Gahanna/John E. Bickley YMCA - YMCA of Central Ohio

★★★★★R D Jeffords

Welcoming, supportive, and non-judgemental place to exercise. Social as well as physical support. Patrons and employees are friendly and helpful. Intimate and adequate facility. Collegiate sized pool and exercise floor with weights, treadmills, and machines, and track are well staffed, maintained, stocked, and clean. Studio space is well lighted and spacious. I go regularly and plan to continue in 2026. A gem of a gym for Gahanna residents.

★★★★★Dan Teegarden

I've been a member of the Gahanna Y for nearly 10 years and have always enjoyed working out there. Everyone is friendly and encouraging regardless of ability, size, or anything else. My wife loves the exercise classes in the morning. I usually walk the indoor track and use the weight machines when I'm there in the early part of the morning.

★★★Matt Miller

I joined about a month ago and wanted to share some feedback. Overall, we like the Y and joined as a family membership, but there are a few areas that could really strengthen the facility, especially the weight training side. 1. Equipment mix The newer machines are solid; not elite, but good enough. I do appreciate the handful of old school pieces and dumbbells up to 125 lbs. That’s a nice touch and not something every facility has. 2. Strength area needs expansion The strength training section needs more space. Even shifting or reducing some cardio equipment would make a big difference. Right now it feels crowded and limited for members who prioritize lifting. 3. Deadlift platforms are a must The rubber flooring is getting beat up because people are deadlifting on it (which they should be able to do). The solution is simple: add 1–2 deadlift platforms in front of the racks. Budget models are under $800 each and would protect the flooring immediately. 4. Add bumper plates There are a lot of old iron 45s. Adding 10–12 bumper plates would protect equipment and flooring and reduce noise. Again, doesn’t have to be premium, just practical. 5. Leg press situation The current old school leg press is cool and has character, but having only one is tough during busy hours. Keeping it and adding one modern, versatile leg press would improve flow significantly. 6. Lighting The weight and cardio areas are very dim. Members talk about this regularly. Brighter, soft white lighting (not harsh, not blinding) would make the space feel cleaner and more energized. Right now it feels darker than it should. 7. Staff The staff has been great. Friendly and helpful. Overall, the Y is a good program. The issue isn’t that it needs a complete overhaul...it just needs a few targeted upgrades to the strength area. I’ve spoken with multiple members who left specifically because of the weight room setup. We’re happy overall, but the strength training experience will ultimately determine whether we stay longterm. I’m sharing this because I think a few relatively small investments could make a big impact on member retention and environment. It's a delicate balance because I get they don't want to turn it into a hardcore bodybuilding gym...but you also don't want it to be planet fitness so it's a really fine balance. For example, there should be way more high school kids there weight training. From Gahanna to New Albany, they should have several hundred more members. The Y was always a great place for high school kids (and seniors) to train...again...it is a balance. You need to make it so someone can feel good deadlifting 400 pounds while also be welcoming to the older person trying to casually exercise.

★★★★★Jessica Bell-Sullivan

My home gym! We recently moved to the area and our family got a membership here. It's a very clean facility and the staff is wonderful. I'm usually able to get on or have very little wait time on equipment and swim lanes. My only wish is they had earlier weekend hours, but I'm an early bird and that's a me problem!

★Joelle Reid

Staff got incredibly mean over me not seeing one sign posted with text that I cannot see because is small and I am partially blind. Another gym member had to point out the sign to me after the situation, staff didn’t let me know if/where it was posted. The sign was an 8x11 page on a wall not central to the gym or near other gym rules, someone who is hard of seeing would never look that way. If you’re looking for a YMCA that’s accessible just go across town to Ward.