not here. The security of making sure only members are inside is non existent compared to other gyms that make sure only members make it inside. read more

My favourite Midway is Midway between Barbie's legs, but that's another story for another day - or should I say another night. One of the nicer facilities that I used on my travels - but just a little bit too busy at times. Right in the heart of Saint Paul so it's not surprising that so many people come here to use it. Nevertheless it's a very nice facility and feels brand new. It's not the safest area so I don't recommend parking around here at night, and was warned against parking in these parts to sleep. For people like me that like to take a nap before the YMCA opens up, this might not be the one for that. Try a distant suburban one instead. Definitely one of the better YMCA's I've used in the Minneapolis area - if not the best one. read more

See all

This is my favorite YMCA in the Twin Cities. I go in the morning and the crowd is slightly smaller than the afterwork crowd. They have plenty of machines for cardio and strength training. They offer classes as well. Check online for schedules. They have a pool and a hot tub. They try their best to keep it clean. It can get a bit dirty in winter due to snow and salt tracked indoors. However, overall I am satisfied with their cleanliness. It's very family friendly and Senior friendly. read more

St. Paul Midway YMCA - Weight training - Gyms Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

See all

You guys spent all that money rebuilding this ymca and no steam room the whole design is terrible! The track is awkward why couldn't you guys replicate the east side ymca that one is great. The front desk staff are rarely nice and friendly I gave up on trying to say hi to them. Even though the old ymca in midway was smaller it was better. Why only 1 working stair master? Oh and the cleaning staff is extremely rude. The whole staff team needs a pep talk read more

I've been coming to this Y since I was a child, mainly due to convenience/location and I have a family pack. I dont love it but I dont hate it either. The staff are mainly young folks who are nice. The facility is new and bigger now, but I still wish there were more machines and a running track. You will see clients/members of all ages kids to seniors. This isnt the safest neighborhood and I've heard stories of people seeing suspicious activity like having their car brake into in the parking lot- basically you park at your own risk. Pros -Green Line is right there -There is day care (limited hours though), pretty good for families/kid-friendly -Friendly staff -Family package -Fair amount of equipment -Good indoor pool for kids -They offer a good amount of workout classes with nice instructors -There are disposable wipes -There are family/gender neutral bathrooms -Good location for me Cons -WiFi isnt the best -No place/limited space to stretch or do other workouts -Workout classes can get full right away -Although the place is new, some of the equipments seem old or run down already -Busy and overwhelming during busy hours- early mornings and right after school/work -Kind of pricey ($70 a month for a person, $129 for family- additional $20 when adding another adult) -Could use more machines like treadmills and elliptical -Wish there was a running track- the "track" they have is a walking only track, and more of a hallway then a track in my opinion read more

I signed my daughter up for swimming classes in March. I paid $200. She attended just 2 classes before the remaining 6 classes had to be canceled due to the Coronavirus. While I totally understand the reason that the classes needed to be canceled, the issue i have us that they refuse to give my money back. They basically told me that I'm SOL. Because the Coronavirus was out of their control, they are keeping the money we paid and won't even give a future credit for class. Even before the cancelation of classes, I was having reservations about the Midway YMCA. The facility itself was so dirty, especially in the locker room and restrooms. I do not plan on returning. read more

Extremely terrible service management, lifeguard are complete A holes they don't have respect for their customers

Large and newer facility. Tons of workout equipment for beginners to experts. The fitness classes are ran by upbeat and passionate instructors that motivate you to participate. The locker rooms are decent but the showers in the women's locker room are lukewarm. I use a lot of the amenities and am very impressed by what they have to offer. My son goes to kids stuff while I work out which he loves. They also have a small lounge area with WiFi. I travel about 15 minutes from mpls and plan to continue. This is the best YMCA that I've been to in the cities. read more

Don't go after 7pm. Staff is downstairs staring at phones while kids are threatening and cursing up in the fitness area. Could be dangerous. read more

Great place for the most part. The pool is often closed due to staffing issues. But no communication is sent out- so you arrive to find pool closed.Really frustrating. read more

Terrible service. The staff here are rude to the customers , and saw the life guard act Tudor towards two young gentlemen.

Love it I have no complaints. It has everything I need and every machine I can think of. Kind staff.

