My experience here is limited to the pool, but I use it pretty regularly. The water aerobics classes with Gary are great! I also enjoy the warmer pool with the current where you can walk around. They have all sorts of equipment like pool noodles, weights, and kickboards. The parking lot can get crowded, but I've always been able to find parking when I go in the mornings. My one complaint is that I wish they advertised on their Facebook page if the pool hours are changing, a class is closed, or the pool is closed. I've gone all the way over there and found out that what I was going to do isn't an option that day. read more

Great facility with lots of recreational options - lap pool, family pool, basketball courts, free weights and machines, treadmills, bikes, etc. Free for senior citizens, nominal fees otherwise. read more

I enjoy the lap pool. The water temperature is perfect, and the pool is well maintained. For the great majority of I've swum there, the lifeguards have been professional and alert. There was a period a while back that the loud blaring of a boombox at the lifeguard's feet occasioned a letter of complaint to the Director (that was never acknowledged) telling him another letter was going to the Mayor if this practice wasn't immediately curtailed for safety reasons, let alone disturbing the peace. Today, a life guard was wearing a black hoodie underneath his Lifeguard sweatshirt, and sweatpants. Think about that for a minute. So, swim at your own risk. The people running the show have demonstrably very little safety concern for the welfare of their swimmers. read more

The rec center has a cute little climbing wall on outside on the second floor, with a great view from the top! Very friendly staff, and a good recreational facility for the price! read more

Carla Madison Recreation Center - Climbing wall - Recreation Centers Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Over all a good facility, but there are things that bother me and I'm sure others as well; The High school kids must get a free membership, because they are certainly there every day. Closing kid care start of 2026 is very disappointing for those with children. Pool hours are pretty unimpressive as well. read more

Love this rec center. I don't get here enough (says my tight pants). but I love it when I do. The facilities are really nice and there is plenty of gym equipment for all. It can get crowded during peak hours and is pretty full of East high school kids after school, but I guess I would prefer them hanging out at the rec than getting into trouble elsewhere. Isn't that what rec centers are for? The parking lot is too small to accommodate all the visitors so it can be a pain during peak hours. All that being said, the staff are helpful, the facilities are kept clean and they offer great classes for a variety of fitness levels. The leisure pool is a great place for kids to hang out and swim. I recently brought my 2.5yr old niece to play and she wore herself completely out in the splash area and going down the slides no less than a zillion times. Outside, there is a climbing wall and ping pong tables. It's a really great place for the neighborhood to enjoy. read more

Carla Madison Recreation Center - Happy with the splash pad! - Recreation Centers Near Me - Denver, Colorado

We had our daughters birthday party at the Carla Madison pool and it was really great! The party room is right by the pool, has plenty of room for guests, amenities like tables and chairs, and is close to the family locker room. The reason I am not giving 5 starts is that it was too cold! EVERY child in our group had blue lips and was shivering. The pool could be a little warmer for sure, they were somewhat cold in the pool, but the party room was especially icy. All of the adults were using their jackets and extra towels to keep their young kiddos warm while we had snacks and birthday cake. I definitely recommend this place for a kids birthday party, but maybe bring a space heater with you? read more

This has to be the flagship for Denver Rec Centers. It has two swimming pools. One for lap swimming and one for families plus a rehab area. The basketball court is amazing. The weight and cardio areas are pretty impressive. It can get busy since three other rec centers are being used to house the homeless. read more

Carla Madison Recreation Center - Weight area, with cardio area in the background. - Recreation Centers Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Front desk staff constantly on their phones and not paying attention so generally just walk right in. Doesnt sell swim diapers or other swim accessories. Parking lot constantly crowded with people that aren't using the pool or gym. read more

Before I start this review I just want to say that I hate gym memberships because I always stop going after the first few weeks. This is why I LOVE the Carla Madison rec center, you simply pay $2 every time you go, no commitment or funky contracts needed. This rec center has a huge selection of state of the art fitness equipment and weights. They even have a Concept 2 rowing machine which is one of the best out there. The rec center also has several swimming pools and even a cool outdoor rock climbing wall. If you're not into gym memberships like me, but still want to work out, then this place is for you!! read more

