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    Williams Farm Recreation Center

    4.0 (42 reviews)
    Open • 5:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Williams Farm Recreation Center Photos

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    Pool rock wall
    J David H.

    I have reviewed most of the rec centers in Virginia Beach since I am at them regularly. This review is way overdue. It appears my time here will pick up and that is fine by me. Williams Farm Rec is going into their third year and second to newest one in the system to Bow Creek. This center offers some unique extras that most do not. Let me touch on them since many are already familiar with the Virginia Beach Rec Centers. The big one is location, it's close to the Norfolk line and pulls in residents from our sister city. Another is the awesome skate park, no additional charge. In their aquatics they offer a water slide, outdoor play area and even a rock climbing wall. They upstairs gym has a track, not to mention a ton of free weights. An extremely nice family benefit are the single room changing areas, some with shower and some without. All the other things you would expect like basketball, meeting rooms etc. are here. They have do have a smaller footprint than the three larger ones of Bayside, Great Neck and Princess Anne. I do not recall an activity room with games here, but it is possible I missed. So smaller space in key areas is something to keep in mind. I would like to highlight the pool. There are only two lanes for lap swimming. A benefit to this pool is it's handicap accessibility by wheel chair that can be easily pushed in. A negative is the young pool has a whole lot of cracking that has developed in a short time. The caulk to repair looks unsightly. This would be a MAJOR cost to fix the cosmetics and I don't expect they will unless it becomes necessary. Since it is almost new you expect it to be nice and indeed it has been well maintained these past few years and I applaud the staff at this location for upholding the beauty and integrity. I would recommend this center if the location works for you. Other than that I would choose the most convenient rec center unless the unique items I highlighted set this apart. The Virginia Beach Rec Centers are a treasure for our community. Princes are subsidized for citizens and should be considered over alternative privates gyms that are much more costly.

    Janice T.

    Embarrassed to say it was my first Time actually using my membership to kind of work out instead of a way to not pay monthly member fees when I sign up for archery classes. I digress.. this is a beautiful Rec center in more ways than one. First it's super close to the home front, second it's very clean and I like the layout. It seems very open. Desk staff is kind of a mixed bag- some are friendly and some just seem really ornery. The equipment are in good shape, there are lockers upstairs and downstairs. A mat to do stretches, free weights, circuit weights, cardio equipment etc. There's a walking and jogging track with three lanes- the innermost lane is the walking lane and the middle lane is the passing lane and the far left lane is the jogging lane. The lanes are not that wide by any means. But it is pretty cool that you can look down into the basketball court and also see the pool and outside.

    Multi-purpose room rented for birthday celebration with table tennis set-up
    Sulav T.

    This is one of the newer recreation centers of Virginia Beach, so everything looks new and is well-maintained. It has all the features of VB rec centers- open gym, main gym, basketball, swimming pool, table tennis, pool table among others. On the main gym, they have a 1 mile track that loops around the gym. They also have multi-purpose rooms that can be rented for few hours for any of your activities like birthdays or gatherings.

    Open swim all day Saturday!
    Kate R.

