(This is really a 4.5- star review.) The Prairie Meadows pool is world class. The locker room is always clean. The upstairs gym area needs a bit of TLC, but a fat corporate donation 😉, would push this YMCA to 5-stars.

Only place where i can take my kids swimming indoors due to covid19. the workers are friendly and the environment is clean. no complaints here. we go there maybe 4 times a month.

Great place to work good people big pool and a good basketball court two different lock rooms ones normally the is for vip

Awesome swimming venue. Plenty of space to social distance. Great fun at the YMCA.

Pool is great but there is no reason why the stairway should be wet in urine and smell so bad that visitors have to cover their faces. Cigarette buts and trash. An embarrassment for to des moines for a venue which holds big events and brings in familys from all over the state even other states

Love going there. Great morning workout environment! Great staff!

Great facility, could use better parking and rest room situation, but they are very tight on extra space being in the middle of downtown.

Great facility. Beautiful racquetball courts. Super friendly staff.

Love this place! The staff is absolutely amazing and the equipment is some of the best in town!

Fantastic environment and super friendly staff!

Poor communication about changing mask policy while working out. I would think cleaning and disinfecting equipment would make better use of time than being on your phone.

Big YMCA but once you get use to it good. Parking is not the greatest but that downtown. Has a lot of equipment to use, so you dont have to wait on somebody.One of the best places to go to get a workout. Very friendly staff and invitational. Also very knowledgeable about there schedule for all classes qnd use of the equipment. Treat like a member and not a number. Place is kept clean well. Also have work schedule for everybody all ages and size. Would recommend this place to everybody. Keep up the good work.

Im disappointed that Im paying $90 a month and if I want to use things like the steam room I have to pay an extra $30 a month. I miss the riverfront YMCA

Clean! Great customer service, and so many options! Lots of equipment, a track, basketball courts, pools etc. Love this place.

My husband and I were members for more than 5 years and recently had to cancel our membership because we moved. We are so sad to say goodbye to this facility and it’s staff and patrons. We’re both serious lifters and appreciated the quality of the equipment and the multiple areas with power racks. There are good cardio machine options as well, and most of the cardio machines were recently upgraded. The community you’re able to build as a regular with people from all walks of life is an added bonus. Would definitely recommend for people at any fitness level looking for a gym to call home.

AweSoMe EnViroNeMent! PoWerFul & Friendly PeoPle! #💖It

Huge fitness facility with indoor track, basketball, racquetball, fitness classes, yoga, massage, an Olympic size swimming pool, and a second pool for water fitness classes. The facility is clean and the covid mitigation plans there are excellent. The air quality in the building is excellent, plenty of oxygen for everyone, even with a mask on!

Love the Y

Is there a secret phone number that one had to call inn order to get someone to answer the phone? Been calling everyday, multiple times a day, for a week.

Great facility and plenty of seating for spectators that come to see their kids swim

Everything one could want from a YMCA and much more. The staff is respecting mask and social Distancing recommendations while still helping members and guests get the most possible from their time at the facility! Highly recommend!!

What a great pool! I enjoyed hosting our Deck Pass Live shows there during the TYR Pro Swim Series.

1st time there. Didnt have a lot of time. Walked the indoor track & used the sauna.

Clean, sanitary, and has everything I need for a good price

We are so fortunate to have this state of the art facility. My only concern is the fully clothed people I have seen enter the sauna, shoes and all. There is no posting on appropriate attire, which by the way is a towel. With flu season approaching I will avoid the sauna.

The facility is very nice, its new and modern. Their pools are fantastic. I used the program pool which is only 5ft. They have another that is at least 8ft. Although, there were children playing and swimming in the other lanes, I was able to have a productive and enjoyable aquatic workout. The locker rooms were clean and thoughtfully appointed.

This new, beautiful facility has all of your fitness needs. Located in the heart of downtown, it is close to just about everything. Now, it even has a large pool to enjoy as well, check it out!Its fun to stay at the YMCA!You can get yourself clean, you can have a good meal!You can do what about you feel!

Its placed in downtown thats so nice and clean

Nice facility, great pool.

Absolutely perfect!!

No daycare.

So, Ive been coming to the downtown Y now for about 5 years. Ever since I moved to Des Moines. This place is the only place I can find with all the workout equipment that I need. Its a great place to workout with open, airy spaces, not a basement or closet. They also dont discriminate against serious lifters, which Im not, but those guys and gals inspire you to work harder.

