YMCA

Worst gym I’ve been to in a long time. Late 70’s paramount equipment, cheap knock off iron grip weights, etc. Staff was about as friendly as the dumbells on the phone and in person. Day pass is extortion at $ 15, epecially in small town usa. Dont bother unless you must work out.

I really feel lucky that I tried this YMCA on my trip from the East to the West. As you can see in the other reviews, yes, it is huge, fantastic, and the staff is sooooooo friendly! Let me explain every word I use here in details:
Huge — the whole building has four stories, all YMCA!
Fantastic — I did not have a chance to try the workout facility, just a glance and was shocked by the amount. What I did experience was the facility for shower. There were a hot tube, a sauna, huge bathrooms, free towels, free coffee, and you can borrow a key to lock your locker at the front desk — very considerate! They just have everything you can think of!
Friendly staff — I was actually travelling, and told the staff I would like to purchase a one-​day pass just to take a shower because I did not have the energy to workout in the gym after hiking whole day. (when I told the same thing to the staff in Anytime Fitness in the same city I got kicked out! Even with a pass! Residents of Rapid City, that local store of Anytime Fitness in your city is really a SHAME to that great national wide brand! I feel sorry for you that you do not have the chance to experience what a REAL Anytime Fitness provides to members in other cities. But you are so lucky that you have the best YMCA in the country!) They even waived my one-​day pass purchase because I only had less than two hours to use the gym. With that FREE pass I was honored UNEXPECTEDLY, a lady spent 20 minutes to introduce all facility they have to make me feel home, even when she knew I was just a passenger and might never be back! Thank you so much!
I would like to share this experience as a traveler to Rapid City to every one who live in or visit this city and look for a good gym. Again, dear residents of Rapid City, you are unlucky because you have the worst store of the world wide brand Anytime Fitness, but you are so lucky that you have the best YMCA in this country! I have been travelling all across the country and I am qualified by my experience of both brands to conclude that. Also look at the other reviews of these two local fitness businesses, and you will find the same thing was repeated by different people.

Huge facility with a great cardio & weight room, basketball courts, and awesome class selections. The locker room is clean and spacious. They also have a lot of offerings for kids including their own exercise room, which emphasizes health. The after school program had tons of kids with great mentors working with them. They also boast a day-​care. It’s truly a wonderful community center and if I lived in Rapid City, I would be a member!

My wife and I are traveling the USA over the next year, and we’ve partnered with various YMCAs across the country to stay fit while traveling on the road. The Rapid City YMCA is easily the best facility that we’ve seen yet. They have 3 different pools, one of which is a children’s play pool with a slide that I would’ve been all over as a young kid. They have 2 large gyms, countless studios, an enormous fitness center with treadmills and workout machines further than you can even see.
They also have a youth center where kids can play pool or games with staff members, and the locker room facilities are fantastic. They give you a lock to use while you’re there, which is really great.
All in all, this might just be the best YMCA facility in the country.

The Rapid City YMCA is fantastic! I haven’t visited many other YMCA’s but everyone I’ve met who has been there says it’s the best they’ve seen.
The staff is friendly and helpful. There is a good selection of workout equipment (treadmills, recumbent and standard exercise bikes, ellipticals, stair climbers, etc), along with a wide variety of free weights and weight machines. They offer Zumba every day of the week, and the classes are tons of fun (especially the classes taught by Jayne, Kerry, Cyndy, and Jenna). There are also a wide variety of other classes, but I haven’t taken any yet.
The atmosphere is inclusive and welcoming — people of all ages, sizes, colors, and abilities work out there, which makes me feel very comfortable. The drop-​in child care is first-​rate (members are entitled to 2.5 hrs a day — whoohoo!). My kids LOVE going, and I’ve had more than a few tantrums when it was time to leave.
The «family pool» is a great option for folks with little ones — when my kids were toddlers, I felt like I could safely bring the three of them on my own — a big plus for a military mama like myself. My kids have done several rounds of swimming lessons at the YMCA, and have enjoyed them.
There are five different locker rooms — one for women, one for men, one for girls, one for boys, and a family locker room (which includes large rooms for showering and changing). Opposite gender children are not allowed in the adult and youth locker rooms, but the family locker rooms make this manageable. Towels and soap are provided, and the locker rooms are usually spotless.
The YMCA is a fantastic option for families. It’s a little pricier than some other gyms in the area, but members also get lessons at a discount, so that helps. I understand that you can also volunteer in order to cover some or all of your membership fees, but I have not done that myself.
All in all, two thumbs up for the Rapid City YMCA. Love it.