Guide to the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis

The YMCA of Greater Indianapolis includes 5 full facilities, 3 program offices, 2 partial facility, 1 campus program and a resident camp. Here is an insider guide on programs and facilities offered by the YMCA in Indianapolis and the surrounding areas.

Full Facility

"Full Facility" is YMCA-speak for "has a pool." Each of these YMCA locations in or near Indianapolis has at least an indoor pool, gymnasium, and "Wellness Center," which means exercise machines and people to show you how to use them. All Indianapolis YMCAs also offer a full range of programs from Before and After School Care to step aerobics. All of these Indianapolis YMCAs are open from 5am - 10pm Monday - Friday, 7am - 7pm on Saturday and 11am - 6pm on Sunday. There are currently 5 of these YMCAs in the Indianapolis area.

Starting on the south side, the Baxter YMCA is located on 7900 South Shelby Street, across from the Wal-mart and behind the Wendy's, off of US-31/Meridian Street. Thanks to a tornado a few years back, the Baxter branch is large and well-endowed with amenities. In addition to the standards listed above, the Baxter YMCA has racquetball courts, a Family Prime Time Center, and hot tubs and saunas in the adult locker rooms. Call the Baxter YMCA at 317-881-9347.

Moving north and east around 465 brings us to the Ransburg YMCA, located at 501 North Shortridge Drive. Like the Baxter YMCA, Ransburg boasts racquetball courts, indoor and outdoor pools, indoor and outdoor basketball courts, saunas and whirlpools. Call them at 317-357-8441.

Next up on the east side is the Benjamin Harrison YMCA, located at 5736 Lee Road, right next to the Benjamin Harrison State Park, off of 56^th Street. Formerly part of the historic Fort Benjamin Harrison, the Benjamin Harrison YMCA offers zero depth entry into its pool and a family center with an indoor play structure. Always keeping the "C" in YMCA relevant, there is also a very tranquil chapel available to the right as you enter the Y. Call this Indianapolis YMCA at 317-547-9622.

Moving far north of town, the Fishers YMCA is one of the newest facilities in the Indianapolis association. Built in 2002, the Fishers YMCA is located 9012 East 126^th Street and comes with all the perks. Come here and find an outdoor pool and water park, an indoor pool with zero depth entry and whirlpool, a teen center and computer lab and more. Contact the Fishers YMCA at 317-595-9622.

Back down by 86^th Street, we find the Jordan YMCA at 8400 Westfield Blvd. The benefit of recent remodeling, the Jordan YMCA has an outdoor pool with splashpad, an indoor pool, locker rooms with a sauna and whirlpool, a huge workout room with floor to ceiling windows so you can show off to the people walking by, and a new child watch area. Coming this September will also be a modular kids playground. Call the Jordan YMCA at 317-253-3206.

Partial Facilities

The Pike YMCA, 7114 Lakeview Parkway West Drive near 71^st Street, and the YMCA at the Athenaeum, 401 East Michigan Street, are both referred to as partial facilities. Both YMCAs offer wellness centers with weights and cardio machines. The YMCA at the Athenaeum has a full court gymnasium and a co-ed sauna. Both also offer a wide range of programs and classes for members. Call the YMCA at the Athenaeum at 317-685-9705. Call the Pike YMCA at 317-297-9622.

Soon-to-Be Facilities

At the moment, the West District YMCA is nothing more than a warehouse full of offices out of which comes some of the best run Before and After School Care and Day Camp programs in the city. Next summer, that office will still be running the Before and After School Care programs, but a shiny new facility will be open for membership in Avon, IN. The Hendricks Regional Health YMCA will feature a full YMCA on one half and an extension of the Hendricks Regional Health offices on the other. To find out more about this new facility, call the West District YMCA at 317-484-9622 or visit the office on 7811 West Morris Street.

The Witham Family YMCA is the newest addition to the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis Association. In the small town of Lebanon, a new YMCA will be completed in late fall of 2010. The Witham Family YMCA is currently located at 1025 North Jameson Street in Lebanon. Call them at 765-482-5960.

Programs

The Intercollegiate YMCA is based on the campus of Butler University. The Intercollegiate YMCA hosts many programs both on and off campus, works in local schools, and sponsors international Y Service Summer Trips. Contact the Intercollegiate YMCA at 317-340-9542.

Although they work out of the English Building near the Murat Theater on Alabama Street, the Urban Mission YMCA prides itself on being a "Y without walls." Here are just a few of the programs offered by the Urban Mission YMCA: Young Parent's Skills & Support, Youth Achievers, Afternoons R.O.C.K. in Indiana, and From Day 1, a program that helps students transition into high school. Contact the Urban Mission YMCA at 317-269-6065.

The Flat Rock River YMCA Camp is the Indianapolis resident camp located between Shelbyville and Greensburg off of I-74. Over 200 acres hosts over 1000 summer campers every year, and 40 or more schools during the environmental education season. In the summer, campers come for a week or more and experience canoeing, rock climbing, swimming, archery, and all the camp standards. During the school season, kids learn pond & river ecology, team building, and get to have a little fun, too. Call the Flat Rock River YMCA Camp at 765-525-6730.

http://www.indymca.org/