We bought an annual membership at this center about a month ago and we love it! As far as the price, we pay out of town rates and are thrilled with them. A few years ago we were members of Lifetime Fitness and let me tell you, those are the prices that are outrageous!! We have three adults and prepaid childcare for a 4-year-old and an infant and it is only $73/month!! So I don't know what the people who are complaining about the price are used to paying but the going rate now at Lifetime is $65/month for just the 1st person. Now, are the locker rooms nicer there, yes. Everything is probably a notch up there but this place is still wonderful for the price. I go at different times during the week and the only time that things have been a bit crowded was this last Sunday afternoon at the pool, but even that was not too bad. The track is nice. There are big windows and you can see the mountains as you walk. You can also pretend you are looking down at the basketball court as you look back to see if you are about to be lapped. You do have to ask for a code before going up but they tell you this if you come in and ask about the center. The pools are a bit chilly (granted it is the middle of winter and there are huge windows) but they are a good size and seem to handle the number of people. I swim every Friday with my 4-year-old and she is usually the only kid. The guards are very nice and very alert! They are constantly walking and counting the guests. I just started taking the interval class and the instructor is great. The people in the class are so supportive too. I am about 100 lbs overweight and was VERY self-conscious about being in this class, but complete strangers were smiling at me, giving me high 5's and when I went to grab my water one lady thought I was upset and leaving. She stopped her work-out to encourage me to stay. That is a pretty great community of people. My kids also love the child care. The workers are so kind. They have never acted put-out or frustrated at all. They seem to really enjoy the kids and mine asks almost everyday if she can go there. My biggest suggestion would have to be some customer service training for some of the front desk staff. I know they are busy and I'm sure they put up with a lot of stuff, but some of them act like they are constantly irritated no matter how polite you are. Again, I don't think that you can beat this facility for the price!! read more

I'm just not a fan... their swim area isn't ideal. They have a baby pool that's a very small space but also too much splashing to actually accommodate a baby... The wave pool is kind of cool however it is pretty narrow, and they allow kids to be extra rambunctious in there, which makes it more of a danger than anything. Multiple times I've been there, the lap pool has been closed, which has a rock climbing wall, which maybe could be cool but again it's always been closed. It's the only pool deeper than 3 1/2 feet. They have a small lazy river which could be fun however all kids have to be in a tube and that's just not for everyone. There's a sign on the locker room that says little boys six and under aren't allowed in the women's restroom... Maybe people are fine with that but my six-year-old son is too small to be alone. Also, the biggest turn off is that you have to pay even if you aren't swimming. My kids are smaller and so obviously need a parent, but I don't need to be in the water with them, and you still have to pay, regardless, which is just annoying and kind of a rip off. It's just not where I would choose again. read more

My husband and I came to play pickle and had a poor experience and would reccomend others not to go unfortunately. We found an empty court and began a simple singles game--nothing disruptive, just enjoying the space that was clearly available. The courts are first come first serve per the Thornton Rec Center Employees and website. Moments later, an older woman came over and rudely told us that singles play wasn't allowed and we needed to play doubles. Not only was her tone unnecessarily harsh, but she insisted it was a "rule," despite there being no signage or clear policy anywhere stating that singles games were prohibited. If there is an empty court, people should be able to play how they want. The courts are supposed to be first come, first serve, but it seems like a group of older regulars have taken it upon themselves to control who plays, how, and when. It felt more like we were intruding on their private club than participating in a community activity at a public facility. We're all for shared use and following actual posted rules, but this kind of gatekeeping is exactly what drives new players and younger participants away. It was a really disappointing and unwelcoming experience. They need to make it so these courts are reserved. Otherwise the other facilities are great! There is tennis courts, bocce ball , a splash pad, horseshoe pits and great walking paths. read more

Attended a birthday party there and it was fun! Easy to find parking in the private lot. Went inside and past the front desk to the event rooms. They have vending machines by the restrooms and the light comes in to brighten the space. The front desk associate was nice too. My friend has had parties here before and likes the place. read more

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This was a very interesting and beautiful event, and my wife and I both loved it! What more can I say? read more

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The front desk worker was extremely rude and did not help at all, on top of that, the people there were also being extremely disrespectful to me and my friend who were trying to do some studying. The woman who is going to help us at the front desk immediately stopped just to pick up a phone call. I felt disrespected and I felt like I didn't belong. read more

My whole family and my in-laws all got memberships and It was great until I got my son some badminton rackets. I went in around 4 on a Friday (with my 9 year old son at the time) which is when they had Badminton. There were a few people there but I was greeted almost instantly that the courts will be being used and that I should try going somewhere else. (forgot the name) I told him this was one of the reasons I got the membership and he said Oh...........well then you can come back on Sunday. I told him that is not happening because I work then. When I was playing with my son they had two people get on the court while we were playing that I noticed they were kind of nudging us off. I went up to the front desk and they said no it is open court but that this happens all the time and she has talked to them so many times. I told the players that I would like to play and that I could join your Facebook group so we can play together. The guy said that is not possible and he would not tell me why.....then I found out the group played together based off of race. My son was so excited but we ended up finding something else as we did not feel welcome. We had 5 memberships and none of us renewed. The sad thing is that someone is probably experiencing the same thing I my son and I did read more

