Turkey Thicket is a great place to exercise. There are programs for kids and adults. They have parking. The pool has classes and lap swimming. DC residents can use the facility for free. read more

My rating for Turkey Thicket continues to drop because of their lack of mechanical maintenance. Only one of the two drinking fountains in the pool area works, and just barely. Only one of the men's showers works and has a soap dispenser. The middle one has been broken as long as I have been going there, with a big HOLE in the wall covered with see-through plastic where you can see the (nonfunctional) pipes. The third is missing its handle and its soap dispenser and they can't even put even hooks on the shower curtain. And now the swimsuit spinner is simply MISSING from the wall, with connections still hanging out where it used to. DC LOVES to built NEW facilities but apparently has zero interest in maintaining the ones it already has. I note that users are "required" to use the shower before getting in the pool. Good luck with that. Is the women's locker room this crappy or is just the men's locker room nobody cares about? read more

When I travel to Washington DC I always have a little bout of jealousy about the quality of their public pools -- relatively kid-friendly, relatively friendly staff, and fairly generous hours make this a very nice way to log a hot summer morning. There are downsides: signing up for a non-resident daypass online is surprisingly hard and counterintuitive; the quality of the facilities and equipment could have been better; more of the pool could have been usable. But I'm rounding up to a fourth star because ultimately it did just what we needed on an 88 degree day. read more

This is a really awesome playground! Located next to Brookland Middle School, there is a playground side and a splash pad side. Our visit was before the splash pad reopened so I'll have to update when we return again. On the hill closest to the rec center is the highlight for my toddler-the roller slide, along with some climbing opportunities. There are slides, swings, tunnels, and lots of grassy areas too. While driving is preferable, I suppose you could walk here from the metro stop;however, it'd be a long walk. The equipment seems very new and well maintained. There is a bathroom in the rec center. We will definitely return to check out the splash pad! read more

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*review of the indoor pool* This pool is HUGE! Water was pretty cold but not as cold as Rumsey...you can adjust to this lol. AND there's a hot tub!!!!! I always appreciated a ramp entry for the little ones as well. There's plenty of places to sit (bleachers), it's warm inside the facility (that's what made the water temp more bearable too) and there's lap lanes and a diving board! Overall good. Will definitely be back! read more

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One of te best places to play outdoor sports such as tennis, pickleball, basketball, football, and other fun outdoor sports. They have 4 dedicated pickleball courts which makes it nice for pickleball players. Couple of months ago they also marked all the tennis courts with pickleball markings because it gets pretty crowded during a nice day. If you're visiting DC and are looking to play pickleball, open hours are Monday after 5:30 pm, Wednesday after 5:30 pm and Saturday morning after 8am. We play on other days too but cannot guarantee if many players will show up. Plenty of parking spaces. I have not been to their indoor facility as they are renovating it. I hope they open their indoor facility soon because we don't have many indoor pickleball places in this area to play during the winter season. read more

Turkey Thicket Recreation Center - Pickleball time - Recreation Centers Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Was looking for outdoor activities for the kids and found this place on google searching for "playground". This place is huge! Not only the rec center but the outdoor activities (Large playground, tennis, basketball court etc.) were wonderful Plenty of families and kids, birthday parties, catching up were going on here. In the summer, looks like a splash pool is on the playground The rec center itself has a bathroom, gym, pool, weight room etc and the nicest desk person We will be coming back! read more

I love this pool I just think when Key is into that pool. They need to have adults and kids shouldn't be getting in the hot tub, but I love this pool. I have nothing nothing I mean nothing bad to say about it. read more

*Playground Review* I have been here a couple times. Both times, middle schoolers were smoking weed outside by the patio tables near the parking lot. They were also very loud and cussing a lot. My point? If you do not want your 4 year old's virgin ears to hear this language, do not come here. If you don't mind, then Turkey Thicket is actually a really nice playground with lots of stuff going on at it. The playground is good for ages ranging from 3 to I would say 9 years old. There are tons of things to climb, play, and simply run amok. Your kids will get tired here and they will keep going until you make them stop since this is one of those playgrounds they will not want to leave since it does have so much going on at it. It has a diverse crowd of both school kids and neighborhood kids that come and play here. Ample parking in a lot and residential parking surrounding the rec center makes it easy to park your car. read more

