Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Yes
McGaw YMCA in Evanston
Categories
Location on the map
Evanston, Cook County, Illinois, US
Accessibility
Phone: +1 847-475-7400
Site: http://www.mcgawymca.org/
Site: http://www.mcgawymca.org/
Opening hours
- Monday:5AM–8PM
- Tuesday:5AM–8PM
- Wednesday:5AM–8PM
- Thursday:5AM–8PM
- Friday:5AM–8PM
- Saturday:8AM–6PM
- Sunday:8AM–5PM
Comments (102)
Awful service since covid. I used to enjoy their cleanliness as it was higher than other gyms out there but now theyve taken it too far and ruined their name. Equipment is almost fully rusted from the cleaning products and machine rubber handles are too slippery to be used properly. Kids around the world have been known to die from working out in masks. Like hey idiots, election infection is done, 99.8% survival rate is over. Turn off the TV and the virus goes away.
Wonderful neighborhood workout option! I highly recommend Kristy V’s ZUMBA classes!!
A very clean and safe place with a daycare for the young ones and a teen after school program (free I might add😁). It has 2 pools one for fun and one for lap swim with 2 womens locker room and 1 family locker room. Spacious with a study room if needed. It has an amazing gym to work out in a basket ball gym and a track! Its equipped with the best machines and the best staff! Is is clean and has a room in Which you can eat. Along with a sky deck to overlook the pool! Its the perfect place to bring kids and family. With new workout classes everyday it is the best place to get your optimal workout.
Very rude staff. We visited for a swimmeet and the communication regarding Covid Safety was very poor, and the staff rude and disrespectful to members visiting from another Y. I did not feel safe letting my child swim here.
A great workout facility that offers two pools, a well equipped gym, and many many types of group exercise classes. Staff are friendly and helpful. Hours are both early am and late evening. They even have free parking and childcare available to members.
Love their Camp Echo. The place is very loving and cheering for anyone who visit them. They have huge pool area with Family swimming time as well as a Jacuzzi. Group activity area offers various classes all day. Moms can leave their kids 2 hours per day in the child watch.
Took the COVID precautions too far, for too long. Reduced hours, reduced services, annoying reservation system, and Canceled reciprocity with other YMCAs, which is a lot of the value of a membership. Had to cancel. It’s not clear when all this will end it could be never. Like other businesses using COVID as an excuse to offer something inferior for the same price. I understand there’s a pandemic and the Need for some precautions but they’ve been over the top and it’s clear it won’t end. Shouldn’t have to wear a mask on a treadmill if vaccinated.
We were members for three years. Here are our impressions.Pros:The childcare staff is amazing. Our son loved it down there.The pools are nice and clean. Our swim instructor was incredible.The building has charm.The fitness area and gym are clean.Cons:The staff is rude, unpleasant and not helpful. I felt like i was going to get in trouble if I looked at someone the wrong way. This is my major con.The parking sucks. There is a small lot for members. I was always worried I’d hit someone because the spots were tiny.My son had a gym birthday party there. For the cost, it was not worth it. No one helped with set up, tear down, no one helped with directing guests to the room, we were promised a challenge course for the kids, but no dice and the room was tiny and dirty. Would not recommend.Overall, I wanted to love this place, but I just can’t.
Kids and old timers (men and women) make up for the 80% of the gyms population and sometimes get in the way. Since a lot of weight equipment is close to eachother, its easy for kids to often run all over the place when they cross the lifting room to get to the basketball court and old folks take their sweet time moving to and from the equipment.Tennis courts and pool are OK, Ive heard yoga classes and whatnot are good too, sandbag room about as big as a bedroom but will do for 1 person. Staff is half asleep whenever they arent signing someone up. Overall the facility demands a good level of perseverance to keep coming back to if you are paying for your membership.
Amazing gym, highly recommended.
I must say the set up and the activities (classes) are great zumba with Biesha are exhilarating and I like using the workout room
I have never joined a YMCA or been much for going to the Gym, but I thoroughly enjoy this place. I take advantage of the 2 hours of childcare they give at the Biedler Center in the basement and my 3 year old adore playing in there. I like working our here during the winter and in the summer I use their lounge to be work done qhile my kid plays. They have a lot of different activities that my wife joins.
Great place to live and work. Great gym, pools, facilities in general. Great people who work here and awesome members who are my neighbors.
Great pools, aquatics, racquetball courts, lockers and gym. Great family locker room, child care for while you work out and family gym and swim. Family gym and swim will help you survive the winter with younger kids. Their childcare will give you time to get in shape.
The building has been closed since March 16th, 2020, and I havent been in the y since February 2020 due to the virus outbreak (human to human respiratory virus). Before they closes, I stopped by and talk to the staff. I request for a membership refund for March and they said the closure is because of the cleaning purposes. They mentioned that they would be open in one week. I feel not comfortable to pay my membership without getting alternative swimming place (my husband and I buy membership only for swimming). Then, I received email notice that they decided to continue closing. I emailed them again to request refund and havent get addressed. I feel disappointed the staff refused to refund my membership due to the extended closure in March.
