Central City Recreation Center
4.4(180)4.4 out of 5 stars, 180 reviews Salt Lake City, UT
About Central City Recreation Center
Central City Recreation Center stands out as a highly affordable, city-run facility that offers a low-key, uncrowded environment for both organized youth sports and general fitness. Its unique value lies in its exceptional price point, well-maintained facilities, and highly praised, patient staff, making it ideal for parents seeking structured outdoor activities for young children and a pleasant, clean space for family fitness.
What parents should know
Summarized from real visitor reviews.
Best for: Parents looking for affordable, organized outdoor sports programs (like tee-ball/baseball) for young children (3-7 years old).Families seeking a clean, uncrowded, and budget-friendly recreation center for general fitness activities.Individuals or families who appreciate a 'low-key' and community-focused environment over high-density commercial gyms.Anyone looking for a gym with attentive staff who actively maintain cleanliness.**Young Children (3-7 years old):** Perfect for organized sports like recreational tee-ball and baseball, with patient and helpful staff mentioned.
Why families love it
- Excellent value with very affordable monthly ($20) or annual (~$130) adult memberships, including classes.
- Specifically offers nice fields for organized youth sports like tee-ball and baseball for young children (ages 3, 5, and 7 mentioned).
- Staff is consistently described as nice, super sweet, very patient, helpful, and constantly cleaning equipment.
- Generally uncrowded facility, especially the weight room and basketball areas, providing a 'low key vibe'.
- Well-maintained and clean facilities, including gym equipment and outdoor fields.
- Highly affordable membership options for adults ($20/month or ~$130/year) that include classes.
Insider tips
- For families attending youth sports, consider carpooling or arriving early due to limited parking near the fields.
- If planning on frequent use, the annual adult membership (~$130) offers significant savings compared to the monthly option.
- Take advantage of the dance room for stretching if available, as mentioned in one review, potentially useful for pre- or post-activity warm-ups.
Good to know before you go
- If you require extensive, on-site parking for field activities, as parking is noted as limited.
- If your primary interest is a wide variety of specialized fitness classes, as only a 'few classes' are offered.
- If you are uncomfortable with community showers that are open to the general public, though no specific issues were reported.
- Parking is a little bit limited, particularly for activities on the fields, which might require extra planning during peak times.
- The facility offers showers to the community, which some parents might want to be aware of when bringing children, although no issues were reported.
- Crowds
- Generally uncrowded and 'not too full'.
- Value
- Exceptional value. Adult memberships are extremely affordable at $20/month (no contract) or approximately $130 for an entire year, which includes classes like yoga (up to 3x/week). While specific pricing for children's programs isn't detailed, the overall 'dirt cheap' and 'you can't beat it' sentiment suggests a very budget-friendly option compared to private alternatives, offering high value for well-maintained facilities and attentive staff.
- Food
- No food and drink rules were mentioned in the reviews.
- Accessibility
- No specific accessibility accommodations were mentioned in the reviews.
- Safety
- Staff are described as constantly cleaning equipment, promoting a hygienic environment.
What parents say
"When I moved to SLC , I checked out some local gyms and was pretty disappointed in high sales approach , high density and parking hassles. This city run rec center is low key vibe, great equipment , not too full, well maintained facility. The staff is nice. There are only a few classes offered but they are pretty good. For $20/mo. no contract , renew as you wish, you can’t beat it. Quiet and atmosphere. You can use dance” room to stretch, if available and it has lovely lighting. It’s smack in downtown and offers showers to community, so be aware of this. Never had any isssues."
5 months ago
"I really like this gym! I paid somewhere around $130 for an entire year membership, and that includes the classes. So I get yoga classes up to 3x a week, and a great gym to use for dirt cheap. No where else is going to beat that. The gym attendant is super sweet and he is always cleaning the equipment. 10/10 experience here so far. If any gym members bother you here just tell them to bug off, but I've had people bother me at every single gym I've been to so I'm not going to knock this spot for it, tell management if it continues."
a year ago
"Our 3, 5, and 7 year old played rec tee-ball and baseball be on the fields here for a few weeks. The parking is a little bit limited, but the fields are nice, the staff is very patient and helpful, and it was overall a great experience."
6 years ago
Reviews sourced from public Google data.
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