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My experience with the recreation center is currently limited to the pool where my son goes for swimming lessons, but it has almost completely blown away my expectations. This center is clean and well-staffed with mostly friendly workers that almost always pleasantly greet us when we come in. The temperature inside is the opposite of whatever it is outside, meaning that it's comfortable. The whole place reeks of chlorine, though, because of the very large indoor pool. The pool itself is big, clean, and safe with a number of lifeguards that are watching from their perch and others in an office close by. They all have been very attentive, never straying from their mission. There is a wonderful kiddie pool section with a spray tree so the tots can have some fun, and the entrance to this pool is a slight slope that allows kids to get in at their own pace. Within this area is the spa, which is often used and seems to be pleasant. The kiddie pool feeds into the larger pool through a narrow channel with the depth slowly increasing, giving parents and kids the option of how deep they'd like to go. There is only a couple of feet of water in the kids area, and the channel to the bigger pool area goes to 4 feet before you're free and out in the main pool. The lane lines are tight and properly maintained, keeping swimmers from drifting too far and hitting others or moving into shallower waters. The pool is heavily chlorinated like all public pools, and the pool enclosure is very warm and humid. The pool is not hot, and my little son is chilly when he's done with his lessons. You'll sweat if you're sitting out of the pool in anything more than a t-shirt and light pants. There is a very loud hum present, making it hard to talk to others around you. The locker rooms are large and clean, with nice showers to help you rinse off all of the chlorine. In addition to the swimming pool there is also a large basketball court area with clean floors, a small gym with well-kept equipment, a billiards table in the lobby, and other rooms that I have yet to explore. There's also tennis courts outside. This is a really nice community center that you should definitely visit if you live nearby or have thought about coming! read more

Turkey Thicket Recreation Center - Recreation Centers Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I now take Shallow Water Aerobics in the pool at Turkey Thicket. This is amazing. The pool is amazing. It is huge. It is not all spa-like (see Vonetta Y's review of wilson pool) but it will definitely do because there previously was no pool here. And it does have a hot tub and as of Wednesday 12/12/12, it was super hot, super bubbly, aaaahhhhh. For DC residents, admission to the pool is free and it only costs $25 for the shallow water aerobics class. The instructor and the music are great. The water is usually perfect temperature. Why only 4 stars? The locker room. Why build a huge pool but only build THREE showers and four toilet stalls? Why install lockers that will not even take a lock even if you bring your own lock from home. That's right, there is no little notch for you to insert your lock onto (on the large size blue lockers). That is dumb. The tiny grey lockers do have notches so you can bring your own lock from home and use it like I do. But these lockers are tiny. Do not bring a lot of stuff if you need to lock it. Overall, I love the rec center at Turkey Thicket. From the track to the pool to the gym (which was my early voting center for election 2012) to the tennis courts and the (groan) parking lot, I am a fan. Huge fan. read more

What an awesome playground! I wish we lived closer to Turkey Thicket (or that it was closer to the metro stop) because we would totally come here more frequently. There is equipment to suit pretty much every kiddie age, and it is all in terrific shape (I do wish there were more swings, though). Cool little splash pad for the summer months. One complaint is that in the two times I visited, there were hornets EVERYWHERE. That is something I haven't experienced at other playgrounds, so I don't know what was going on or why hornets congregate there. Not a huge deterrent, but something to be aware of with little ones. read more

Turkey Thicket Recreation Center - Cool train themed playground complete with a little climbing wall - Recreation Centers Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This is a review for the SPLASH PARK! Tips for Parents: The splash park opens at 10. The playground is open (of course!) but the water doesn't come on until 10 am. It was worth the disruption of our schedule as this cut it close to nap time for us. The park itself is great for toddlers through age ten. There are various areas and interactive play areas appropriate for all ages. The splash park is best for little ages five and up. The water comes out fast and with a little bit of force to it! All the streams are consistent, unlike some parks with "chasing jets" or timed sprays. The good news is, one of the sprayers is broken and the water comes out only a little- this is where four or five kiddos under two hung out. There's a lot of metal on the equipment. Very hot on little thighs! We brought a blanket for the spin top seats, slides and see-saw. Okay so we didn't bring a blanket for this specifically but the towel from the splash park came in handy! read more

Nice park although repairs could use a do-over with a lil more professionalism. Nice splash pad seems safe for toddlers read more

Turkey Thicket Recreation Center - Splash pad - Recreation Centers Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I have been to many indoors pools in New York City, not just the the state recreation parks but the YMCA, Equinox, etc. . I swim for exercise and this facility tops all of those when it comes to cleanliness, size, and amenities.. It has a small Jacuzzi, a fun sized baby pool (2ft) that was designed like a "beach", and the lap pool which was not Olympic sized but wide and long enough for people to swim with out feeling crowded! The pool water was at the right temperature of around 82deg ,great for the winter weather, and the best thing was that the chlorine was very light-years didn't smell strong at all. The lockers ,shower stalls ,were clean and I felt safe with leaving my things without a lock. The staff were super friendly too. Definitely using this place for my Forever F. I. t. Program and encouraging people to come ,rest and relax at Turkey Thicket. read more