One of my favorite Twin Cities YMCAs. Newer facility, clean work out areas, conveniently located on University Avenue, friendly staff, great view from the second story workout area! They are currently taking out the carpeting from the locker rooms (good idea-it was starting to smell). I haven't attended a class in the healthy eating kitchen area yet. Worth a stop to check out this Y! read more

St. Paul Midway YMCA - View from back parking lot - Gyms Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

THE GOOD: This Y started out amazing after being newly renovated, and the staff is usually friendly. THE BAD: The cost of membership is really expensive ($70/mo) for what this place is and what you really have access to if you're just a regular person with no special work/insurance deals or circumstances. THE UGLY: The place is always WAY too busy (especially the lap pool) to really be able to get your money's worth. Waiting 30 min to get access to a lane during peak hours because some community swim team is "practicing" means I can't go work out how I want when I'm available, so what am I paying for again? BEWARE: You can't just cancel your membership online for some dumb reason (cuz I guess it's really 1996 and I just didn't realize it maybe?), and the locker rooms are filthy after about 4pm and really should be cleaned more often each day. I swear I walked out of there with more hair on my shoes than on my head! Ick. read more

The good: It just opened early 2016, so it's clean and fresh feeling. Lots of big windows, well lit and friendly vibe. My kids are happy in the child care area and it has an overall family feel to it. The not: The YMCA says it models itself on Christian values, but even Jesus would have a hard time valuing toilet paper this thin. I swear I would get more clean just waving my butt around in the air a few times after doing my business. And to continue this line of disgusting but biologically honest thought, why is there only one stall in the men's locker room? Guys are playing king of the hill in there trying to be the one who gets it. The parking can be difficult at peak times. The locker room doors do not have a blurred window so you can see when there is someone about to enter/exit on the other side. The doors open quickly and I have and nearly bashed both the elderly and young numerous times in my workout-induced testosterone-laden door-opening frenzy. I know I may sound ornery (I probably am?), but I really do like this YMCA overall. It's comfortable and clean, but just has a few kinks to work out, in my opinion. read more

I went to this club for a few years, way overpriced for the other options that are available nearby. However if you like family friendly atmosphere, this club is your best bet! read more

Newly remodeled amd stocked with lots (too many) machines. You know, the kind nobody really sweats on. When asked why they only had 2 old rowing machines (which were pushed up against the wall of a walkway as an afterthought), I was told nobody thought of rowing machines when they ordered all that new equipment. Parking is a challenge. Free weight area is good, as is the men's locker room. read more

This review of the YMCA is for the pool area since 99% of what I do at a gym is swim. First off, the whole aquatics area of the Y looks pretty amazing. There is a small splashy pool for the very youngin's, a therapy-like pool where you walk in circles against strong jets, and a huge kid's pool (with cool looking slide!) for kids to horse around in. If I were a kid, I would love this part of the Y! But I am not. I depend on swimming in the winter time for my aerobic exercise, but this lap pool is one of the most frustrating pools I have ever swam at. It is obvious that the Y put the lap pool as the lowest priority in the aquatics area. There are 4 lanes, and they are very narrow. I would estimate that they are 12" to 18" narrower than a typical pool's lane. There are very few hours of the week when all 4 lanes are open for swimming, most of the time there will be 2 to 3 open with the first lane being designated as "open". As far as I can tell, "open" means that the kids who get bored playing in the pool that was designed especially for them can now jump into the "open" lane and force swimmers to cram into 3 narrow lanes. You will always be sharing. Due to the narrow lanes it is very often that you will smash hands with the person you are sharing with. You will often burn your hand against the plastic lane separators as you try to make room for your lane partner. You will often wait a long time for a lane and wonder why 3 kids get a whole lane to themselves to play Marco Polo. You will often wonder why when a class starts they will take 3 lanes forcing all swimmers into 1, even if there is ONE person in the class. Unfortunately, this pool was not prioritized for lap swimming and often times is a very frustrating workout. It is hard to believe that this is the best that they could come up with after their renovation. I truly hope that whoever helped design this pool is not involved with the design of the new downtown Minneapolis YMCA, whose current pool is the best Ive ever seen. ( I will try to attach a screenshot to show the minimal hours that the pool is available for evening swimmers. ) read more

St. Paul Midway YMCA - Gyms Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Was looking to try a class to see if the class was at a level where I would be interested in joining the gym, sales rep informed me there were no day passes for group exercise and had to sign up the same day for membership. Last time I checked most gyms are willing to let you try out a class or two for free before joining vs forcing you to sign up for a membership the same day. How can you know if you want to join if you don't try? Wouldn't recommend this place, places like The Firm, Orange Theory, Lifetime fitness are all reasonable about trying classes before you commit. Thanks for nothing YMCA-Midway I will take my business elsewhere. read more