This is a very nice facility. I really enjoyed the mind body center here. I am a member at another YMCA, but I called ahead of time to make sure my membership would be accepted here - no issues. This was at great location to exercise while staying downtown. Im hoping I get to return at some point.

I love coming here to workout and it has everything I want in a gym. A variety of equipment, classes, basketball & racquetball courts, large pool, and the staff is always helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable. Only downside is that the building could be a bit cleaner and it is showing a bit of wear, but this is a phenomenal place to get your fitness on. Also, the prices are reasonable for memberships and is much lower than many of the gyms in the area.

Water ex was great class as always good to be back at it !

I just had an excellent customer service experience with Jazz at the front desk. I had some confusion over my credit card expiring and my membership lapsing and he explained everything and was so kind. Also, Pete is such a friendly person to see at the desk. Thank you for providing a great service, during a very busy time of day they took the time to get me situated! I love the Y.

The nicest Y you will ever find. Great staff. They have a special warm water pool for water aerobics. Excellent for indoor cycling classes.This is a partnership with Mercy Hospital, so they have several very good medical programs, especially for cancer patients and survivors.No court sports at this location.

This is such a nice building and facility that gets destroyed by its staff and its patrons. The locker room is covered in dirty towels left all over the floors and benches and in the lockers. Adults you would think would be better at picking up after themselves. Most of the staff you would guess is being forced to work there unpaid by court ordered community service. Asking for a simple thing as a lock seems to be such a chore, and a thank you is responded to with a yeah, or something similar, not a youre welcome. The other day the front desk employee had their head buried in papers, and asking for something was just the worst thing possible it felt like. Asking for equipment so that we can workout is met with the same disdain. I kinda felt one of the goals of this place was wellness, however, people trying to better themselves are again just treated as if their requests are outside of the realm of possibility. I for one have to pay for a membership, so should easily have accessible to me the benefits of being a member. Staff is paid, and not volunteer, so they need to step up and do their job, and do it with a smile on their face. A place that I should be going to for enjoyment and improvement, has me leaving in a worse attitude than I entered with.

My husband and I just joined and we love all the services and equipment. Its a very clean and beautiful facility too.

Great facility! Im really happy to be a member at the downtown Y. The place is HUGE and filled with plenty of equipment for a variety of activities. Everything is kept clean and is well-maintained. The parking situation is not bad for being right downtown. BONUS: Tbe staff is super-friendly and knowledgeable.

I love going here. You have so many options to exercise. The classes that are included in your membership are my favorite. Everyone is very helpful and kind.

The downtown YMCA has been a great addition to my workout routine! The atmosphere is always upbeat and positive. The staff are always helpful. I love the childs area because they actually play and interact with the kids. My 3 year old is always excited about going and talks about the activities he made too! The equipment is abundant for what I use and is in good condition. The womens restrooms and locker rooms are very nice and well kept! Plus you cant go wrong with access to the skywalk from the $1 parking garage!!

This new facility is probably the most beautiful YMCA in the world. Enormous wide open spaces. Every area has so much room, so much equipment, with very high ceilings, bright and clean. Always full of people but not a crowded feeling. And I cant wait to see the HUGE indoor pool opening soon. Youve got to check this place out.

Ive been going here almost a year now and Im very happy. Clean and positive environment with plenty of equipment. The only thing I absolutely hate is parking. Im basically paying an extra $20 a month to go here.

Great facility, environment, and access to many machines/recreation

Great facility with something for everyone. I do all of my training for triathlon here and love it. Super welcoming and inclusive for everyone, clean and safe facilities, large a spacious and versatile, great convenient parking, etc. Highly recommend the Downtown Y and the Greater Des Moines YMCA Association!

First, this gym does have a lot of amenities and I like the wide open spaces. I do not have a monthly membership but decided to do a day pass since I wanted to lift with my brother who was in town. $15 for a day pass per person! I was shocked! When a full month membership is ~$60. My next gripe is then theres another steam room/locker area that you have to pay extra to have access. I definitely wont be back.

This is a wonderful location and facility. The people who work here are kind and very helpful. All the equipment are up-to-date and the swimming pool is a full size Olympic pool and a smaller program pool for teaching and special activities. If you live in or around Des Moines you should check it out.

This place is great started up here with a co-worker and go every day before work made life great lost 14 pounds in a month and a half!!! 10/5 stars

This is the new Y downtown. The atmosphere is great. Staff is friendly. Higher prices than other local Ys due to it being a Wellmark. Besides pricing my only issue is the parking.. But it is downtown So it is to be expected..