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So far so good! For $30 a month with access to a decent gym, lap pool and 7 days a week group classes I think I found an awesome place! It looks to be recently updated so I'm kind of in love!!! read more

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Of the two Denver Rec Centers closest to my house, Carla Madison is by far the hipper, cooler version. The age demographic ranges from mid 20's to early 40's, which is not surprising given the location and proximity to the hip 'hoods of Denver. In addition to the traditional cardio equipment, Carla Madison has some fancier options but no live TV to watch while you work out. The machines have TV's on them, but I've never seen them work. So come prepared to listen to a podcast/your own music with your own headphones. Also, they have the regular ellipticals plus the fancier ones that give you a much tougher workout. Note that some of the machines are connected to the light art installation outside. The harder you work, the more the lights sparkle out front. I've tried taking a HIIT spin class a few times but it fills up in like, four seconds. The Saturday morning class and weekday morning classes have a wait list literally out the door. So unless you want to wake up at 4:30 am and hang out right at the front door for 30 minutes before the gym opens, you're probably not getting a spot. Open swim is equally as popular, though the pool looks exactly the same as the Central Park location. So if you're looking to be at the "it" Denver Rec, this is probably it. If you prefer less crowds and a more advanced demographic, I'd recommend Central Park in Stapleton. It just depends on what you need in a gym. read more

Carla Madison Recreation Center - Recreation Centers Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Great rec center. Lots of cardio equipment, indoor lap pool, great hours, helpful staff.

Today we were kicked out of the pool due to " Not being a part of the swim class" by chase with purple hair . Before coming down to the swimming area I checked with the front asking if it was allowed for us to swim . We get down here and get kicked out . Ive nwver had something like this happen at this recent before . There should be a clean communication between the pools about whats going on . read more

Carla Madison Recreation Center - Recreation Centers Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Worth it. Kids love the pool. Lots of opportunities for activities. Can't believe I didn't come here sooner

I'm impressed! Despite living in Denver proper for many years, this was my first visit to a Denver rec center. This facility is absolutely beautiful and super modern. They have their own parking lot, a major plus in this part of town, and it was pretty large as well. I liked the simplicity of using the rec center as well. I just showed my ID in order to verify that I live in Denver so I could get the resident rate, then paid $6 for a drop-in. No forms or sales pitches and it could not have been easier. They have multi-visit passes or monthly/annual memberships as well, but seeing as I'm new to the Denver rec centers I decided to go with a drop-in. They have a huge variety of group classes from about 6am to 6pm, which is what piqued my interest in this location initially. They seem to have the most group classes out of all Denver rec centers, so if you're as into group workouts as I am, then this is definitely the location for you. The Zumba class I attended was great - very high-energy and not overly crowded. I also glanced at the pool area (but did not swim) and it looked awesome. They even have a water slide as well as an edge of the pool with a short rock wall over it. I had been expecting a simple lap pool but they have that and more. Kids would love it. The only thing I noticed was that they don't have many cardio machines. I expected more considering the size of the facility. There were plenty open while I was there but I could see how they would fill up fast during peak times, like on weekdays before or after work. However, this is the only criticism I have. read more

Great gym and amenities. The lap pool is a great addition as well as the classes offered.

Wonderful new Recreation Center for Denver Parks and Recreation. We worked out on the fourth day after it opened. Plenty of people using the center too, nice to see. Decent private parking lot, so that's good. Patrons can use the high school parking lots too, but check on those hours first. Front desk is inside the front entrance, but rather large, so you should not have to wait long if you are buying a pass, need to check on a class schedule (which are on line). Friendly staff too. Large 8 Lane lap pool. Fun separate lazy river pool as well. Not sure if there is a smaller hot therapy pool. I will have to check on that. I do hope they put one in. Locker rooms are in the basement, but it doesn't feel like a basement. Follow the yellow wall for the women's locker room, and the blue wall for the men's locker room. There is an area for family locker rooms too. Large gym with two (can be separated) full size gyms. Large separate area for weights and fitness machines. Clean, bright interior. Lots of windows. Many views out to Colfax, or the downtown area. I like the look of the facility too, modern, clean lines. Great facility, and very close to home. Let's go for a walk, work out, and then grab a bite to eat. See you there! read more

