I have been a member of this gym since 2021, and I have never been as disappointed as I am now. I am tired of the way some of the employees who scan memberships and hand out parking tokens treat me. On multiple occasions, I have watched other members receive their parking token without being questioned, while I am almost always asked to scan my membership again or prove that I am entitled to receive one, even after I tell them that my membership includes this benefit. As a member who has faithfully paid for years, it is disrespectful to be treated as if my word has no value or as if I have to prove that I am telling the truth every single time. It is embarrassing, frustrating, and it has made me feel like I am being treated differently because I am Hispanic. I am not asking for special treatment. I am asking to be treated with the same respect and consistency as every other paying member. If scanning is the policy, then it should be applied equally to everyone--not selectively. Management needs to seriously address this issue and provide better training to its staff. After years of supporting this gym, I should not leave feeling disrespected every time I come in. If this continues, I will have no reason to keep paying for a membership at a place where I do not feel valued or treated fairly. read more

Review of East Shore YMCA - Unclean, Unprofessional, Unsafe As a high-volume triathlete training for multiple Ironman events, my daily sessions often exceed five hours, with weekly totals ranging from 22 to 30 hours. I'm not a casual gym-goer--I know what a professionally run gym and aquatic facility should look like. Unfortunately, East Shore YMCA consistently falls short of even the most basic standards. ‍ Pool Conditions: Inconsistent and Unsafe - On some days, the pool is barely passable. On others, I'd be better off putting on a wetsuit and swimming in the river across the street. - I've personally seen used bandages floating in the pool and scattered around the deck--items I've had to alert apathetic lifeguards about. - Hygiene rules are routinely ignored, and enforcement is selective at best. I've witnessed multiple instances where individuals who were not certified lifeguards were stationed on duty. - Swimming here poses a legitimate health risk--both from potential staph infections due to water quality and from the possibility of an emergency being handled by underqualified staff. - Frankly, I'm surprised the Department of Health hasn't intervened under Title 28, Chapter 18. ‍ Weight Room: Disorderly and Unsupervised - The weight room often resembles a romper room more than a training facility. - Equipment is frequently left out or not wiped down. I've returned weights myself to prevent hazards--despite not being staff. - Unruly children run through the space unchecked, creating safety risks for those trying to train seriously. - While not as unsanitary as the pool, the environment reinforces every negative stereotype associated with Harrisburg city gyms. It's a shame, because the members seem to have accepted these low standards--and the staff reflects that same indifference. Location vs. Standards I live just two blocks from this facility, and for a while, convenience kept me coming back. But after touring the LA Fitness across the river, I realized I no longer need to tolerate a gym that fails to meet even the most basic expectations of professionalism, cleanliness, and safety. By contrast, the Camp Hill YMCA is everything East Shore is not--clean, professional, and well-managed. The difference is stark, and it's clear that East Shore YMCA does not prioritize its patrons' well-being. The standards here are not YMCA standards--they're simply what the staff and members have allowed to persist read more

Still a one star review. This place goes through executive directors like crazy. If you want to make sure machines are working you'd be better off at a box gym. read more

I'm been going here for a year now and am very happy with what they have. They offer three separate workout rooms 1. For gym junkies 2. For those who want to be alone 3. Regular gym goers The staff is always nice and they take care of broken equipment at a good pace. Guest policy isn't great and classes offered are a good range of times and activities read more

I have been in three or four YMCA's in the past year. I am a hospitalist traveling for COVID relief in various ICU's/Med Surg wings. The past two weeks I have been helping my parents move in to their retirement home in Pennsylvania. I have been to this Y about six times. To wit-"Kim" at the front desk this morning told me my "percentages are off." I didn't understand and she explained that fifty percent of YMCA visits must be at your home gym and I have "too many" at this Y so I can't visit, anymore. That was it, blunt, no explanation. I then asked what my percentage is and she said she didn't know she needed my home ID. How does she know I'm "off," then, and can't participate at this YMCA? She smiled wryly last week and stated that "Devin (sic) is slow." Devin is the front desk person and night attendee for resident/guests and is kind, gentle and earnest with his efforts to help. I spoke with the manager and stated I no longer feel welcome there. Kim is an abrasive, condescending and unprofessional employee. If I am no longer able to attend, fine. If I missed a rule, fine. However, it is unacceptable to be caustically told my percentages are off and I can't return, then asked for my ID to actually see my percentages. Thanks for no support, Harrisburg YMCA. "Devin is slow," really, Kim? Someone else is the problem here and it is not Devin or myself lol. Guaranteed this is a pattern for this employee. Good luck with her crazy making if you are a member or visitor. Or co-worker. I gave it two stars as the other employees and Y members were fabulous but Kim drug the "percentage"down in the gutter with her behavior. read more

