The Auburn Campus Recreation and Wellness Center, better known to students as “The Rec,” was voted this year’s Plainsman’s Choice for the best gym in Auburn.
The Rec is the on-campus gym for Auburn students, faculty and staff. The 240,000-square-foot facility, offers equipment for almost every workout imaginable. A rock wall, weight room, abundant cardio equipment, a pool, four basketball courts, multipurpose activity courts and an inside track circling it all are just some of the amenities available.
Besides the equipment, The Rec also hosts daily events to keep the Auburn family active. There are instructor-led "Group Fit" classes for everything from Zumba, to Yoga. At night, tournaments for intramural sports such as volleyball and basketball are held on the courts.
To use the Rec, one must have an Auburn ID, but weekday guest passes can be purchased for $10 by anyone above the age of 19 and are valid for a day. Weekend guest passes, which are $10 for Rec access Friday to Sunday, have also recently become available. Passes can be purchased by one person up to 3 times a semester. Students and faculty also have the option to pay for guests to come to the Rec with them.
Many of the sports offered at The Rec also require some gear. There is an equipment desk where members can “check out” anything they may need to participate in activities, such as towels, pickleball rackets and basketballs.
The Rec is located on Auburn’s campus within easy walking distance of much of Auburn’s student living, and is usually bustling with activity. According to Julia Sanders, student employee at the Rec since Aug. 2021, The Rec is least busy in the mornings, and has the most action on Mondays and Fridays between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Just standing in The Rec shows how much it has to offer, but The Rec's employees go above and beyond. Any time The Rec is open, they are available for walk-in tours, with no appointment needed.
Giving these tours is Sanders' favorite part of working at the Rec. She loves the opportunity to walk through it with prospective students and their families, showing them all the facilities available to students while also getting to talk to them about Auburn and her own experiences.
Auburn University's Recreation Center has shown itself to be an amenity that offers the Auburn family a way to achieve the sound mind and body detailed in the Auburn Creed.
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Hayden Hairston, a sophomore in communications with an English minor, is a Culture Writer at the Auburn Plainsman.
