Wow why I never new about this fantastic place before? I love this place I am new here as a member. It is extremely clean. Staff is very friendly and helpful. I have made new friends here. I been coming to swim almost everyday. The lockers are so clean it has everything you need clean showers. TVs so we can watch any show while drying our hair or getting dressed. The bathrooms wow so clean. I also been goi g to the sauna and steam room. Although right now am struggling with my season allergies it is hard for me to be longer in the steam room but do manage to stay 2-3min. I enjoy the lap pool but it has no shallow side so for me to get out of the pool is challenging since I am very petite in height. The warm water pool is extremely enjoyable. However is sumner time and it is filled with many kids which I love but for many elder patrons do tell the not to splash I laughed amused at that request because how can you go swimming and demand kids not to splash lol the point here is you are at already inside the pool enjoy it and do not be a Karen !! The manager at this place is so kind and polite I wished I new about this long ago but I will be coming for the rest of the year yay read more

It serves the community on a tight budget and does a pretty good job of it. Has a little something for all ages. Easy to meet and make friends. I happen to like Rball and wish they had two courts. But happy they have one. The YMCA does not get government money like a park district. Its mission statement is to not turn a profit but to serve all. WAY TO GO KISH YMCA. read more

I am not a member at this Y but I come frequently to dekalb and always enjoy stopping here. The facility is very clean and updating with fabulous staff. They have nice locker rooms with a sauna and steam room that are very clean. They supply towels. I mostly come to use the pool. The pool is one of the nicest pools I've swam laps in. It really is the focal point of this Y. They're equipment room is a bit smaller however it is a smaller Y. They have a child's play area and an indoor track. read more

They threatened me for over a year over $10 that I didn't owe. These are the people handling your sensitive information like bank account information, credit cards, home address, etc. Beware. read more

I first became a member of the Y in 1993. I continued going until sometime in 2008. This place has *really* gone down-hill over the years. It is too expensive, too crowded, and I don't like how resources become unavailable without any prior announcement. Also, I hear that there are several executives at this Y that are making 6 figures. That certainly wasn't the case when I first started going there and, guess what? It was way better back then. I left and never looked back. read more

I really enjoy coming to this YMCA. I've been a member for a couple years now and have always had good experiences, for the most part (see last paragraph). First off, it's huge. Two pools, big workout room, indoor soccer, indoor track, multiple private rooms etc... I usually come here for the workout room and sauna. There is a sauna in the men's and women's locker room and is perfect around the winter time. I'll sometimes just come to the Y during the week to go in the sauna and relax, not even work out that day. It's clean here as well. The staff is super friendly and they make sure that everything is kept neat and in place. I see staff regularly walking around checking on everything. One thing I'll mention that I don't know if the staff knows about. But there is this guy who keeps passing out religious literature in the men's locker room. He also keeps lecturing and pushing his beliefs on people IN THE SAUNA. It's kinda weird and clearly people don't want to talk to some random guy in the sauna about his religious beliefs. If you see any pamphlets in the men's locker room or sauna...that's him. read more

I have been working out here for a little over 6 months now, and when I was struggling to find a gym after moving to the area, I wanted to give up on it until I came here. I was greeted by the friendliest employees of any gym I have ever visited, received an excellent tour. They answered all of my ridiculous questions, and it didn't take me long to choose the Y. I come here with my best friend several times a week (she's a member here too) and we love it. There is a huge selection of machines, areas/rooms to work out, etc. I am a student at NIU and I prefer here to the campus rec center for many reasons, but one is the wide variety and selection. Even at their busiest times, I can find a treadmill. I have yet to use the pool here, so I can't speak to that, but over all, the place is clean, friendly, and has something for everyone. My only complaint, and the only reason this is not 5 stars, is because of their weekend hours. I can never work out here on the weekends because I work on the weekends and they have very limited hours. Otherwise, it is fantastic! read more

I signed up for a membership, and a few days later was diagnosed with a foot problem prohibiting me from going to the gym. I went in to cancel my membership before being charged for the second month. I had NEVER even gone once, so considering that, and that I had a legit medial reason (even willing to provide a medical record) they would at least refund some of it. NOPE, I think they handled this situation very wrong and woman was snotty about it. I will never be a member again, nor would I ever recommend to family or friends. Poor customer service!!!!! read more

