Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center

Information about Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center

Commonwealth Avenue 915
02215, Boston
+1 617-358-3740

Opening hours

  • Monday: 6:00 AM – 11:00 PM
  • Tuesday: 6:00 AM – 11:00 PM
  • Wednesday: 6:00 AM – 11:00 PM
  • Thursday: 6:00 AM – 11:00 PM
  • Friday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM
  • Saturday: 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM
  • Sunday: 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Our comment from FitFit United States about Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center:

Welcome to the Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center, a premier destination for fitness enthusiasts located in the heart of Boston. This center boasts:

  • State-of-the-art equipment: A wide variety of new exercise machines, free weights, and designated areas for diverse workouts.
  • Excellent facilities: Including multiple basketball courts, a clean swimming pool, hot tub, and spacious rooms for group and individual exercises.
  • Friendly staff: Members have noted the helpfulness and professionalism of the staff, enhancing the overall experience.
  • Flexible hours: Catering to the busy schedules of students and local patrons.
  • Great community atmosphere: A place to meet fellow students and engage in various sports activities.

However, some users have raised concerns regarding:

  • Overcrowding: The gym can become quite busy, especially during peak hours, making it challenging to complete workouts efficiently.
  • Website usability: Some feedback indicates that the online interface could use improvements for a better user experience.
  • Management practices: A few patrons have mentioned experiences with unprofessional staff attitudes and issues related to policies that may feel overly strict.

Overall, despite a few areas for improvement, the Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center remains a beloved choice among students and community members, ideal for achieving fitness goals in a supportive environment.

Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center: Opinions

4.2/5 (45 Opinions)
Cool Chris 2 months ago

Fantastic experience: 25년 8월에 한달간 보스턴을 방문하는데, 라켓볼코트를 이용할 수 있을까요? 가능하다면 비용은 얼마인가요?

Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center

Thank you for reaching out. We have information on summer passes on our website at https://www.bu.edu/fitrec/membership-services/summer/. Hope to see you at FitRec this August!

Colleen C 2 months ago

Negative experience: Horrible website/user interface. Can’t believe the UI is so bad… spend some money on it BU!

Nathalie Chateauneuf 5 months ago

Negative experience: While the facilities themselves are nice, the gym is always packed (too much so for members to be able to work out successfully/ in a timely manner), and management/ staff members are known to be both unprofessional and rude. Policies set by management are often too stringent and performative to be beneficial, and those policies that should be upheld (preventing slamming of weights, calling out dangerous behaviors) are ignored by part-time student staffers. Students are rarely able to secure jobs due to uncoordinated hiring efforts. Recently, FitRec held a "Membership Appreciation Day" to celebrate those who pay for a membership to the facility, with catered food. BU students, whose membership is a part of our tuition, were not welcome. I found this to be a blatant display of disrespect and neglect towards paying members. If I could opt out of attending this gym, I would. Unfortunately, students are unable to do so and paying for an additional gym is out of my financial range.

Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center

Hi Natalie, we're so sorry to hear that your experience has not been up to our standards. You're certainly correct that we do have busy hours, though with 26,000 of your fellow students using the facilities each year it's difficult to avoid those times entirely. We have created a heat map on our website to help all our members, students included, find times with less traffic if that's their goal. With regards to student staffing, we are the largest student employer on campus, with between 5-600 unique student employees working for us each year in a number of different positions. If you're having difficulty securing a position, I'd encourage you to check our open positions page, also on our website. Finally, with regards to our twentieth anniversary celebration, we held a number of different events throughout the week. Students had their own event, where every entry into the building that week entered them into a raffle to win one of 100 student swag bags celebrating the anniversary. In any event, thank you for the feedback. We are always aspiring to improve, and working with students and the rest of our patrons is an important part of doing just that.