Excellent place

Visited the Y only, an out of tower. What a nice, fully outfitted place. Visit, join, get your workout on. Recommended

Attended a handball tournament here. Facilities are very nice, cool layout with the handball courts right next to the basketball court. Tons of different workout machines, seemed to have everything someone working out would need. Staff were very friendly as well, overall very pleasant experience here.

8 Racquetball courts and two squash courts. nearly always an open court. Higher than average number of homeless people hang around this Y though, so take that for what it is worth. My wife does not feel safe going to this Y at night, but as far as I know it is still safe.

I recently set up a membership at the Y and it was great. Then I was harassed by an Administrator there at great length. If you have a question on someones membership: call the staff member who set it up or the person who has the membership. Im not sure what is wrong with your administrators to not want to pick up a phone and explain that they originally misinformed you of something (which they did) and that they have follow up questions. Not too tough. She went so far as to insinuate she was trying to get the person who was highly professional and set up my membership in trouble. Why? Professionalism and kindness go a long way.

Great new contribution to Downtown. Pool finally done. I give weight room lay out 2.5 stars

Nice gym it has a sauna, wirlpool, swimming pool, fitness center Wi-Fi and lots more. Its definitely better than the smaller gyms around town if not the best however there its a big problem with racism rude staff and patrons aswell. Lots of people standing at the front desk doing nothing. Stuff you have to deal with if you dont have your own fitneas center in your own home.

This gym is huge. it has the biggest pool in Iowa. there is a climbing wall yoga classes. all the free weights and gym equipment you would ever need. There are classes for fitness everything.

Non pretentious gym with everything a power lifter like myself would need. Got a great workout in here.

I was very dissatisfied that on new years eve they closed at 2, and all locations, including south which is my location. I understand wanting to get out to celebrate but who starts celebrating that early? Even the public library was open till 5.

The staff here are so friendly and wonderful! The gym is awesome and clean! My only wish would be for more basketball hoops!

Great place, staff, location, will become a member soon!

Very much enjoyed the fueld cafe I will be going back for my healthy lunches.

Friendly staff. Good variation of equipment. Decent weight equipment. But there are little kids playing with dangerous weights. Homeless people yelling at everyone in the lobby. And they lock you out of the skywalk before they are even closed. Very frustrating.

Do not recommend this YMCA.

Good facilities in downtown Des Moines. No free parking. Spin bikes are dated and lack a road-like experience. Much better spin bikes at Walnut Creek and Waukee. Excellent instructors who offer great advice re proper techique teach a challenging yoga class Saturday morning.

This would be 5 stars if they had a swimming pool. Super nice facility in downtown Des Moines. Running track is nice, nice cardio selection is big, weights are plentiful.

Great, state of the art facility with all the amenities. In the heart of the city skywalks. Beautiful

Love this place. Very busy just after work during the weekdays but otherwise fantastic. Great staff!

I go on my lunch hour and love the classes. Great place to work out!

We really enjoyed the old Y, but were really excited when the new one opened. With that being said the new facility is disgusting. Youd think its been open for 5 years with the way the machines look. They are gross. I watch and maybe 30% of the people who are using them wipe them down. No one could possibly be vacuuming around them. Yes, maybe you have to move them a little bit to get around them, but people are paying to use this brand new gym, but no one is cleaning it. There are piles or dirt, hair, what ever stuffed in every cranny on the elliptical machines. The stair master has piles or dirty laying on the ground where it falls off the stairs, with seat stains running all over it. The floors are filthy to the point where you dont even want to get on the ground and stretch. The track and the floors around it are so dusty and covered in hair, you can tell no one mops. The bathrooms always have blood, pee, poop, and hairs all over the toilet (locker room and other restroom). If you arent going to have a janitorial staff then please provide toilet covers. There are hand prints all over the glass over looking the pool that still looks like it did the day the place opened. All and all really disappointed in the new Y. Not to mention all the middle school kids you have to parent after a long days work because their parents are no where to be found, and the staff doesnt tell them anything.

Large gym with everything you would need. Host of many great events!

Great place to stay active. Downtown location. Clean and full featured facility.

Nice place all around. Great facilities from locker rooms to workout areas.

Everything you need for a great workout..group or solo.

Love the pool. Often not too crowded.

Gorgeous Y with enormous pool. Entire operation is first class.

I work there in the Learn and Play Center. My co-workers are very nice

Staff is wonderful and know you. They take the time to be with you. Wonderful space that isnt overly crowded and running too loud music non stop

Super huge facility. Definerly a fun place to go with your kids. Very friendly staff and other members. Personally havent taken any of their classes, but they provide all the equipment needed for basketball, raketball, etx ..

