Pearl Street Family YMCA

Reviews

• TT

  TJ

  6 days ago
  2.0
  I used to really enjoy coming here for the pools for the kids but now it feels more like a water park with way too many people. Windows everywhere makes it feel like it's an exhibit. And the noise is just in a whole nother level now. Watching lifeguards trying to trying to talk to people and not being heard. The old locker rooms has a nice setup to shower then pool, now there's just a few shower heads on the pool deck with no soap and people aren't washing like they are supposed to as nothing is posted. I'll keep trying but I might have have to go to another YMCA for a different pool setup. Gym area equipment is great. But no bathroom on the second floor is kind of weird.
• EK

  Elizabeth King

  Jan 5, 2026
  1.0
  The new ymca is a huge disappointment. My favorite part was the spacious women’s locker room that is now blocked off for the newer (much smaller locker room that feels like a prison) that doesn’t include sauna or steam room. Now the steam room and sauna are co ed!! The men and women FAMILY lockeroom(s) have now also been replaced with one “universal” lockeroom….? They failed to listen to complaints about these plans that have been expressed over years!!!!! The new equipment is nice but the Lakewood, gig harbor, and the university y are all better locations at this point. This location is big but is comparable to planet fitness down the street at literally 10x the price for comparably new equipment and lockerooms/shower set up. I could justify it before with a sauna and steam room in the women’s locker room but if you aren’t using those or the rock climbing wall I highly recommend not going to this facility. UPDATE: there is also no restroom on the entire floor of the new free weight area (aka no restroom at all upstairs of the new phase 1 building) I am so so bummed I’ve been waiting years for this opening and feel so let down. Where is the inversion table? Couldn’t find that so it appears something else they previously had is gone :(
• MR

  Marina Ramirez

  Jan 4, 2026
  1.0
  I’m writing this review on behalf of my elderly father, who has been a member of the YMCA for over 12 years. He has a physical disability that makes walking long distances or climbing stairs very difficult. He uses a walker and relies on handicap parking to access the facility safely. At the new location, accessible parking is extremely limited. My father was told by staff to go to the old facility instead. He followed those instructions, only to discover that the showers at the old facility are closed. When he asked how he was supposed to shower, he was told to go back to the new facility to use the showers—despite the fact that he physically cannot walk that distance. This back-and-forth showed a serious lack of consideration for members with mobility limitations. During this same interaction, he was informed that his membership rate was changing from $36 to $76 per month. He explained that he is on a fixed income and that this increase was not affordable for him. He then asked to cancel his membership, but was told he would still be required to pay the full $76 for the month. The YMCA had been incredibly beneficial for my father, especially in helping manage his severe sciatic pain. This experience, however, left him deeply disappointed by the management and how the situation was handled. The YMCA presents itself as a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening communities and serving people of all ages, backgrounds, and beliefs—grounded in values of care, inclusion, and compassion. Unfortunately, this experience felt less like people over profit and more like the opposite.
• CH

  charles hetrick

  Jan 4, 2026
  1.0
  I stopped going to the Pearl Street YMCA about seven yrs ago as their child care area was best described as sarcastic and the facility was so gross my daughter routinely found GI infections. And yes I isolated for other factors. We’re here again today 4 Jan 2026 because they opened a new aquatics center. If you live in the Tacoma area I strongly encourage you to keep going to the Sumner Puyallup or Gig Harbor facilities. If you’ve been to the Sumner facility it’s that, but roughly 30% smaller for a city of ~200,000. Seriously it’s like they’re playing a prank on their membership. What’s even sillier is they evidently shut down the other existing lap pool and hot tub. Lastly their showering cubicles I think are meant to test for claustrophobia and lord help if you suddenly need medical aid as you’re in a locked plastic coffin and if anyone manages to get to you the heavy doors are self closing so your rescuers are going to be arguing against them whilst trying to get you out. Tacoma area members, good luck. I
• MH

  Mary Hill

  Jan 1, 2026
  3.0
  I have mixed feelings about the new pool visited today at 11:00am The entrance was confusing - its at the back of the east side - no signs posted. Also the exit was confusing. Signs directed me to back - another sign to turn right, and then a dead end. The lap pool was so much smaller-only 6 lanes - very disappointing. There is a large kiddy pool but seems like half the lap lanes. Not sure of the physics but it felt like more wave turbulence in a smaller lap pool - water bouncing and ricoqueting. I wonder if they will shut down 2 or 3 lanes for water aerobics. Also NO clock, even a pool worker did not know the time but he was kind enough to go ask. I hope this is an oversight. Swimmers need a visible clock for reference. I was concerned about no hanging flags across the lanes. This is a safety issue. The concrete bench along one side was nice. I hope the bleachers come back. The showers were ok - private for sure but not enough hooks for towel, swimsuit, swim bag, or rack for shampoo, conditioner, body soap. Coed steam and sauna was very surprising. Especially with no visibility in steam room. Changing room was very crowded but of course it was opening day and school was out - so lots of kids. We were spoiled in the old pool with adult only changing room. We didn’t know how good we had it. Sigh…. I miss the old pool/facility. But of course I’ll give this one another try.

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