Love it here, been a member since I was 10 years old. Only good memories and good things to say…read moreabout the staff and other patrons.

The building is rather odd with a poorly thought out design. The basketball court is at the south…read morearea, swimming pool at the north, and athletic equipment in an L shaped area at the center. Bodybuilders using weights are at the smaller part of the L shape in the south-west area of the building. The walls of the basketball court do not go all the way up to the ceiling so yelling, screaming, and thumping noises easily propagate throughout the building as do clanking sounds from the weight lifting area. Walls, floors, and the interior of the roof of this huge open space are all hard surfaces which exacerbate the noise problem. There are several TV's on the south wall but no remote control(s) to channel select. Speakers abound throughout the building often with annoying music that is more often than not in the foreground rather than background. This only serves to add to the ambient noise level. There are other oddities as well such as no place at the entrance to hang winter coats, rain coats, boots, umbrellas, etc. There are however, small lockable cubicles near the entrance where a rolled up jacket or other small items can be stowed. If you have large bulky winter items, it would be best to shed them and leave them in your car. The locker rooms are also lacking where lockers are just half-height and stacked one above the other. Having just one toilet and one urinal, this is grossly inadequate for the scores of members and staff using the building. And strangely, paper towel dispensers are numerous for wiping down the machines however none are to be found in the restrooms. Oddly, included under the hand blower is a trash container for paper towels that do not exist. When the blower runs, the plastic liner blows out into your face. Lastly, whoever designed the parking area was totally clueless. There is not enough space between the double rows of parking slots making getting in and out of spaces tight and difficult. Care must be taken as to not back into one of the other parked cars. Other than the oddities outlined, it's a welcomed addition to the community.

I have visiting the Recreation & Physical Activity Center or RPAC for short at The Ohio State…read moreUniversity campus for years for a tour and when the State Summer Games for Special Olympics Ohio is held there when Volleyball, serving lunch and dinner there at times for huge events, and other things that the RPAC hosts. I have to get my soda from a soda machine because the RPAC in the basement near the lockers only takes payments from students and facility who are members of the RPAC, but they have huge space for working out, taking fitness classes, and another pool that has 8 lanes (25 yards) that has a movable floor and waterslide area for families. Thank you for the RPAC at The Ohio State University.

Large workout space with many machines, classes, and various workout areas. Can get really busy in…read morethe late afternoon, so it's beneficial to time workouts accordingly!

Okay, so I'll admit the membership pricing here is extremely confusing, as the passes aren't very…read moretransparent about what is vs isn't covered, and there's different payment systems for each of the activities/classes. It's really bizarre.

Review for playground only!…read more We went to the library, and the Park of Roses, and this playground was sort of next to the library. I thought maybe it was at a school, but nope, at the rec center. Plenty of parking out back, of course. And a nice big playground. Baby K loved it. Slides, climbing stuff, etc. Plenty of benches for parents. The library next door for AC/potty/water breaks. Shade! No long walks for tired parents from the parking lot! We both enjoyed it.

I came on a Friday evening after hours for a fundraiser and we mostly stayed on the second level…read more Still, it was a lot larger than I thought! Very open space and lots of wood. Long tables and offices. Couches, a huge case of stairs for you to sit and study on in the middle of one huge room, and Stauf's downstairs. Very cool! Would love to come back here for another event!

The Columbus Idea Foundry is such an amazing concept and opportunity for the members of our…read morecommunity. The Idea Foundry defines itself as a community of makers, designed to help you explore new ideas and unleash your passion to make things. It is a place for creative people to gather, work on their projects, bounce ideas off of and support others. They also offer a multitude of classes to the community. We decided to sign up for "Woodshop Orientation A: Table Saw, Miter Saw, Jointer & Planer" in the hopes that it would help us with our first home project. The cost is $90 per person for non members. Yes, you can become a member but I'm not going to get into all that info in this review. If you want more info on that, check out their website. When we arrived on a Saturday morning, our class was given a mini tour of the foundry. Then we went into the workshop that they utilize as their classroom. There was one instructor for our small class of 9 people. I appreciated that the class was small. I also enjoyed the instructors vast knowledge and concern for woodshop safety. In fact, maybe the class should have been named Woodshop Safety 101. We went through the class with one piece of wood, starting by making a cut with the miter saw, and working out way through the use of each tool. By the end of the class we had a perfectly cut and planed smaller piece of wood. Ultimately what I think I got from this class was the confidence to use machinery such as the table saw and miter saw on my own. The class gave me a real chance in my adult years to use these tools and I hope that will be helpful for me in the future.