Broeman1 7 months ago

Positive experience: Good gym, terrible music 24/7. Just turn it off

Alec Chen 9 months ago

Positive experience: Good gym overall, used it when in college. Always packed though. Upper management can be out of touch with user needs/ requests at time, and management has been known to be rude.

Max Kim 11 months ago

Fantastic experience: very nice facilities with plenty of basketball courts, various exercise equipment, nice swimming pool and jacuzzi, and flexible hours .

Daniel Yoon 1 year ago

Positive experience: There are aspects that I absolutely love; there are a few reservations that I can't ignore. Pros: The variety of machines and the multiple sections for free weights make it a haven for those who appreciate a diverse workout routine. The availability of different rooms for both individual and group exercises is a thoughtful touch. It's fantastic to have the option to isolate yourself or engage in a group workout without disrupting the standard gym flow. However, the primary drawback is the size of the gym in relation to its popularity. It often feels like the facility was designed for a much smaller student population. During peak hours (and most hours), the space becomes crowded, making it a challenge to navigate through the different workout areas. If you're accustomed to a more intimate gym experience, this may not be the ideal fit. I can't help but draw a comparison to larger, high-end gyms like Equinox, where crowding might be expected. While this gym is not exactly on par with that scene, the occasional overcrowding gives a taste of that atmosphere, which may not be everyone's cup of tea. On a positive note, the gym does offer multiple rooms for various exercises, but the issue arises when these rooms fill up quickly during busy hours (or any hours). It can be a bit frustrating when you have a specific workout in mind, and the designated areas are occupied. In conclusion, this gym has its pros and cons. If you can overlook the occasional crowding and appreciate the variety of workout options available, it's still a solid choice. While it may not be perfect, the positives do outweigh the negatives for those who are willing to adapt to a more bustling fitness environment. --- You can find me on Insta: @imdanielyoon

Advantage Sport’s&Consulting 1 year ago

Fantastic experience: Ones of the nicest gyms I ever played in. Wood floors perfect for basketball athletes. Great place to have camps. If your and athlete that has a game or playing here, enjoy it because this is how gyms should be

Edz Cabral 1 year ago

Fantastic experience: Always a fan of going to this place to exercise. As a full-time grad student, I take advantage of the benefits it offers and enjoy my time doing my exercise routine. Staff are super friendly and helpful as well, which I really appreciate.

Khalid Omar 1 year ago

Positive experience: Fitness and Recreation Centre is part of John Hancock Students Village, which also includes Agganis Arena ( named after BU top football/ baseball player).The centre is equipped with free weights and various physical exercise/ work-out machines, including tread- mills. Good facilities and novel rooms for individuals and groups.However, capacity is limited and leads to increased waiting time during peak hours. BU should keep the charges subsidised to encourage students for fitness.In the village context, high-rise towers for students' residence are appreciated...

Derek777 2 years ago

Fantastic experience: I came here on a day pass very recently. I came in during the early afternoon. I was greeted by an attractive coed at the front reception area. She was very friendly, polite, professional, and knowledgeable. I told her I was there for a workout and that she did not have to give me a tour. I was extremely impressed with the size of this facility. It is well over 150 thousand square feet with multiple levels. There are so many modalities to choose from for your fitness needs that you would get dizzy trying to name them all. This facility is Boston University's gym and fitness center, so they spare no expense in providing their members with the best fitness equipment that is available on the market. As I began my workout, I noticed the many different types of weights and weight lifting machines that are available for the members. I was able to complete my workout without waiting to use any of the machines/free weights. I finished with a 4 mile jog on one of their dozens of treadmills. The monthly fee is about eighty three dollars per month. I plan on joining this week. I recommend this facility for anyone who is looking for a top-notch gym that will meet any and all of your fitness needs. I also highly recommend that you visit their website for more information. Good luck!!