    We love this Rec Center... it's the closest one to our house since they are remodeling the Kempsville Rec Center and it won't be open until May of this year. It's pretty busy ok the weekends, but there is PLENTY OF PARKING for all. They DO offer free WiFi! GYM: Upstairs in their gym facility. They have an indoor running track as well as plenty of cardio equipment with cable at each machine. Pretty cool if you're a TV person. If you prefer to use your own device, you can hook up to their wifi and save your data. The equipment is clean and well organized, there are a couple of sets of lockers (medium & small in the gym space, but large ones are downstairs in the locker room) and there is always an attendant on staff to make sure everyone is being safe and sane. The free-weight equipment is also well organized and well maintained. LOCKER ROOMS: These locker rooms are shared between the pool and the gym, as well as all other facilities. There is a vending machines outside in the hallway if you forget your water bottle or need a snack! There are plenty of large lockers, they cost 1 Quarter ($0.25) to operate and have benches to change in front of them. There are also showers available (which offer a separate changing/drying area), but you need to bring your own soap, shampoo, and conditioner. There are hand dryers that are warm if you need to dry your hair or forget your towel (haha, that has been me). POOL: Other than my one complaint (below), we love this pool. It has an awesome little kids area, water basketball, floaties for the kids to climb on, a water slide, and a rock wall to climb that overhangs the water! My ONLY COMPLAINT about this Center... It is very frustrating that parents cannot sit inside of the pool area and watch their kids swim unless they're in swim attire. This means I have to dress down for swimming just to SIT in the pool area and watch my kids from the side bench. There are no signs stating this, but I was removed from the pool and told I needed to wait for my kids in the lobby and if I stand on the other side of the glass, I can see them from there). I am over six months pregnant and nothing about dressing down in a swim suit appeals to me right now. Lol. They explained to me that it is because of a safety issue, people who are not dressed for swimming being "in the way" sitting on the side benches in case of an emergency. BUT if I put on a swim suit *under my clothes*, even if I am not swimming, I am then allowed to sit and watch my kids swim because somehow it makes me less "in the way"... very confusing, especially since there are no signs in the locker rooms, on the doors, or anywhere around the pool stating that swim wear is required to be on the pool deck. Overall, we love this Rec Center. It's clean, has great customer service, consistent safety rules (though sometimes annoying lol), and they offer rent-able space for events. If you're not already, get on board! :)

    Cris T.

    I am so delighted that my friend and I found this place. It's a great and family oriented fitness facility. Everything that you could ask for is here. And guess what, there open the entire week except holiday. One thing that I love this place, it has an awesome ambience and friendly environment. Staff's are very attentive and helpful too.

    indoor kids playground in the swimming area

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    The rec center has decent facilities and activities, but it's definitely on the pricey side, especially for families.

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    3 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Wtf do I need to pay to go see a friend playing badminton? The African american lady in front office was kind of rude as well.

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Why pay for amenities when the gym never has youtube working. I don't want to listen to dry radio

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    10 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Business owner information

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    Virginia Beach P.

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    10 years ago

    Couldn't find my ID card but staff was kind enough to let me come anyways. Staff are always helpful here.

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    7 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    9 years ago

    We love it here. We go for the gym and have not had any issues with anyone or any of the equipment. The staff is very friendly, as well.

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    7 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Williams Farm Recreation Center

    Review Highlights - Williams Farm Recreation Center

    “I can't say it's my favorite rec center only because I haven't been to the remodeled Kempsville location.”

    Mentioned in 7 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    3.7(134 reviews)
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    poor experience with personal training staff and with membership services…read more gym equipment was ok and i enjoyed coming to the location for several months. personal trainer was ok when they showed up. had a few sessions, but then however they forgot our appointment time three times and had to cancel our sessions. later when i tried to cancel my membership all of the cancellation process is via email and is separate from the local gym making the cancellation process unnecessarily complicated. they also want to charge a hefty exit fee. i show up at the gym to speak with staff and the manager and person in charge of the personal trainer section are not in during normal working hours. beyond them, there is no one at the gym to help me process the refunds and/or cancellation process. buyer beware

    This is a great place to exercise and work out. They have just about everything you need, with the…read moreexception of red light therapy, which I understand is currently being added. Unfortunately, my experience with customer service has been extremely disappointing. I canceled my personal training program on June 6, but my credit card continued to be charged through the end of July. When I called about the charges, I was told there was no problem and that I would be refunded for the month of July. It has now been over a month, and I still have not received my refund. Even more frustrating, I have repeatedly called, emailed, and asked to speak with someone at the gym, but I cannot get a response. My calls are not returned, my emails go unanswered, and I have had the same experience trying to contact the manager. I really like the gym itself, but the lack of communication and follow-through is unacceptable. A simple refund that I was already promised should not be this difficult to resolve. **Customer service at this gym needs serious improvement. I'm still waiting for my refund and still in limbo.**

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    Kempsville Recreation Center - Membership desk

    Kempsville Recreation Center

    3.5(52 reviews)
    3.5 mi

    I would recommend the Rec center in Kempsville to anyone looking to be fit and healthy without…read morecosting you an arm and a leg. The staff is really friendly and helpful. They have lots of classes to keep you fit.