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This new rec center was worth the wait! The cardio area is huge and has tons of great equipment. Some of the elliptical machines actually light up the art installation outside, which is just too cool. I love going to group classes and the offerings at this center are awesome. They have classes at all times of day. So far I have been to yoga, barre, and power sculpt which have all been great. You can't beat the view from the fitness studio on the third floor - it has a great view of downtown and the mountains. They also have a cycling studio with spin bikes. Classes are included with your membership. I haven't gone swimming yet but the pool seems really nice! read more

Facility is great and the kids working there are helpful and friendly... my issue is a long-standing one. Since the Rec center opened it's been clear that upper management can't keep employees. They are paid less than McDonald's workers so the pool often has to close parts or all of the space. The water slide, a main attraction for my 3 boys, is almost never on and during our last visit they only had 3 lifeguards for 4 pools (on saturday). They closed the kid area during this visit as well. These issues aren't because of Covid or the pandemic, they have been there since the rec center opened. Upper management needs to pay workers more and they'll gladly attract more employees and people will want to work more shifts. read more

This is one of (if not 'the') newest rec centers in Denver. It's a nice space with a fair amount of equipment, a decent class selection and pools (although I do not use them). It is very affordable to get a membership or do a punch card. There are also trainers and nutrition counseling available. HOWEVER, this place is packed. ALL. THE. TIME. If you are an early bird and think you'll beat the crowd showing up right as they open. Forget it. There will be 50 + people waiting for the doors to unlock. And then it's like a black Friday sale with everyone rushing to get to 'their' machine/equipment. If you want to get a spot in a class, then show up 40 + minutes before the start time and hope there isn't already a line of people waiting just to sign up. If your idea of a good cardio workout is waiting in line for a machine to open up and then being limited to 30 minutes, then this is the place for you. It is a convenient and affordable option for fitness, but the insane crowds ruin the fun. read more

This rec center is the newest of the Denver Rec Centers. In many ways, it's the jewel of the Denver Parks & Rec system. I've been here about 3-4 times now, and usually enjoy myself. Mainly, I come here to use the leisure pool with my daughter on weekends, but I've also used their weights, cardio equipment, and fitness classes. Things to know: Pros: It's beautiful, clean, and comprehensive. It's open 7 days a week, has tons of classes, and swim lessons for kids. It has plenty of parking, including overflow parking. It also has an outside climbing wall and a bouldering wall in the courtyard. It also has a dog park, and a kid-watch 6 days a week - but not Sundays. The locker rooms are very clean with showers and code locks, so you don't have to bring your own. There is a lap pool and a leisure pool for kids. Cons: It is almost always crowded, especially on weekends. There is a system for fitness classes on weekends that involves signing up and getting these blue cone things as "admission tickets" into your class. People don't really tell you that. Classes can fill up quickly. There can be a wait for cardio or weight machines during busy times. This rec center is in the top tier of Denver Rec Centers, so it is a little more expensive for a membership or a day pass than some other rec centers. Make sure you check out their pool and class schedule online before you go. The leisure pool has swim lessons in the mornings on weekends sometimes, so you want to make sure you go during open swim times so you don't have to wait. read more