Hendro Hioe 2 years ago

Fantastic experience: Bu fitness and facilities. The basket ball indoor hall facilities is really nice. The wooden floor also nice and clean. Went here for graduation, all the facilities is great including the swimming pool and fitness tools are good, keep it up boston university

Linwei Li 2 years ago

Negative experience: 这个垃圾学校能不能记得把健身中心开放时间在地图上改了,每次来了要么不开要么关的早。

Kazi Mukitul 3 years ago

Fantastic experience: free for Full time students. Amazing place for fitness exercise and games.

Ben Senderling 3 years ago

Negative experience: It's a good gym. But they're doing some equipment cleaning and renovations and appear to not be bring back the 110 and 120 lbs dumbells. Those were a significant reason I switched to this gym.

Bob Kao 3 years ago

Fantastic experience: Nice gym and swimming pool

Leonardo Kao 3 years ago

Fantastic experience: Nice gym and swimming pool

Omar 5 years ago

Fantastic experience: Awesome gym! Loads of equipment and with 20,000 SQ feet you won't be disappointed. Of course around peak times you would normally find a line for the core lifts( bench, deadlift and squat) but with two floor of equipment even a indoor track?! Love this place!

Sage Holloway 5 years ago

Negative experience: Too crowded. Generally a nice space but I can almost never do my workout plan because it’s overly crowded and not enough space/equipment.

Mikhail M. Nitko 5 years ago

Positive experience: Hi-- I am actually part of the staff at BU and use this center, and I want to note a few things: 1. There are staff-only locker rooms, which by my experience are used 80% by staff and I'm not sure how some of the younger patrons of these got the keypad codes to get in. Its my only reason for 4 and not 5 stars. 2. Your BU Blue Cross/Blue Shield health benefit can be used here and will reimburse $150. 3. If you don't buy a locker membership, finding a locker during a crowded time (4pm+) can be tough, but not impossible. 4. The equipment is new and quite good, but be mindful that these are kids you're working out with, some of whom were in highschool the year prior, and many will not know gym etiquette about wiping things down after use, or not starting a workout infront of someone using the wall mirror for their workout. And other small nuisances. 5. The sauna is located in the locker room for the pool, but bear in mind that it is dry, the temperature control is outside the room and I think goes only to 130 or so, and is a bit temperamental (in the men's locker room), and more importantly-- there is no water to place on the stones. So the students/staff get water from elsewhere and bring it in water bottles to place it on the stones so the room has steam. So don't expect an authentic sauna experience at 180 degrees, and ladling water. 6. The indoor track is really nice, and rare, and I am super-grateful for it because treadmills are so boring. But take note of what I said in point #3-- you're also sharing it with kids who don't know gym etiquette yet, and will not read the signs that say that on specific days of the week you run/walk in one or another specific direction around the track. So you will run into them, and will need to correct them, but so far all have taken the correction in a friendly way. 7. Some locker-room showers do have broken soap dispenses that don't work despite being full, so you'll need to be aware and bring your own. Otherwise the facility is plain great -- clean facility, new equipment, good airflow on the running track, minimal college highjinks from the students that are confined to the locker room.

Mikhail Nitko 5 years ago

Positive experience: Hi-- I am actually part of the staff at BU and use this center, and I want to note a few things: 1. There are staff-only locker rooms, which by my experience are used 80% by staff and I'm not sure how some of the younger patrons of these got the keypad codes to get in. Its my only reason for 4 and not 5 stars. 2. Your BU Blue Cross/Blue Shield health benefit can be used here and will reimburse $150. 3. If you don't buy a locker membership, finding a locker during a crowded time (4pm+) can be tough, but not impossible. 4. The equipment is new and quite good, but be mindful that these are kids you're working out with, some of whom were in highschool the year prior, and many will not know gym etiquette about wiping things down after use, or not starting a workout infront of someone using the wall mirror for their workout. And other small nuisances. 5. The sauna is located in the locker room for the pool, but bear in mind that it is dry, the temperature control is outside the room and I think goes only to 130 or so, and is a bit temperamental (in the men's locker room), and more importantly-- there is no water to place on the stones. So the students/staff get water from elsewhere and bring it in water bottles to place it on the stones so the room has steam. So don't expect an authentic sauna experience at 180 degrees, and ladling water. 6. The indoor track is really nice, and rare, and I am super-grateful for it because treadmills are so boring. But take note of what I said in point #3-- you're also sharing it with kids who don't know gym etiquette yet, and will not read the signs that say that on specific days of the week you run/walk in one or another specific direction around the track. So you will run into them, and will need to correct them, but so far all have taken the correction in a friendly way. 7. Some locker-room showers do have broken soap dispenses that don't work despite being full, so you'll need to be aware and bring your own. Otherwise the facility is plain great -- clean facility, new equipment, good airflow on the running track, minimal college highjinks from the students that are confined to the locker room.

