Kempsville Recreation Center

Closed for renovations.

The indescribable stench of this building would be worth putting up with if it wasn’t for the unbelievable amount of ancient people in the way everywhere you go. Last I knew, key guidelines of mens locker room etiquette were being ignored. For god’s sake, face the wall when your junk is out if you can help it. Overwhelming smell of chlorine haunts the entire facility and I’m pretty sure they’re still not using enough.

This place is a joke. I would not go here. The staff is rude and has an attitude. You can’t use the cardio machines unless you sign up — it should be first come first serve. There is hardly any machines to begin with and being kicked off halfway through your workout is ridiculous, I think. The cardio machines are in a hallway, not even in a room, next to the water fountain. I think it would be worth the money to go some place else. At least from my experience.

My son has taken swimming lessons here for the past couple years. I think they have a great program and the instructors are very patient with the kids. Last summer was his second year (he turned 5 that summer) and he was swimming and treading water quite well by the end of the two sessions. The whole pool area was renovated over the Winter of ²⁰¹⁰⁄₂₀₁₁. There is a viewing area with bleachers on the 2^nd floor. If you have a baby/​toddler with you you can fit a stroller up there, but it’s narrow and hard to get around other strollers.
My only gripe about the Kempsville Rec Center is that they don’t seem to have nearly as many children’s programs as some of the other Rec Centers in the area. Every time I see something in the catalog my kids might enjoy it is usually at PA, GN or BS. For instance, in the summer catalog, the nature camps, sports camps, pre-​school activities listed on page 32 and 33, etc. If they don’t have the staff to offer these programs at every rec center then maybe they could rotate which location they are at each season.
There is an outdoor playground over by the tennis courts. There are baseball fields here, too. My son played tee ball here for two seasons. There is a concession stand open during the games. Seating on the bleachers can be limited, so we always brought folding chairs.

Its good for the money… but the old naked dudes in the locker rooms give me the creeps. So avoid swimming and changing unless your into old naked dudes then add a few stars to your review. Hours could be better also.

Don’t waste your money! I signed up for this gym because I remembered going there as a kid and because it is affordable, but you get what you pay for. The hours are inconvenient, there is not enough space or equipment to actually work out, and the staff is lazy and incompetent.
If you are going to use cardio equipment, at the very least you will have to wait at lest 30 minutes for «your turn» and if you start late as the result of the person before you getting off late, you will likely get kicked off. I don’t know about you, but 15 minutes on a cardio machine isn’t worth me leaving the house. You have to sign up to use the equipment, but the staff acts like you are disturbing their nap or interrupting their conversation when you approach them to do so.
The rooms that house the equipment are so small and the equipment is so crammed together that you are likely to either get whacked in the face by an elliptical handle or step on the kid that is forced to do his pushups in the middle of the floor while he waits for a machine.
It is dark, it is only marginally clean, and it doesn’t even open until 9:00 on Saturdays and 11:00 on Sundays.
The one awesome thing about this gym is the rock climbing wall that I have heard that they have in the pool. Of course, I wouldn’t know anything about that, because the pool has been closed for renovation for over a year. Apparently it is re-​opening in March… which is over in 4 days, I guess we’ll see.

I have been a member to the Vabch Rec Centers for 15 years and think its a great place to work out! I full service gym with swimming, basketball, volleyball and much more for less than 70.00 for the year!!!
The staff is experienced and friendly. I want to thank the entire staff for helping me this past weekend when I tore my calf muscle. They responded in a professional manner and basically helped me in my time of need. To sum it up the rec centers are a great place to work out, best value in town and a wonderful staff!

Really not that bad, especially for the price. The Kempsville Rec Center is over thirty years old so you have to expect a level of «age» when you walk in. That said, there are countless programs and classes available for all ages.
The kids play room is a fun place for the tweens and teens. There are two Wii game systems with flat screen TVs mounted on the wall, so kids can play the games and challenge each other in the various Wii games. I think that is pretty cool.
In the olympic-​sized pool they installed an Aqua-​climb wall, which is a rock climbing style wall that extends up and out over the water, so when you fall, you fall back into the pool. Pretty cool. The pool is scheduled to be closed starting in September 2010 for renovations which take until May 2011 to complete.
A few years ago the bowling alley was converted into a spinning room to keep up with the times, and to stop having to pay to repair the alley.
The boxing ring is still there, and is kept in good shape.
The tennis courts were just resurfaced and the fence reinstalled. They will be repainted soon and will be as good as new.
In the winter time they have a Holiday Craft fair, which is a good place to pick up some gifts.
In all this is a really good deal, since an annual membership for an adult is only $ 72.

In general, The City of Virginia Beach Recreation Centers are less quality than a YMCA or commercial gym. Some facilities are the exception, but at most facilities there are waits for cardio machines and most of the activities are overcrowded. However, you get what you pay for, and membership is only $ 35 a year. So, it’s still a terrific deal.
I frequented Kempsville Recreation Center as a kid. In the past 20 years, they have done very little to update it. It’s in dire need of a remodel. I went there recently to test out an aerobic class and I was stunned that the condition was so sub-​par to my local Bayside Recreation Center (which is a more average facility).
Definitely join the rec center if you are in need of a low-​cost gym membership. But if you live in Kempsville, plan on a drive out to the other facilities. The Princess Anne Recreation Center is immaculate. There, you’ll get the biggest bang for your buck.