If you are looking for the lowest cost option with maximum opportunity, buying a gym membership through the Carla Madison is your best option. For $30 a month ($21 if your 24 or younger) you get full access to the weight room, lap pool, as well as a ton of fitness classes. I frequently go to the Carla Madison between 5:30AM and 7:00AM before work and the crowd can really vary. Most Mondays and Fridays are pretty vacant, I assume this is because most people are either sore from their weekend of hiking/skiing or they've left early for a weekend of hiking/skiing. Wednesday are easily the most packed days in the weight room/cardio area where it might literally be tripping over other people. I think at this point I've been to the weight room over 50 times and I have yet to use a squat rack - there are only 3 and they're always filled. The smith machine is usually open for some reason tho. I've only had to wait once to get a spot in the lap pool in the AM, and that was because I'd rather wait for a side of a lane rather than join two people and circle swimming. I haven't tried a fitness class, and I've never been at the rec in the evenings, so I can't speak on those two areas. If you're looking for the best bang for your buck, def hit up Carla Madison, but if you like your personal space and not waiting for a squat rack or machine then this probably isn't your jam. read more

This review is solely for the workout area--not swimming or classes. They need to tell you upfront that kids can use the workout equipment. There are a lot of kids running around playing on the equipment, even during busy hours. So not only are there no available machines, there are middle school and high schoolers also taking up machines. The gym is very busy very often. I even went on a Sunday and there was at least one extra person waiting for a machine already in use. During the school year, don't go after 2pm because all of the school children go there directly after they get out of school (which is next to the gym). read more

This is a great spot.. Clean and has a ton of new equipment. I think everyone should join and invite all there friends as well. This Rec center has everything read more

First visit is free! Nice space, very updated and spacious. Doesn't seem like they have a lot of machines. I was impressed with their class selection and multiple offerings throughout the day, I've struggled with some rec centers lack of class offerings (as that's my preferred workout). I will say this space is ALWAYS busy, as other reviewers have mentioned-- so yes, it's affordable, but not always available if you're looking to get a workout in without a wait. read more

I've enjoyed using this facility since it opened roughly four years ago. The city spared no expense in creating a rec center that we can be proud of. Sadly, parking has become a problem. The source of the problem is that relatively recently, East High School students have begun using the parking lot. It often takes 10-15 minutes of waiting for a parking spot to open up. When I raised this issue with staff at the front desk of the Rec Center the response has been, "we're aware of it, and are discussing the issue", and "there's really nothing we can do". Interestingly; the staff parking lot, to the north side of the building, has a sign that states "staff parking only". Funny that they can do that to protect parking for their use. Wouldn't you think it would be easy to put up a sign by the entrance to the general parking lot that says, "parking for Rec Center users only"? I have a call in to my councilman, Chris Herndon, to discuss the issue. I'm hopeful that something can be done. It shouldn't be such a difficult thing to resolve. read more

Love the facility and staff. My only complaint is the Denver East Students. They invade the place at almost all hours of the day (shouldn't they be in class?) and treat the entire workout area like it's a giant social event. They are rude, loud and never put the equipment away. I wish there were some restrictions on their access to the Rec center because it makes what is otherwise an incredible place to work out absolutely miserable. read more

We are so impressed with the pools at the rec center. It's an amazing facility. I also like how attentive the life guards are at making sure the kids aren't running by the pool. It is unfortunate that there are homeless people that have to visit and shower here. It would also be great if the rec center can rent out towels as they do in the Silverthorne rec center. Overall, this is a great facility. My son had hours of fun here. read more

This is a very nice gym, everything you need. However it's very small for being right in the city. The weight room should be double the size if not bigger to handle the high volume and you can only shoot baskets at random times. They close the court almost everyday after a certain time. For the price it's great and I go here everyday but some things could be better as always with anything. read more

This is a great facility! I don't understand the negative reviews. I am not sure why a reviewer would knock it because it is popular and people make use of it. I thought that was what tax-payer funded rec centers were for. read more