Unsupervised kids screaming and smashing the equipment, lockers and cars broken into (twice for me), but nice weightlifting area. Just bring earplugs, don't leave anything in your car (even in the trunk) and keep your backpack in sight at all times. Staff indifferent or simply not there. read more

Similar to another review, just wanted to try it out before committing. Was asked if I was interested in a membership. When I replied not yet, the rep informed me that passes were discretionary so due to not knowing if I wanted to join a pass was denied. All other gyms I have ever been too allowed you to test it out first. The wording and approach to the sale made me feel like they were not at all interested in my membership. So I won't be joining a YMCA. read more

Brand spanking new YMCA facility great studios large workout rooms racquetball personal training waterslide brand-new pool area cool looking building. read more

Women's locker room and showers smell like urine. Floors and showers are dirty except first thing in the morning, gobs of hair even on the walls. Classes are like a combat zone trying to get a spot and weights. I have had people push me and my weights out of their way so they can save spots. It's an anxiety invoking experience to go there hoping for a spot in the class and hoping for the weights to use in the class. Now we are told how we can set up staggered style and more weights have been ordered. This has been going on for at least six months. read more

UNFUN at the YMCA! We were very excited to join the Y and have a great place for the family to go exercise together. Walked in and signed a year's contract. Bad move. My advice, try the five-day free pass first! After we signed up we were directed to the family changing room (my 7-year old son and I) and we went to put on our swimming suits. The floor in the changing room was so muddy he didn't want to take off his shoes and honestly, I've been in truck stop rest rooms that smelled better. Isn't cleanliness a Christian value? If so, they have a long way to go. We showered and eagerly went out to the pool. Pretty underwhelming. Three piddly toadstools for activity in the kid area, a small leisure pool and a few lap lanes. An improvement over the old pool, but barely. We waded in and immediately got whistled out. The lifeguard told us to go shower again. Fine. We got back in and made it to the shallow end of the leisure pool before being whistled out again. We needed a wrist band. Fine. No-one told us about that (while they were accepting my payment for a year membership and escorting us to the changing room!) My son took the swim test and got his wrist band. The junior lifeguard was very nice about it and then brought us a basketball to play with. He apologized. We were disappointed that the slide wasn't open even though the web site clearly stated that it would be. Oh, but nevermind, the web doesn't say that it is only for kids over 4' 10". Fine. A grandma and granddaughter got in the pool, did the swim test and got a wrist band then started playing with kick boards. After about 10 minutes my son wanted a kick board too so I got him one. Almost immediately we were whistled out by the Commander lifeguard. No kick boards in the leisure pool. When the junior lifeguard took our kickboard away the grandma voluntarily surrendered theirs. I had a bad feeling at that point. The junior lifeguard came back and apologized profusely. Apparently they only "remembered" the kickboard rule when my son had one. My son wanted to try jumping into the "deep" end of the pool (above his armpits, which is what his wristband allowed him to do alone) so I took him over. Again (anybody ready for it?) Whistled out by the Commander Lifeguard. This despite the fact that I was right there and a young woman and her 3ish-year old were practicing jumping in the deep end of the pool! Again, profuse apology and embarrassment from junior lifeguard, commander lifeguard looking smug. About this time three unaccompanied children got in the pool. Boy maybe 12, girls 7 and 9? Fully dressed (not modestly covered for religious reasons, fully dressed.) Did they get whistled out? Nope. No shower? Not whistled out. Swim test? Nope. Wrist band? Nope. And did I mention? No parent anywhere near. The grandma came over to me and asked whether it was allowed for kids to swim alone without a guardian and I said yes, if they had the wrist band. Of course, these kids didn't. All the time the (commander) life guard is basically stalking my son to make sure he doesn't go past his armpits in the water! We left. It's fun at the YMCA? NOT AT ALL! I have no problem with rules as long as they are clearly communicated and equally applied. That was NOT my experience at this Y. I feel we were harassed. I am so disappointed. I had such high hopes for the Y and the opportunities there. But if my family is going to be treated like this then we will continue to go to Shoreview or Maplewood where the staff is respectful of multi-racial families and patrons aren't subjected to sub-standard levels of hygiene just because of their ZIP code. read more

This place is great! The staff are easy to get along with and the place is very clean, for the most part. I started going here recently after having tried LA Fitness, which unlike the YMCA, is for-profit. LA Fitness had some good stuff, but overall, it was clear that the people running it are mostly there for the money. Having gone to this YMCA a few times, it is obvious that they care about the well-being of the people using it. read more