Turkey Thicket Recreation Center - Recreation Centers Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This rec center opened under Mayor Williams and gets a lot of use from Brookland neighbors. The basketball court is always in use so don't- as I did- naively assume you can stroll in and shoot some baskets. The pool has a jacuzzi for 14 and older and a mushroom for little ones. Locker room just got new showers. read more

Turkey Thicket Recreation Center - True - Recreation Centers Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Turkey Thicket Recreation Center is nice and clean. The staff is warm and friendly. I take my grandchild over to the kiddie area, where she enjoys the sprinkle pool and play area. A lot of teens frequent the Recreation Center, and that's good. It keeps them out of trouble, and parents can usually know where there children may possibly be. Today though, and I hope this review is being read, by a man that I thought was awfully bad to me. It had nothing to do with the TTRC, but I am using this review and comment site because three people, who frequent the rec center, left the TTRC area, presumably on their way home, or to the store. When I first drove to the TTRC, one of the three young men, had his pants trousers showing, and I mentioned to him to pull his pants up, that he could get into some trouble for having his pants down off his waist like that. He ignored me, but that is a what young people do. In any event, as him and his two friends left, and walked up Taylor street bridge, I noticed that his pants were pulled up properly on his body. So, I decided to give back, and I offered to him and his friends, a white "Boss" football. He gave me the finger, and presented it to a man who was behind my car. I said, "No!". I will take the ball back then. The gentleman looked at me, laughing, as he sped by me. I tried to follow him, but he was too fast of a driver. So since this person was in the area, driving at the end of the Taylor Street bridge, you will show your family that you are a bad person, robbing from someone of things that do not belong to you. It would be best if you would turn the football into the rec center. I want it back the way you took it, Brand new. I will, in turn, ask for the ball back from the rec center. My name is Audrey Smith. I hope you do get this review message. Bad Karma will come to those who do not follow God's commandments. The TTRC is a nice facility. I don't know if you have been there, but if you haven't, you should go there and try to work with the children. Give back to the community for the wrong doing you do to other people. You knew I wanted that ball back. I didn't really want to give it away. As you can see, I just got it. I could have given it to a family member, or a friend. I don't know you, so it made it worse when you knew I wanted my ball back. You just drove off fast. To the TTRC, you should let the young people know that, when their clothing is not properly worn on them, they cannot be on the premises. The look causes a lot of people to get bad vibes. You don't want this as a reflection of what type of people visit the rec center. You have reviews as to what people can and cannot wear to the pool, but you don't do the same for the park and recreation center. These are guidelines that should not be ignored. read more

If you have something to lock up, it better be small. I traveled here after work to take a swim. Unfortunately, their large lockers lack lock-ability. It looks like the used to have combination locks which were gutted and there's no alternative such as using your own lock. What is a locker that doesn't lock? A cabinet. The small (shoebox sized, maybe 1 cft) lockers have tabs for a provided lock. So, if you can stuff your stuff into small lockers, it's probably an awesome place. I couldn't fit my briefcase (even after attempting to stuff it in), so I won't be going back. Minus one star for inconvenient lockers. Minus one star for the unattended pool desk. Three stars because what I saw looked clean. Small locker room that was clean. Didn't even see the pool area, though from the window I glanced in it didn't look crowded. I feel safer walking around Washington-Lee at night. I'm willing to pay the non-resident fee to feel safe walking to/from, and to keep my stuff in a locker. read more

Used to go to triathlon camp here. It was a fun experience I finished my first triathlon there. Great place for children of all ages

New playground and splash park is winning!!! LOVE the renovated track and my daughter enjoys her swim lessons. read more

Very friendly staff, never had issues with anyone. The hot tub has been broken all summer though and it has me upset because I missed jumping into it after a tiring swim. The pool is way too cold for my liking. read more

Received 2 email notices of swimming class date and time confirmation, and arrived to class at the prior cited 9:30 begin times, and was told the class had changed the begin time to 1/2 hour earlier @9:00 AM, and all future classes would also be 1/2 hour earlier at 9:00AM. Couldn't work for me, as I'd scheduled time off/leave from my employer for the estimated ten (10) classes, and with no notice being given prior of a different time - wasn't considerate, and low level customer svc. Afterward, Received two (2) calls from DC Rec. staff informing me of the actual time of 9:30, as though I wasn't aware of same. The instructor needed to know the time and needed to be addressed with him. I'm not willing to waste more pay-leave, as reliability of class times, basic customer service, and managing staff or paid instructors appears to be a challenge for DC Recreation. Hopefully, I'll get the full refund I wrote for, and conveyed in three (3) separate phone conversations with DC Rec. read more

The water at the pool is excessively cold. Also why aren't they open on Sunday? It makes it pretty impossible to get into swimming lessons. The splash park is one of the weakest in town. We need a renovation. read more