Ii'd give this recreation center of negative one if they had it available. The available hours are ridiculous. Since Happy Haynes and all her minions cant seem to keep a budget, they resorted to the easiest band-aid to their fiscal irresponsibility- just cut the hours back- oh, and just do it with no warning. YES, this is how they did it. Everybody was surprised, because even the website hours were wrong for over two months post announcement, and thousands of patrons continued to show up to closed doors. AFTER the fact, the rec center staff started posting cheap photocopies of new hours around the gym-a desparate afterthought, to cover their asses. Open till 8 during the week? For those of us who work, that gives us only 2.5 hours to make it to the gym after work. Does Happy Haynes expect to service the same amount of people in a shorter amount of time? Go to Planet Fitness or Chuze-even if you have to drive a little, and get what you pay for and much much more. $10.00 per month gives you AT LEAST twice the open hours, and three times the machines. They are new machines too. If I want unlimited classes, $20.00 per month opens up all the classes offerred as well as offering ffull gym access. Thats 240.00 per year for a SUPERIOR experience. This is less than what I paid during the Rec's discount enrollment during November last year-one of the worst purchase decisions I have ever made. Know what should infuriate you the most? This year, Executive director of parks and recreation (Happy Haynes) receives an 18.28% raise to $170,523 from $144,168, while she cuts back on services that I PAID FOR IN ADVANCE, AND WILL NOT REFUND. Who the hell does this lady think she is? read more

Do love waiting? Waiting for classes in a hall? Waiting for a swim lane? Waiting ALL the time? Then this place is for you! Carla madison rec center has lines for its classes and for its machines at ALL times of the day. Whether its 6am or 6pm, your guaranteed to have to wait upwards of 25 minutes just to work out! And if that doesnt get ya joining, make sure to come and wait for the classes for 30 min before SIGN UP or it will fill up. Cheap gym, you get what you pay for. I would not advise going here if your looking to regularly work out, the designers of the facility clearly didn't think of how many people would use it. Boo this place! read more

Honestly I love this gym, the facilities are great EXCEPT for the self-locking lockers. I had $600 cash stolen out of my self-locking locker. Yes I used it correctly and yes I locked it, but apparently they are easy to break into because there was my wallet, sitting open on top of my purse with nothing in it. So beware, bring a lock and use the tiny lockers in the cardio room even though they are tiny and not in the locker room, I will no longer be using the self-locking lockers. read more

Still love this place especially for the price. But the weight room has proven to be very limiting. As it gets more crowded, there are fewer machines than most commercial gyms and it can be frustrating. I recommend if you can coming during the week between 12 and 3 in the afternoon. Usually you can get a good workout with just a little waiting. read more

Beautiful facility with good prices.. but they need to limit membership. No matter what time you come to the gym.. every machine is full. Quite noisy with the basketball court right there as well. You have to arrive to classes 30+ minutes early just to get a spot. Just way too crowded. read more

Such a beautiful complex! A wonderful deal where gym, classes, and pool are all included. New facilities. Stunning view from the top.

This rec center is awesome. My only desire is that they'd have more cardio machines because they're typically all occupied during peak hours. They also lack many (any?) ab machines. Otherwise it's a beautiful building with an impressive pool area and even a rock climbing wall. The locker rooms are always clean and you don't need to bring a lock as they have an electronic passcode system on all lockers. I have and will continue to highly recommend this place to anyone. read more

This is a tough pool for kids of mixed ages. The small water playground is fine for kids three and under, but it only has one small slide and a few buckets, squirters, etc. The playground area is separate so you can keep your little one from the bigger pool area. However, the bigger pool area is tough for kids under 8. The shallowest area is 3 feet 6 inches and has a strong current. We have a child almost 5 years old, very tall for her age, who is used to swimming independently in most pools. She couldn't do anything here. The water was too deep and too strong. She did wear a life jacket (provided by the pool) but then she could only bob along with the flow of water. There is a current river, but it's the same depth. There is also a long, deeper area with basket ball and a climbing wall, but it would be best for kids 10 and up who are strong swimmers (can swim without touching). For kids ages 4,5, 6 or even 7, this pool was too hard. They might be OK in a life jacket or hanging in the small water playground, but don't expect them to be able to play independently. I think we'll skip this pool next time or plan on two adults, for sure. And yes, the water is a bit chilly. The kids didn't complain, but it certainly could have been warmer. read more

Its good for the Price, Looks beautiful but beware its poorly designed! its an open floor plan ..........one big room with screaming kids playing basketball a few feet away from the workout are with no way to block it out..........Bring your ear plugs......headset etc read more