Hale YMCA Youth and Family Center

★★★Amie Resto

Positives: The staff is extremely friendly, and I absolutely love the classes! Negatives: The facility is just WAYYYYY too small, especially during after-work hours. The weight room is very cramped, which makes it difficult to use comfortably when it gets busy. This isn’t the Y’s fault, but the lack of gym etiquette from most of the members becomes much more noticeable in such a tight space. Teenagers sitting and chatting at machines. It is very frustrating. The same issue applies to the basketball court. There is often pickleball happening during the times my boys and I are able to come for open gym. When the court is open, groups of teens frequently play at the middle hoop, which ends up taking up the entire court. This makes it difficult for kids or others who just want to shoot around at the end hoops. Unfortunately, there’s often little effort to share the space or be mindful of others. I’ve been a member at other YMCA locations, and it didn’t feel this crowded or difficult to use the facilities. Overall, I think the biggest challenge with this location is simply the size of the building. The parking lot can also be a nightmare. My husband had the worst gym experience when he visited and will not be back. I love the classes and will continue to go simply for that reason. Again, wonderful staff!

★★★★★Chelsea N

This is my happy place. I love the facility, it’s very friendly, and community oriented. The equipment is new, well maintained and pleasant to workout with. The classes at this Y is the best part! You offer a great variety of classes, at good times for normal working folks with an 8-5 schedule. I unfortunately moved and can only come on weekends for now but in a few months will be moving back and excited to get back to my normal schedule. The pool is clean and I love the sauna. Overall an amazing facility Putnam is lucky to have!

★★★★★Marjorie Porter

I am continually impressed when I enter this facility, having visited other YMCAs when traveling. Every staff member I have interacted with has made me feel welcome and has been able to answer the questions I’ve asked about exercise and machine use. This Y is clean, well managed, and supportive of community activities. We are lucky to have such a wonderful resource in the quiet corner of Connecticut. Kudos to everyone who works hard to make it happen!

★★★★★Randy Danburg

I enjoy the Putnam Hale YMCA, and the Wellness Fitness Center staff are helpfull and upbeat. The facility is maintained well and kept amazingly clean. Also, I appreciate meeting the other members working towards their fitness goals. Put your cell phones away and focus on your goals. Live a long, live healthy and keep the faith.

★Lyudmyla Semkiv

I have always loved the YMCA, but sadly, this branch has been a huge disappointment. When my nephews came from Ukraine to visit, we tried to add them to our family membership and enroll them in camp. We were willing to pay, but the staff refused to make any exceptions. This was heartbreaking, especially since these kids came from a war-torn country and we expected a community-oriented place like the YMCA to be more supportive. Frustrated, we canceled our membership for the summer. Later, we decided to bring our youngest for a visit and tried to purchase a daily pass. We were told we couldn’t because they had eliminated them — another needless roadblock. This branch talks about community support, but our experience showed the opposite. We left feeling unwelcome, unheard, and extremely disappointed