Summer!! This place is a dream-world to while away a few hours on a lazy weekend (who get's one of…read morethose?). With a sweet, super-shallow world for the little ones including all sorts of spraying water, fountains and a little slide, to larger slides for the bigger kids and a 13' (i think it's 13' at least) deep lane/diving pool for everyone in-between. Staff is very friendly and courteous, and the whole place is clean and well kempt. My only criticism, and this is more from my whiny kids than me, is the limited candy selection at the snack bar! Great place to spend some quality family time on a summer afternoon. Translation: take your kids here and you might get a couple of hours to sit quietly and go to your mind palace while they run around and make each other tired. Highly recommend!!

Blackburn Community Center is my voting place and always have such a good experience. I have been…read morevoting here for almost a decade. I have not participated in any other events here yet but they have all kinds of classes and activities such as Art, Tennis, Basketball, Karate, Soccer, a little kids playground, Public Health Sessions and gym, and much more. The website does read to take advantage of the programs and facilities you need a Columbus Recreation and Parks Leisure Card. The Leisure cards are $1 and are valid for 3 years. Renewal fee is $1.00 as well. Leisure card is good through the Columbus Rec & Parks Locations. Some classes and activities may have a fee but a lot at no cost too.

OSU you are making me very jealous of your campus' recreation centers!…read more Not only do you have the amazing and gorgeous RPAC, but you have satellite gyms on the north and south ends of campus? And they still rock HARD?! USC Lyon Center, please take notes. My one gym back in California can't even compare to JOS, our local, smaller gym that is big enough to get everything you need down. There are plenty of cardio machines, weights and even a newly finished basketball court in the back. All sporting equipment can easily be rented from the front desk. The hours here are also not too shabby, as I can just wake up early at 7 to go do my thing (not that I have yet, but soon enough!) I love this place, and although it's smaller than the RPAC, it still holds up very well on its own. Plus it's air conditioned! I don't think the one on north side can really compare. Work hard!

This is a quieter, smaller campus gym option (as compared to the RPAC)…read more Pretty much one huge space split into three sections: part basketball court, part weight room and part cardio area. Very easy parking. There are meters on the adjacent street (I can't remember if coin or credit card based) and a small lot behind the building. Worth your time if you're not into the large RPAC crowds.

Northwest Masonic Temple is a very active location with several Masonic lodges calling it home, as…read morewell as a number of other Masonic bodies that are affiliated with the organization. The temple building place host to a church, and ESL courses are sometimes run by outside organizations from time to time. It is a hub of the Worthington and Linworth community and provides value to local residence by being active and engaged and enriching citizen lives. Membership inquiries are welcomed, and the organizations that reside here can be located in contacted via their website presences.

Grossly over-priced. Every event there is a ripoff. City of Columbus centers are much nicer - at…read morereasonable prices

I once attended a seminar with a friend at the Griswold Center on travel writing. We noticed we…read morewere the youngest ones there by a long shot, but didn't think much of it. Then I returned while in Worthington to gain more information and come to find out it is recreation center for senior citizens! But, I said to myself, I'll check this place out anyway because our elders want to know what's around town as well. I was told by one of the workers that a lot of people think it's like a nursing home; except it's not because no one actually lives there and it's for people ages 55 and older who are still living on their own. Even though I got some funny looks while checking out the place, I think it seems like a great little rec center. The building is bright and cheery and the old architecture is classical. Based upon their quarterly information booklets, it's quite an active place. The membership fee is cheap, at $10 annually for Worthington residents and $15 for nonresidents. With that membership people can get discounts to go on any of their planned trips to places around Columbus like the Franklin Park Conservatory, around Ohio like ski trips to Mad River Mountain (aka the Bellefontaine Bump) or to a dinner and a show at La Comedia Dinner Theatre in Dayton, and even to other states like to Almost, Maine to see the Northern Lights. A large number of events are held right at the Griswold center from seminars on armchair travel to candy making and cookie baking classes. Griswold Center also helps people with their shopping - grocery and occasionally the mall. Educational opportunities are also available, such as tax assistance, computer basics and language classes. Fitness is a pretty big thing at the Griswold Center. There is a fitness center and people can have a personal trainer or join a fitness class like Pilates, yoga, table tennis and more. Dance classes are yet another option, including line, ballet or perhaps zumba (dance aerobics). Support groups are an important asset, including Alzheimer's for those who have loved ones suffering from the disease or are suffering from it themselves, a widow and widower support group, a diabetes management support group and a host of others. Creative arts incorporates cross-stitching, drawing, watercolor painting, writing or teddy bear making. Cards and games featured are bingo, bowling, bridge, poker, billiards and mah-jongg. Health and wellness is important and the Griswold Center offers clinics, nutrition counseling and massages. I think for this I'd have to say the four stars means "good" to me. Obviously, other than that seminar, the place is not for my use.