Excellent playground, although the facility itself is poorly kept up. Vandals have broken parts of the playground, but it is still fun for the kids, especially when the water is on. read more

The four letter word everyone loves to hear...FREE!!! Turkey Thicket offers a fitness boot camp in the evenings at no cost just bring a positive attitude and be prepared to sweat! The instructor keeps you motivated but is not a drill sergeant and advocates everyone going at their own pace. The classes are coed and so far I have seen a variety of ages and size in attendance so no need to be shy, everyone is friendly and welcoming despite it being a large group. It's a great alternative to going to a gym or spending oodles of money for a personal trainer. read more

I went to this location because its near my home. I thought I would join and workout in the gym. I arrived on May 6 th at 8:45 am and there was no one working at the front desk. I figured I'd wait a bit but after 15 minutes I decided to give myself a tour. The workout room with the machines was dark and locked and the gym was dark as well. The pool was opened however several pool staffers were cleaning the pool and deck as people swam. I checked the schedule to see about aerobic classes and found the caters to 50 and older during the day. I did not find a class for under 50 between 8am and 5 pm. I ran into a janitor and asked if someone could help me and he was RUDE asking what I wanted and was it pool related. I said I wanted a tour to ask about the exercise equipment and aerobic classes. He took me to the same paper schedule I read. I asked if there was a class for people under 50 during the day. He yelled and said yeah and pointed at the schedule. I said there isn't one on that schedule. He looked at the schedule and said oh well this isn't my job. I mustered a smile and said goodbye. The man insisted I take that stupid schedule and I said no. The safest part is after all that nonsense I never saw the person who was supposed to work at the information desk. Must be nice to have a job but not be present tax payers money hardly working. They have the nerve to charge a fee. Who would I pay? The janitor? I would give no stars if I could. read more

This place is pretty awesome. The pool and playground are phenomenal although I had somewhat warmer temps in mind when I elected to visit the heated pool here instead of the Takoma pool closer my home in December. That said they had a pretty nice kiddie pool and friendly lifeguards. The women's locker room was relatively clean -ish with new showers... Not bad at all considering it's free. I didn't leave there feeling icky. read more

The pool has a deep end, splash reducing sides, nice wide lanes and there's a hot tub! There's also a kiddie pool. Also love the light coming in from the nice ceiling. read more

The locker room is OK, not the best, not the worst. The pool is nice. I THINK they use bromine rather than chlorine, so the water less harsh on your skin and hair. The pool is a little warm for me, so I feel tired a little bit quicker. read more

If you're a parent looking for a nice place to bring your children on a sunny day, Turkey Thicket's new playground should definitely be considered. The playground is large and has lots of different things for kids to enjoy, including swings, slides, make believe cars, a see-saw, lots of climbing areas, monkey bars, and much more. They even have a splash area that sprays water during the summer - a BIG HIT with the kids. I have also seen groups use the space as a free picnic/event spot, as there are plenty of covered seats and tables in the area just above the playground. The area around the playground is shaded by lots of large trees with benches underneath. Overall, a really pleasant place to bring your family. On a non-playground note, I enrolled my four-year old daughter in one of the kids swimming classes, and she seemed to enjoy it. The instructor (Ms. Aisha) taught the basics (kicking, how to float, arm movements, etc.), which helped the kids gain courage with being in the water. Overall, I would recommend going to Turkey Thicket for kid-related activities. read more

This is a great facility for adult swim lessons. The pool staff are friendly and patient. The pool temp is not too cold. The kiddy pool's shallow depth gradually increases and transitions into about 3 feet. I visit during the week so there are no crowds but a nice steady flow of swimmers. The locker rooms are clean but I wish there were more shower stalls. Overall, a thumbs up! read more

This place is not brand new, but it is in great condition and a great place to connect with others from the community.

I love, love, love this indoor pool facility. I go on weekday evenings after work and it's hardly ever crowded. The facility is always clean, and the employees are always nice and helpful. read more

My kids love the playground and the splash park! There is a super cool little garden plot at the top of the play ground for the kids to look at but that is fully functional. There is a sweet little splash park for when it is really hot outside and the weather is cooking. Lots of age range on the park out side as well. I have never been able to use the fields but they look great as do the tennis courts. The pool is indoor and heated but can be a tad unruly at times. A great treat for the neighborhood. read more

The New Turkey Thicket Rec Center is awesome! I say New, because I just started going back to this Rec Center. The playground is great for kids (water splash, slides, small rock climber, swings, and even musical equipment for children to bang on). The Walking track has workout equipment along the path that anyone can use. Now that I'm working out regularly, I've noticed the 6:00 am crowd has increased a lot. I am loving this location. Looking forward to signing up for some of the classes real soon. Great job DC-DPR!!! read more