Joseph Walker 5 years ago

Fantastic experience: Great facilities, excellent equipment selection. Only complaint is the Men's locker room could use better ventilation, if you catch my meaning.

YChuan Hu 6 years ago

Fantastic experience: I come here at least twice a week! Good facilities and friendly staff.

Dave Bedard 6 years ago

Fantastic experience: First rate

Sarah Bella 6 years ago

Positive experience: too crowded, but nice

Xiangyi Meng 6 years ago

Fantastic experience: One of the best things of being a bu student.

Desmond Molloy 6 years ago

Negative experience: Parents/community members, please take care using facilities: FitRec has at least one employee facing criminal charges for indecent exposure.

Mariusz Kaczka 6 years ago

Fantastic experience: I climbed in this gym when in Boston; reasonable prices and great atmosphere. Would definitely recommend it :)

Eric Lazarian 6 years ago

Positive experience: Plenty of parking, not too expensive, machines are new, great track. Lockers suck, little floor help. Good location.

Mei Jiang 6 years ago

Fantastic experience: Best. Good big pool

Agent MeatBun 7 years ago

Fantastic experience: Such a nice place to work out. It has the best equipment, there should always have enough space and equipment for u.

Robert 7 years ago

Fantastic experience: The Fitrec has been an amazing part during my studies at Boston University. It's a great place to meet and talk to other students from BU and the building offers everything you need for doing great sports (perfect for swimming, climbing, running, weight lift, soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis, squash, dancing and much more ...)

Pengcheng Zhou 7 years ago

Fantastic experience: Best University Gym in Boston Area.

Cal Mitchell 7 years ago

Fantastic experience: My favorite place to work out / play basketball in the whole world.

Holly Orloff-Parry 7 years ago

Fantastic experience: The best place ever to workout and swim. Pool is very clean, hot tub is large and terrific. Best variety of machines I have ever seen. Staff super nice. You won’t want to go anywhere else once you has Ben there.

Jason Adams 7 years ago

Fantastic experience: Great gym and an even better pool!

Lucas Xu 8 years ago

Fantastic experience: Totally worth it

Amber Z 8 years ago

Fantastic experience: perfect facility

Amogh Katwe 8 years ago

Fantastic experience: The best gym I have ever used. Worth it. Proud BU student.

Kaybee Easse 8 years ago

Positive experience: Wow so crowded

Kevin Hua 9 years ago

Fantastic experience: Really nice gym for BU students. Not much else to say.

Megan Gough 9 years ago

Positive experience: This gym has some great, new equipment, but the layout is difficult to navigate and find the equipment/machine you want. The Fitrec is generally very busy with undergraduate students, with the rush beginning around lunchtime and continuing thorugh the end of the work/school day, and usually later. I recommend going in the morning if you can.

Patrick Teuton 9 years ago

Fantastic experience: I go almost every day

Pruthvi Reddy 9 years ago

Fantastic experience: Luv the pool its well maintained and the gym is really good

Chris Karl 10 years ago

Fantastic experience: Best gym.

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Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center appears in the following listings:

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