Super neat park- there is a Carousel onsite and bands play often here. I came the other say to help out for the water lantern festival. Definitely a lovely park read more

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This is where we went for the Water Lantern Festival of last year, which it did not happen because of severe thunderstorms that destroyed most booths and beautiful set ups!! It was postponed until the following year. Now, Covid postponed it again until 2021! However, my good review will be for the awesome live music that happens from time to time at this park. It was filled with lots of friendly neighbors on their summer, lawn chairs. The music was sooo precious; mostly Spanish music that was very festive. I really enjoyed how big the park was and also it's incredibly beautiful! read more

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Took our grandsons here to swim for an afternoon. Fantastic place! Hours of fun and so many things to do at the pool. Hot tub was nice. Steam room was great....and the lifeguards are extremely aware. The showers and locker rooms were clean. They even have a swimsuit spinner to dry them a bit before packing them in the bags. The staff at the front desk were wonderful. We will be back for more fun! read more

Not good is a understatement. The staff starting with the front desk is extremely rude and pushy. The (supervisor on duty) is completely unprofessional. Everytime I come there is police activity. read more

We recently took a gymnastics class here and could not have been more disappointed. My son was in the boys class that met at 1:45-pm on Saturdays.  I had the opportunity to sit it in on one of the sessions.  While the girls class did everything and more, and had an instructor who seemed engaged, active and interested in her students and furthering their abilities, the boys teacher could not have been more different: he was aloof, cold and disinterested in his students. The majority of their time was spent waiting in a line to do one trick, including a half hour waiting just to jump down the trampoline in various different ways.  The boys were restless - they were here to move - not stand around waiting 15 minutes for one minute on the rings. In the course of his one hour lesson, my son did a total of three things.  He even expressed his disappointment that he didn't really learn to do "anything" when I asked if he wanted to reenroll. While I understand that there will be some waiting, the girl's class didn't really seem to have that problem.  The teacher got all the girls up on the balance beam, all the girls tumbling, etc.  Unfortunately beacuse of this experience, we will not be coming back to Thornton Rec for boys gymnastic until they address this inequality in teaching levels. read more

This is a great place to swim. It has a wave pool, it is right next to a playground, and it is a good environment.

Carpenter Rec Center has undergone some *major* outdoor improvements as of late. Do the improvements make the outrageous daily fee to use the indoor facilities worth it? I'm not entirely convinced they do. CRC is one of those neighborhood haunts you probably visit for the first time when you sign your two year old up for swim lessons. At least, that's how we first were introduced. The city has done a great job keeping registration and fees for recreational classes and most sports pretty reasonable over the years, and even with the economy, they've managed to not price gouge their rec classes much at all. But, the daily fee for residents is still higher than the per-day breakdown at most of the area gyms. As such, while I would like to use their fitness equipment and attend fitness classes here, I can't really justify it. And, what really irritates me is that there is no discount to use just the indoor walking track - wish there was! What I do like, though, are the outdoor facilities. We have a brand new amphitheater with seating, paddleboats, a carousel (which, by the way, is the same one which was in front of Bigg's Supermarket back in the day!), and tons of new walking trails around the center. The splash fountains are fun, too, but I wish parents would be a little more cognizant of having little ones (or, bigger ones) stand *right over* the spray. That's just gross! read more

I love this Rec Center and surrounding new outdoor recreation area. The fees are low and you can get a punch card to enjoy the amenities inside (great pool, exercise facility). I absolutely love the new outdoor area (free). As others have mentioned, there is a carousel and giant outside playground for children. It is beautiful. Also, a small lake with paddle boats (summer only) and nice running path around it. The City of Thornton out did themselves again. People don't know it, but the city is run quite well considering how large and diverse it is. Hats off on this expansion. read more

This place is pretty good! The facility is one of the newest in our area the pool area is decent, they have a lazy river, a huge floating frog, a slide, wave pool and hot tub. When my son was young he did swimming lessons here and ended up with Ecoli, but we've been back once since and we all survived... The gymnastics here are pretty good, the work out area is nice, there is a running track if you take the elevators upstairs. They have recently added a skate park, huge playground, carousel, lake and paddle boats. The park is wonderful! It has a splash pad too! They are making great improvements here. read more

I've been going here for years and I love it. The staff is very kind a professional. The facility is always clean. Also they allow you to cancel memberships with no charge if you don't end up using it as much as you thought. They have such a variety of classes that there is always something available. read more

We moved to the Thornton area not too long ago and realized they had a summer camp at the Thornton rec center. Because it was close to my work/home, we decided to try it out this summer. I talked to the staff about it, dropped off my paperwork and thought everything was set up. Tonight we went to the "orientation" and was informed that they don't do the summer camp at this recenter but the old Thornton rec center. This would of been nice to know. No one thought to mention this to me when I went in to drop off paperwork? Yes, it might of said something on the paperwork I filled out but I'm knew to this area and this frustrates me. read more