I like the space at the Y , the equipment is good and the staff is friendly.
I visited at 2 pm on a Sunday and bought a day pass to lift. At $15, it was one of the most affordable prices in the area, plus I was able to rent a lock, use the locker room, shower and use towels all free of additional charges. As for the exercises area, its great. There was a good selection of free weights, machines and cardio. The environment was clean a day tidy without seeming uppity. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the staff was very personable. Shout out to the young lady from Cleveland and the gentleman with the bald head and the beard who talked basketball with me.
Great swim team for Age Group Swimmers, and those entering the Senior swimming arena. Competitive enough that is your child wants to push themselves to the state level that can because the coaching staff are also good enough to get them there.
Very clean facility. Friendly staff. Great workout equipment, 2 pools, running track, large gym.
Great fitness center with all the amenities that one could need! Friendly staff and really nice male locker room attended. Overall one of the best fitness centers I have been a member at.
I have been around clubs, including exclusive social clubs all my life, some in Chicago when my family used to live there in the 70s and myself as a reciprocal member of my old club in Europe. The YMCA Evanston has superb facilities and staff head and shoulders above the competition in Evanston. Actually they have no competition. It is so much more than a fitness club.
Full featured gym equipment, weights, large indoor track, racquetball, squash, swimming pool, nice locker rooms. Great for families and a fixture of the community!
Usually have a great time at the ymca accept for Today I scheduled an appointment pressed 0 on the phone the person on the phone was extremely rude and acted like I was forbidden to make work out appointments through the phone really obnoxious there is no law that says you are forbidden to schedule workout appointments through the phone and besides it is a lot more convenient doing it through the phone then trying to enter two passwords and going nowhere the guy who was on the phone acted obnoxious and acted like I was forbidden to schedule my appointment like I shouldnt call them to Schedule an appointment I’m trying to lose weight the staff accept the for the one person I had the misfortune of dealing are great they have a great fitness center and I made some great friends there been going there since 2012 and this is the first time I had a problem with a staff member and this was today around 5:30 was out of town and just returned was taking a cab to get back home
Didn’t realize how much of a gem this place is until I visited other gyms in the area. Building is old but very clean and the people who work here are amazing. Every one of them.
A great facility with an courteous staff. They also seem to have an excellent system in place since they reopened after the pandemic shutdown. I would highly recommend.
Gym is decent. A little on the crowded side and has a little bit of a smell, but otherwise has all the equipment. Dumbbells go up to 100lbs.
Grew up going to the Y, and as an adult, I have always preferred it to other gyms. McGaw is great, and I love the child care they provide.
The Taj Mahal, Taj McGaw and better known as the McGaw YMCA has been a great experience during my time from July 2016-August 2017. Wonderful staff, terrific facilities, great residential life staff and excellent location. McGaw YMCA has the best residential life facilities in the Chicagoland Area. McGaw YMCA’s Resident Department is second best in the State of Illinois, right behind Champaign-Urbana. Plus, Meta Media Lab in the facility has grown into another icon for the community. The McGaw YMCA is located in the heart of Downtown Evanston. This is near all of the bars, restaurants, movie theatre, CTA, and Metra Stations. Definitely miss it already. It was definitely my second home during my three years living in the Chicagoland Area before relocation. Keep up the great work McGaw YMCA. I would definitely recommend this place.
Good staffWeight liftingSpacious45 mins. reserved per hour
One of the worst first impressions I had ever got from a local center. The lady at the front counter was very rude and impolite. She was being improper, and was whispering in a very bitchy way. Not to forget her unhelpful replies, grouchy attitude, and inappropriate tone of voice.
An awesome workout experience. 1st the workout,then a relaxing steam,and a great shower.Always feel like a new person afterwards.
Best YMCA! Super friendly community and staff. Great updated equipment, and its the home of racquetball!
Friendly staff with up to date equipment. Even has racquetball leagues for all levels. Nice place overall.
An Evanston institution. The McGaw Y is always trying to improve their facilities and services. Great place to work out, meet new friends, and try out a new class.
My kids love this place and very nice staff. Reason for 4 rather than 5 is I got dunked on twice playing bball there.
Been a member here for many years. Its by far the finest and best YMCA in the Chicagoland area.
Two classy swimming pools, nice facilities for lots of fitness activities. Yoga, Zumba, personal fitness consultations.
They have a great child care and summer camp. Also their gym is great and easy to figure out.
I love the pool & the aqua fit class!
Theres this older lady who makes everything more difficult than it needs to be. Other than that all is good about the facilities, people and the gym.
I go to the YMCA almost every day. I love the facilities and the people ... especially JayJay.
