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Kempsville Recreation Center — Outdoor Sports for Kids in Virginia Beach

Kempsville Recreation Center

4.1(283)4.1 out of 5 stars, 283 reviews Virginia Beach, VA

About Kempsville Recreation Center

Kempsville Recreation Center is a beautiful, new, and super clean facility offering a wide range of indoor amenities including a huge indoor track, a fabulous pool area with a resistance pool, and a well-equipped weight room. It stands out for offering unique kids' activity classes like astronomy and Kendo, and provides great value with its membership. While generally praised for its friendly and knowledgeable staff, especially for tours and private events, parents should be aware of potential communication issues regarding specific gym court availability.

What parents should know

Summarized from real visitor reviews.

Best for: Families seeking a clean, new recreation center with diverse indoor activities.Children interested in unique learning or sports classes (e.g., astronomy, Kendo).Adults looking for a comprehensive fitness facility with a track, pool, and weight room.Military families seeking an affordable way to access recreation facilities.Private events or celebrations that require a beautiful facility and accommodating staff.

Why families love it

  • Super clean and beautiful new facility with recently updated shower heads.
  • Friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable staff, with specific praise for staff member Tanya for excellent tours and member relations.
  • Offers unique and engaging activity classes for children, such as astronomy and Kendo.
  • Features a huge indoor track, uniquely painted with different colors for different speeds.
  • Boasts a fabulous pool area and a resistance pool for walking.
  • Well-equipped weight room with a variety of machines on the first floor.

Insider tips

  • If considering membership, ask for a tour (staff like Tanya are highly praised for giving tours).
  • Military members should utilize the free Friday admission to test out the facilities before committing to a membership.
  • For parents planning on using specific gym courts (e.g., basketball), be aware that calling ahead may not guarantee accurate or complete information, and courts might close unexpectedly. Have a backup plan or consider alternative venues for reliable gym access.
  • If hosting a private event, take advantage of the ability to decorate and bring your own food.

Good to know before you go

  • Relying solely on phone calls for specific gym court availability, especially for basketball, as information may be inaccurate or incomplete.
  • Expecting consistent, uninterrupted access to specific gym courts, as they may close unexpectedly for other activities like pickleball.
  • Poor and inaccurate communication from staff regarding gym court availability, even after calling ahead.
  • Basketball gym courts are frequently 'open but not really open,' with unexpected closures for other activities like pickleball, leading to wasted trips.
  • Inconsistent reliability of facility access for specific activities, causing frustration and requiring travel to other recreation centers.
Crowds
No general crowd levels mentioned, but specific gym areas can experience sudden closures for other activities (e.g., pickleball), impacting availability.
Value
Memberships are described as a 'Great value' given the array of new and clean facilities and diverse classes. No specific membership costs are mentioned. A significant value-add is free admission for military members on Fridays, allowing them to 'test drive' the center.
Food
Outside food is allowed for private events (e.g., graduation dinners).
Accessibility
The walking track is on the second floor, implying elevator or stair access.
Safety
No specific safety features for children (e.g., staff supervision ratios, specific play area safety equipment) are explicitly mentioned in the reviews.

What parents say

Michele Gordon
5.05.0 out of 5 stars
"I had my graduation dinner at the center, and we were able to decorate, have food, and enjoy. The staff was very gracious, making sure you had everything you needed. Thank you, Kempsville Rec, such a beautiful facility."

4 months ago

Elizabeth Duncan-Hawker
5.05.0 out of 5 stars
"It is a Great value to have a membership at this beautiful new recreation center. Super clean, friendly helpful knowledgeable staff . We love the extra fun activities classes (astronomy and Kendo ) we can sign up for. I like the weight room and variety of machines plus a huge indoor track and fabulous pool area! Wow!"

4 months ago

ashley wright
5.05.0 out of 5 stars
"I just want to give Tanya a shout out. She is a great asset to the establishment. My family and I just joined today after she gave us a tour yesterday. She has a great attitude and you can tell she really enjoys her members at the gym. She treats everyone with kindness and respect. It is hard to find good people in this world. She is great! Thank you, Tanya! We look forward to coming in and exploring the facility."

3 months ago

Reviews sourced from public Google data.