If you like inaccessibility, this is the place for you. We paid the high drop in rate of $6.50 today to see if we were going to become members. We live right down the street and as far as the location goes, we couldn't have asked for better. But unfortunately, the location was the only thing about the Margaret W. Carpenter Rec Center that was convenient. We had our 5 month old son with us today and every where we turned we were being told "NO". -NO access to the elevator without a key card that we had to check out at the front desk (thanks for mentioning that to us by the way- would it be too much to ask that you make the connection that we're new here and have a stroller- are the synapse firing front desk??) -NO to the free weights sitting next to the track- as they are pad locked in. -NO to running on the track- without a key code or previously mentioned elevator key pass. -NO to strollers on the track- whoops! we broke this rule as we missed the sign when we initially accessed the track. Guess we weren't looking for permission to bring our stroller onto a Family Rec Center track... This trip couldn't have been more uninviting. I highly recommend finding somewhere else to workout. Take it from me, they don't want you there. read more

I would give zero stars if I could. The registration phone center is very rude and you can tell they don't even want to be there. They are untrained and will give you the run around and make you jump through hoops! Horrible place!!!! read more

I love this rec Center. The staff is very friendly. I go there (atleast) once a week, to play racquetball. It clean, and cheap. The locker rooms are big and spacious. read more

Yeah I am still a fan but when exploring other areas of interest for let's say my physical being like work out stuff etc. the prices were out-freaking rageous~!!! Way too expensive. Ended up at Fit19 for a better deal. read more

Jordan W. is funny and right. Perfect review! Only he didn't mention how great the staff is. The life guards watch my daughter like a hawk and she loves them. Now that's...PRICELESS. I even had my Harley stolen oughta the parking lot and I still keep my yearly membership. No chain can offer me the piece of mind that my price is fair and the people are real. By the way...I park my bike by the window now. The 3 stars are for...gyms suck by mines pretty good. Thanks Rec! read more

Clean equipment. Usually not too crowded in weight room. NEVER enough adult lap lanes, pool is only available for kids most of the time.

Premium prices for average service. No monthly passes available so you are committed for awhile. Pool hours for lap swimming are extremely limited. When I asked about expanding hours at the front desk they suggested I go to the high school. Personally, I think some of the corporate gyms around town are a better deal with better hours. Especially if you want to swim. read more

I have used the recreation center for swimming and gynastics classes for my son and loved it! The facility is clean, the people are kind and the registration process has been simple! The prices are great as well! A great place for families! read more

I have seen this Recreation Center grow and become great over the years. I love the way it is set up, Inside and out you can find things to do. All ages can have fun. The cost is reasonable. I am a senior now and come over when I can, but enjoy walking around the new paddle boat ponds. I also enjoy swimming and walking the upstairs track. Thank you to all the staff that make it a nice place. read more

The place is amazing its so fun for my kids to play they always say they have fun and have a great time i love this place i'm never going amywhere else because with the subscription its only like 2.75$ a person and you can have all the fun swimming or working out love this place read more

This one is by far the best gymnastics and we have tried more than half half-dozen! The instructors are young, but well-led and genuinely enjoy the kids! Have been attending over a year and could not be happier! All six of our children are thrilled to show up every week! read more

So I was at this pool today, and it is one of the dirtiest, nastiest pools I have ever been at. 15 minutes into us sittng in the wave pool area someone alerts a lifeguard to the fact that there is something "foreign" floating in the water... apparently someone had $hit in the pool, and so they began to shuffle everyone to the other smaller pools. When we finally decided to leave because the main pool was closed and the smallers pools were over crowded we asked the front desk about a comp or refund. Not that I wanted to use the pool, but tokens for the game room or something else might have been nice, but no! We were told that because it was a "human error" we would not be refunded. Absolutely disgusting, and horrible customer service! read more

This place is great. The Thornton Recreational System is brilliant. Well rounded courses. Excellent and patient instructors. Friendly staff. I've had my son in three different courses, gymnastic, hip hop dance, and swimming and I'm pleased with it all. The newly added outdoor park is the icing on the cake. read more

I love this Recreation Center and have taken many classes here. We did the Ballroom class and loved it but sadly they do not offer many dance classes anymore. They have multiple walking tracks and two different play areas for children. The birthday party package is awesome for kids and they provided a great price to throw a great birthday party. All around this place is an asset to our local community. read more

This is a great place. It is always clean, the people working there are always friendly. It is a nice place to get a workout for families.

Good if you like loads of screaming kids, most unattended by parents. Seriously, this is a decent rec center, but I had to stop going because every time I would go there would literally be busloads of kids there with maybe one or two adults. Every time. Also, the pool is way too warm for actual swimming, and the hot tub is only a couple of degrees warmer. For about $15 more a month, I got towel service, a decent temperature pool, 24-hour access and very calm surroundings at Life Time Fitness. read more