Great free weights area. Rowers and racket ball courts as well as good basketball and volleyball games always going.

I love this place and by supporting the YMCA, you are supporting a great cause. This facility has lots of classes to choose from, a huge selection of equipment, and two swimming pools.

Some staff is friendly, while some staff makes you feel unwelcomed and handle things unprofessional.

Modern facility, open, friendly, and beneficial. Right off Skywalk and there is a price deal with the parking garage across the street. Very nice

If you like lunks who take all the weights and spend 30+ minutes on every machine they use this is the place for you. Ive been a member for 2 years showing up 3 days a week and am seriously considering moving to a different gym. This Y isnt what it was 2 years ago. Its always packed and its hard to get on any machines or find free weights---its like they ran out of money and decided not to buy enough weights for the racks and benches. The changing rooms also can get kinda gross at night since towels are left everywhere.

Great equipment and gym layout. New pool looks awesome.

Love this place! So many different areas with different ways to exercise. Very clean and very friendly staff.

Great place to workout. Side note: I dont use the showers or locker rooms.

I love the fitness center and staff at the Wellmark YMCA. Day care is ok, they need to copy the Southside YMCA programming they have in place for the daycare. Nonetheless I love my Y!

Great place to work out. Staff very friendly and helpful. Sometimes gets busy thou.

Great atmosphere with lots of machines. Its always clean and well maintained.

Good location, and has an indoor long course pool and a diving well, along with other fitness amenities

Very nice gym,staff have been nice up until today - this middle aged blonde lady snapped at me and was extremely rude and pushy checking me in definetly not getting a member ship now because I dont want to deal with her attitude when I come in - not sure why you when you walk up to someone and smile and ask to use your guest pass that they order you around and snap at you as you come in - no reason for it

I enjoy working with there latest gym equipment and they have instructors to help you with your work out.

The dojo master is awesome, my kids love him as well

BEAUTIFUL pool and facilities!!Very helpful staff..glad for the recent upgrade!!

Nice facility but no whirlpool or steam room for normal members.

Best gym in town! THEY HAVE SQUASH COURTS!!!! That is exciting for me.

WoW never found a better Ymca then this. U guys are the best

They have complained to me about basically hitting the heavy bag, the hiegth of the bag( which they use a UFC full length bag, but complain when i lower it (adjustable) so i can kick and knee it also- from the too high/boxing height. These non martial artist staff will and have argued with me that its a boxing bag only. Haha but yet paid more for a mma full legth bag which they have no udea what they r talking about in past multiple times. Now last Sunday they wouldnt allow me to work ouy because my 1 year membership paid in Full was discontinued on june 15, 2018 for unknown reasons no one ever figuted out and i was turned away that Sunday without them having a singke carr aboyt even providing me a coutesty workout till their errors could be sorted out internally. I asked but they told me they would not provide nlme a courtesy work out even though they could provide no teason.my membership was cancelled in the first place.....knowingly that ive been a member since 3-2017 straight. This 1 year membership was to begin 3-21-18, for which i have paperwork of. So my 1 yr membership shouldve no way been cancelled 3 + months later june 15th 2018. Have these convesations recorde on my cell. Then met with supervisor today about my last Sundays displeasure. Recorded also. She talked me in circles, without providing any information once again about why my membership was cancelled in the first place. She instructed me to call someone else to resolve the issue. I responded that im not making several dif contacts to correct ur erroneous records and erroneous discontinuance( for no valid reasons expressed to me at all, in any slight way what so ever) of my 1yr membership, that lasted 3 months only. Being frustrated at this unprofessionalism they chose to concentrate on my unhappiness and expected me to not get annoyed with their repeated lack of responsibility. My acting annoyed on my second meeting on matters seeking resolve or reasons, ended up beig this supervisors choice of focus in matters vs fixing the problem on their own, on their own time, internally, without me having to call other or meet again with others, as they wanted to just send me in circles w out more multiple attempts. 2 attempts n person last sunday and today shouldve resolved this. It did not. By design of this supervisor, by choice...as my recording will indicate. This tranpired them them knowing ive been a member for basically 18 months give or take. I told supervisor i would not contact anymore people on this seeking answers or active membership if she purposely chose to not resolve this matter on their/her own internally, and i said i would not return ever again, and i would make this incident known on this rating/review site. She said she didnt care basically on my recording, and she acted satisfied with me leaving a unhappy customer. So heres my multiple experiences on this lame unprofessional ymca and staff. they dont have a -1 rating system and i feel a +1 is not as accurate but my only option.