    A community center is supposed to be a place where you can hold club meetings, throw a birthday…read moreparty, enjoy the pool, and, yes, take a class and work out in the gym. This place is just a gym with too many rules. Here's what I've been asked to stop doing or even leave for: Swimming too slowly in the pool lanes Not playing tennis in the tennis court (my child and I were the only ones there, and we were playing) Bringing a child younger than 9 or 14 onto the track Playing basketball with a basketball brought from home. All the others are ALWAYS taken. They confiscated my ball. Going the wrong way in the pool. The lifeguard didn't realize that going against the current is a form of exercise. Walking the track instead of running Stopping next to the track Sitting on the exercise equipment. It had a chair that I chose to sit on for two minutes. No one was around. Today, two fellow members kicked me out because I had flip-flops on. They were right about it being against the rules, but it just reminded me of the pervasive culture of entitlement and snobbery that exists at this location. For context, I have memory issues, which is why I had flip-flops on at the gym.

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    Kempsville Recreation Center - Outdoor playground

    Outdoor playground

    Kempsville Recreation Center - Weight room

    Weight room

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    Track

    Pembroke Meadows Recreation Center - Before the Saturday rush at opening

    Pembroke Meadows Recreation Center

    5.0(2 reviews)
    2.0 mi

    Pembroke Meadows Recreation Center offers a Members Only 25 meters outdoor swimming pool that is…read morenicely maintained. There are additional amenities, such as basketball courts, kiddie pool.& much more. The Pool is open seasonally and is closed on Tuesdays. Built in 1970 the non profit is run by a Pool Board and Volunteers. Neighborhood & Member events are varied and plentiful. Memberships are available at the Individual, Couple and Family Rates with Guest Passes available for purchase by members. There is a Senior Discount. The location is in the Pembroke Meadows neighborhood off Independence Boulevard. Before the Bayside Recreation Center was built it was the swimming choice for many residents of Bayside with children and teens. Parents spent hours t by the pool even though it was well staffed with lifeguards. It was a great place for kids to swim and socialize with their friends. It was fun for parents to meet and socialize on the pool deck, Pembroke Meadows Marlins is the swim team for the Center. It's a great way for kids to learn swim competition and develop their skills in the different strokes. Swim meets were held early in the morning on weekends. The pool is closed during this time. My son developed excellent swim skills during the time period when he was young and we were members. The early morning swim meet times were tough though for this night owl. :) It's hard for many Bayside residents to envision a time before the Bayside Rec Center was built. Pembroke Meadows filled the swimming void during that time. Last year I was watching my son and grandson swimming from the bleachers at the pool. I met a man who was waiting for his Grandson to finish swim team practice. I told him my son had been on the swim team at Pembroke Meadows. He said that his was also. Time had passed. Generations had changed. The kids that swam at Pembroke Meadows then now have children of their own. Thank you Pembroke Meadows Pool & Swim Team for the years of fun. A special thanks go out for the skills my son learned on the swim team. He has passed them on to his son.

    The PMRC was clearly the place to be today. I could not believe it was not busy, but have said…read morebefore it never seems that busy, even on weekends. I did learn today that the facility will be open for selected weekends in September. This will be dependent on temps and precip that day. So, with a good warm September members can enjoy an extra month of fun by the pool.

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    Pembroke Meadows Recreation Center
    Pembroke Meadows Recreation Center
    Pembroke Meadows Recreation Center

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    Williams Farm Recreation Center - recreation - Updated September 2026

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