Caltech Braun Athletic Center

I went to a basketball game at Caltech’s Braun Athletic Center on 12/​19/​2015. It was my 1^st time there (although I’ve been to Caltech before). The host Caltech Beavers lost to the visiting George Fox Bruins by a score of 75 – 59. Can’t beat the price. Parking was free (parked on the street), program was free and entry to the game was free. Plus, I took photos.

I really wish I could give Caltech Gym a better rating, but maintenance problems need urgent attention.
I’m a new member and expected the spa to work soon after I joined. I feel burned.
The Spa remains permanently broken.
Everyone at the Braun Gym wrings their hands on this issue, imploring customers to understand that its not THEIR problem the damn thing doesn’t work. «Facilities» they say pointing towards the campus across California from the gym. They hold all the cards! They need to fix it! They don’t respect continual pleadings!
Apparently fixing a hot tub is something like launching an orbital telescope at Caltech: you need to get a budget from Congress,
then have some meetings,
then issue an RFQ,
examine responsive bids,
work out logistics, integration, operations, control, and then finally call a plumber (who is actually doing the work to fix the spa),
talk about it some more,
warn everyone that the campus has made up its mind about the repairs,
talk about it some more,
put crime scene tape around the broken-​dug up pool — just to uglify it for awhile —
drain it finally (mosquitos and all),
wait for parts,
return the wrong parts and wait for more parts,
get around to fixing it a couple of dozen times,
and then decide its too much to do and the budget is gone so they leave a dry hole with a bunch of half fixed junk laying around.
«Oh well, if Congress gave us enough money…» etc. etc.
I’m giving up asking, and I guess that’s the plan. I’ll just Unilocal until someone takes this seriously.
For a school with such high tuition and with a NCAA Division 3 competitive aspirations, you’d think that this facility would get more of the maintenance budget or management attention. Shameful. You call yourselves semi-​aquatic mammals with big teeth, whereas you are actually behaving like ground sloths stuck in tar.

I am a paying member of the Caltech athletics club and was happy with the facilities. However, I am looking for another club when my membership ends.
It seems that they started to sell out all facilities to anybody at any time.
Swimming pool: an outside swim club rents one swimming pool for four days, Monday — Thursday, from 7 – 8:30 pm every week.
Tennis courts: an outside club rents ALL tennis courts from 6:30 — 9:30 every Tuesday & Thursday. Even if they are done by 8pm, you can’t play. Additionally, if your tennis partner doesn’t have a membership, he has to pay $ 10 to play with you. Also, some Saturday/​Sundays are also booked by outside clubs. Basically, you never know who is going to reserve all courts at any given day/​time.
Fitness classes: group fitness classes are oriented for beginners. My mom, who is 64, enjoys it but I have to go to another club for my classes. Many students that I know also go to other clubs in Pasadena for group fitness classes. The only good class is kickboxing.

I love the work out opportunities you have at this facility. They have a great gym where you can set up basketball time with some friends to get your cardio fix, and also a great gym right upstairs. They have great equipment that will satisfy your needs such as the latest running machines, weights, and all your other standard fitness equipment. If your in the area and you need a workout fix, and you know someone that works or goes to Caltech, take full advantage.
Parking is either on campus or on a side street.

Overall this is a great facility, especially for a college not known for their athletics. There is a wide variety of free weights and weight machines. For cardio they have a fair amount of machines for people to use. Inside Caltech also has a mini rock wall for people to climb, a squash/​racquetball court and a multipurpose room. Towels tend to run low so bring your own.

I’ve been employed at Caltech since 1995 and for the past 10 years I’ve been working out at this gym religiously (or scientifically should I say). They did away with the peptol-​bismo colored towels, as stated by Paul M. and finally we have white towels to check out. I come here at least 6 times a week. Cardio is my main work out and they have plenty of cardio equipment to choose from.
*Running Machines
*Stairmasters
*Elliptical Machines
*Exercise Bikes
*Rowing Machines
They also have plenty of weight machines and free weights as well as indoor racquetball and squash courts.
There is also yoga, zumba, and any assortment of classes to burn off your fat. Martial arts classes like karate are also available.

Yay! My first «first to review!»
All you need to get into this place is $ 5 and a friend who works or attends Caltech.
You get your money’s worth too, because for the price you get to use the entire facility all day, including the pool, basketball courts, etc. Plus they have towel service. Big, ugly, peptol-​bismol colored towels, but towel service nonetheless.
That being said, this is Caltech, a university not normally associated with athletics. So don’t expect state-​of-​the-​art facilities like you would at, oh, say USC. And also don’t expect to see a myriad of unmitigated hotness working out (also like you would at USC. Can you tell where I went to university?) Although even the Caltech water polo team is still a water polo team.
Sigh.
Wait, where was I? Oh, yes, mid-​review.
To continue, it’s pretty cool to think that a current student probably INVENTED most of the gym equipment (or could, at the very least, reverse engineer it). And although the locker rooms look like they’re from Warsaw circa 1956, they seem fairly clean and well kept.
Um, not that I spend my time in the locker room waiting for the water polo team to finish practice. Whoever told you that is a liar.