Great experience watching their outreach to their community.
Pool and exercise room are always open (during Y hours). JayJay makes our day, every day.
Staff is rude, children are constantly running around uncontrolled, lots of creepy men hanging around the building. Would not want to bring my children to this location.
Very well equipped: machines, pool, BB. Extensive classes.
This is a very clean gym with plenty of machines and weights to use without having to wait in line.
I like the equipment and the staff Ive met.
Community feeling with excelente swimming pools. All kinds of choices.
Great place to work out need to get my butt there tomorrow
Great place for my teenagers to go. They love it.
Perfect place for people of all ages to find something to do with their time.
A wonderful community asset staffed by knowledgeable friendly people.
Full of fun ànd activities for young people and elders.
Has rooms for parties. Large building which can be very difficult to navigate.
Good place to hoop, swim, and lift
Very clean! Workers are very nice.
Friendly environment and clean place to work out.
First class operation in a beautiful old well maintained structure
Babysitting while you work out - even for infants!
I am a Resident Member since Mid March 2019.
Great facilities, great mission, good staff.
Sleep eat workout .. cheap place to sign up
Agree
They have everything, but you need a membership.
Great family work out place
Great classes, convenient schedule.
Fantastic place with a awesome staff !!
Horrible Horus but other than that great place
Good gym.
Great place to workout
Helps me too get a fighting chance too recovery.
Nice YMCA facility.
Very many possibilities for work outs.
Nice place too work out
Great chair Yoga
They have just about everything!
Crown jewel ov Evanston
Nice place to workout
Had a great experience
Social work out environment.
Friendly and always helpful
Family friendly!
Good place for fun
It is a good place
Very respectable
Aqua
Too crowded
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Nice place
Svggg
Very good place for children and why not also for one. You can relax.
Excellent
Total reviews rating 4.4
102 Reviews for McGaw YMCA 2023:
Review №1
2022-02-12Would definitely recommend if youre looking for a gym with lots of offerings in Evanston! Ive been a member for a few years now, and can tell that the Y cares about its members and is always looking to improve. Great class offerings, facilities and equipment are always clean and in good condition, never too crowded, lots of workout space options. The people who work here are friendly and helpful. I also really appreciate that they offer membership rates based on your income, that has helped me maintain a membership for so long.
Review №2
2022-02-09This place has all the things you need for community and health. The trainers and massage therapists are excellent, the nutritionist has a wonderful manner and great knowledge. Being a part of their mission is the best icing on the cake.
Review №3
2022-05-28Staff is unfriendly, rate is way overpriced, and this Y completely caters to families with kids. Adult fitness is not a priority. They allow troubled youth in the gym, some of whom walk around creating a nuisance and creating an environment that feels unsafe. We have moved on to Lifetime Fitness. The McGaw Y needs to drop the political agenda, and realize that the Y is a place for health and wellness. This is not at all what this organization is about. One look at the desk staff will tell you that.
Review №4
2022-02-21I saw a comment that she wouldn’t want to take her children to this Y and I cannot imagine why not this is the best Y in this whole Chicagoland area it is always clean people are friendly it’s got everything you need It serves the youth in North Chicago and Evanston it’s fantastic. The staff is very helpful. They clean and paint every year. the equipment they’re always replacing equipment with new and better equipment I’ve In the member here for about 12 years I have gone several Otherwise in the city and I love this why I would never want to go anywhere else
Review №5
2022-06-01Leadership inexplicably refuses to resume towel service or reopen the sauna, despite the fact that other Chicago-areas YMCAs, hotels, gyms have (even over a year ago).Over two years into COVID, requires vaccination, but wont provide towels or reopen sauna. Reduced membership fees? Of course not.
Review №6
2022-03-20Became a member at the Y in Evanston at beginning of March, 2022 mainly for swimming purposes. Paid for two months. March 18th canceled my membership because some of the staff at the pool area were rude and mistreated me. The Y refused to reimburse me for the reason that the I signed the agreement. I was ripped off.
Review №7
2021-11-15This facility has really gone downhill as I reconsidered going back to this gym. Entire management needs to be replaced but it starts with the one in charge. Also, I was informed by members months ago the pool was going to be renovated as donations were made. Nothing done to date. Not surprising the last reviews mention rude service. It all starts with the Director of this facility as leadership sets the values of this location.
Review №8
2019-11-20Not a bad YMCA. There are new updatedsection that meet so old historic sections. Parking for the Y is very difficult, so beware.
Review №9
2022-01-25All signs inside and outside the building say YMCA and surprisingly the front desk clerk says this is not a part of the Y and he refused to let me check in as a national Y member.
Review №10
2022-04-28Staff was rude and refused to let me use the restroom. I walked in, they asked how they could help me. I asked if there was a restroom I could use. Then the front desk clerk looked at me for a moment, then said no.