My husband and I joined the Y in the fall of 2008 when I was pregnant with our first child. We weren't very active but knew going forward we wanted to be active and live healthier. I joined Shallow Water exercise and also a prenatal class that was going on. I met so many great people and other mom-to-be's that I am still friends with today, over 6 years later. Our son has grown up at the Kishwaukee Family YMCA...from spending time in Kid Zone while I took a Zumba(r) class to 2 years of Preschool and Summer Camp. He began taking Karate this past fall and is gaining self-confidence and learning life-saving skills with 'stranger danger'. He looks forward to coming to the Y and seeing his friends that he only sees here because we don't live in Dekalb/Sycamore schools. I love coming to the Y and talking to fellow members in the group fitness classes- there are so many offered and nearly all are free with your membership, which allows for so much more flexibility than back when it was pay-per-session. read more

Been a member for 45 years and, in general, the staff is great. No problems there. Now, however, management (read the director and maybe the Board), faced with bleeding finances, elected to cut back services rather than look to increase membership, especially lap pool hours. If you are interested in swimming, STAY AWAY FROM THIS ESTABLISHMENT. Really bad decision making. Kishwaukee Wellness Center (just next door) will probably end up owning the Y (keep the Bickner Pool and demolish the rest of the structure). Again, great staff but they are not interested in accommodating swimmers. read more

There are very few gym options in the DeKalb/Sycamore area, so I will give props to the "Y" for its contributions to the community and to the wide variety of programming options they provide for children and families. The problem with this, however, is that I am not a child. Nor do I wish to work out among them. Let me explain. My first experience with this "Y" was when I signed up for a hip hop fitness class to accommodate my love for dance. I was excited that they offered this class, since hip hop isn't necessarily something you see very often. What they either failed to tell me or that I failed to notice is the fact that this particular class was deemed to be "family friendly," meaning that parents and kids can take it together. Well, that's what it means in theory, anyway. What it means in practice is that most parents of children ages 5-12 drop their kids off there for an hour while they go dance. This is an embarrassing and noneducational situation for me, the childless. The instructor of the class was awful as well; she spent literally half the class on stretching exercises, and the rest of the time either giving us self-esteem boosters or second-guessing herself on the routine. So it was also no workout. Awful. I dropped after the first week. Luckily, they were nice enough to let me apply the credit toward another class. I have, at least, had far better experiences with my [non family friendly] Zumba class. One thing I do appreciate about the "Y" is that they offer a variety of fitness classes, which are available to both members and nonmembers. I have taken advantage of the opportunity to just sign up for a class I want without joining like I would have to at NIU's Recreation Center, for example. As a non-member, I of course pay a higher price for these classes, but it is still nice to have the option. The facilities here also leave much to be desired. Hardly any areas of the entire place offer any windows, which means that no matter where you are, you're working out in a cinder-block prison. Everything is cramped, with narrow hallways, small workout rooms, and outdated equipment. And did I mention the child infestation? I would love to see a Lifetime fitness or similar location move in. read more

Over the past 3 years the Kish YMCA has made major improvements and increased their class offerings. I hired a personal trainer 2 years ago who has really upped my strength. The Y charges half what you'd pay in the burbs for a trainer. Love the new Queenix room and Indo-rowing and high intensity classes like deep water Tabata. The new locker rooms are clean and bright and the Wellness Center installed new machines a few years back. Very friendly and well trained staff who not only exercise your body but guide you to improve your life. They also welcome your entire family from toddlers to Seniors. read more

I really enjoyed all the different activities to do. I am a huge basketball fan, and I love the courts they have here. It is also a great place for kids and teens of all ages. I hope everyone tries to get their children out this summer and into their camp. Overall they have a great staff and tons of things to do. I hope everyone stays active. read more

The Kishwaukee Y has outdone itself this year. Between October 17 and March 6, they have scheduled 15 weekend days for swim meets. You may as well stay home during those days- no parking, no lap pool, overcrowding and dirty locker rooms. If the Y is going to charge members for use, they should not deny services while they pursue secondary revenue streams. read more