Beautiful historic building. Joined and submitted the request to have someone show me how to use the equipment, seven months later, never contacted. Dirty. Bugs, crawling and sleeping on their backs everywhere. Women's locker room individual showers, only one is adjustable to cool water, the rest are stuck blowing hot water, paper towel dispenser broken for ages, never smells like it's been cleaned with cleaning agent, heat is out of balance the women's adult locker room feels like it isn't ever heated and the rest of the locker area is overheated. Employees really do not care. Reported the shower issue to maintenance manager, he said he didn't think there was anything wrong with the temperature, escalated to the director, he said I had to be patient that these things take time. Saw the write up in the paper that they are looking to do major overhall, maybe they don't want to maintain what they have. Recommend everyone go to a different gym. read more

I've had it with this place. My family have been members for two years. While there are some friendly people who work and work out here, the place is dominated by pushy old white men. Yelling and laughing loudly with each other in the cardio room, staring, chuckling, and making comments to me as I try to get a workout. Today I found a large empty room to do lunges in peace. A man (see above) started his punching bag workout two feet from me. Really?!? We were the only two people in a HUGE room. Looking for another gym. read more

The building is old and historic, but not maintained well. The gym is really broken up into to many areas and not conducive to a decent workout. The stepmills May be older than I am. Most of the equipment doesn't run well- I don't think they maintain anything. The seats are all ripped and frayed. The main room is too small and crowded with very few options. I often feel creeped out by other members who gawk and make lewd comments. The locker rooms are hot and smelly and you couldn't pay me to actually shower there. I would've loved to have been able to go to the gym as the location was decent, but the gym itself is not. read more

If you enjoy old rude people this is the place for you. Most of the equipment is decades old. If they ever add a new class it's an additional Bodypump. I think they have about 30 bodypump classes a week. read more

This YMCA was a great spot to workout on my trip. The weight room was a little hard to find but the facility was nice. It's not the most updated YMCA but it works in a jiffy. Also the parking is a dollar and you need a token to leave read more

This gym is amazing. It was established in the 1930's. You can feel the history within the walls. The textile art work and architecture of the building is beautiful in itself. The gym is broken down into many layers and sections. There is a day care for children, the basement which is my favorite part. The basement has old school cast iron York plates and the vibe and energy down there is something else. When I received a tour the staff was helpful and friendly. There is also a yoga room. The cardio room over looks the river. There's just so much to this gym you really have to check it out for yourself. You can get a 2 day pass from signing up through their website. read more

East Shore Branch YMCA - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

I work here and I work out here, and I can highly recommend the staff, the programs, the facilities, and the belief system. Never have I felt more connected to a friendlier, more engaging bunch of human beings. Nor have I ever witnessed more generosity towards others than at the Y. I urge everyone to give the Y a chance to make you into a fan, too. read more

Pros: great facilities- basketball courts, classes, swimming pool, friendly staff Cons: complete hassle to sign in guests, only 5 guest passes total, overpriced for the quality of workout machines (everytime I've gone at least 2 of the cardio machines have been broken), confusing building layout, code is needed to even get in the locker rooms, once you've already swiped your membership card, pool was said to be closed for maintenance for the next month or so but they still expect you to pay the full $40 without the pool (which is why i joined in the first place) Real reason I will never go back: Planet Fitness and Gold's Gym at least has the decency to give you a 2 week cancellation policy, here it is 30 days so I'm getting charged for next month although I tried to cancel almost 2 weeks ago. Not worth the money and with a 30 day cancellation policy I fail to see the Christian values being espoused. read more

If you can get here, go for one simple reason - to see the building! I love that this location has preserved a lot of the original content of the older Spanish architecture YMCAs, while also adding on to the back to make a very spacious and modern workout facility. When working out at older YMCA's, you must get accustomed to having rooms broken up and paths that are not direct. That's the one minor downfall of an older YMCA. Once you get past that you can take in the history. The pool has really great tile detail in typical Spanish terra cotta colors and is very clean; the interior courtyard has a beautiful fountain with and old brick facade maintained, and the lobby itself has a lot of preserved detail as well. I found the locker rooms to be very spacious, with a small lounge on one end, a sauna, small steam room, and two sets of open showers. There was some minor upkeep needed in these areas, but it smelled clean. I also noted that there was no place to hang a towel close by, or a shelf to put toiletries while in the shower. It was difficult to juggle my toiletries and I didn't want to put them on the floor; they do have basic soap if you want to use theirs. The staff couldn't be kinder. I was an out-of-state basic member, and each staff member took care of me with a smile, as well as offered to show me around and how to use the key code on the locker rooms. They will lock the aerobics studios when a class was not in session, which was a disappointment since I like to use that open space sometimes. Also, a smaller workout area did not have updated equipment, but again had some fascinating historical elements. Take the journey - this is a true part of Harrisburg history that shouldn't be missed! read more

I have been a Y member for 40 yrs. I travel extensively and visit Y's all over the country - good and bad. I have to say that I was extremely pleased the 1st time I went to the East Shore. The facilities are clean and well maintained, the staff friendly and helpful, the pool is sparkling clean and the workout facilities and programs are top notch. It's an old building right on the river so it's not real convenient, but they do have parking in the rear for $1. Good job East Shore. read more