Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center — Local services in Madison

I am currently a student, so I am forced to pay a hefty fee for this facility despite the fact that it's extremely inaccessible. I live on the West side of town, so I have to drive (despite there being no parking) or spend an extra 20-30 minutes transferring to a bus that services Observatory drive. Sure, the building is pretty new and looks nice. That's the full extent of it.

The gym is overcrowded unless you go at really weird times. There are very few 'duplicate' machines even for the most popular workouts (e.g., two rear delt/pec fly machines, which are always in use). Free weights have limited selection, there are way too few kettle bell weights to ever find a matching pair, and staff does not intervene when people are blatantly violating rules. You have to stay alert basically the whole time you're on the walking track because people walk the opposite direction, will walk into you at points where the track intersects with other areas, and they often have extremely noisy events in the basketball court that the track loops around. All in all a stressful experience. There are never enough treadmills when they're all operational, and they're often broken.

The facilities are surprisingly dirty, especially on the weekends. Bathrooms are pretty gross during busy and dead hours, and they are completely out of towels pretty often too.

You have to pay for parking at the ramp across the street more often than not. There is a small parking lot next to the gym that is permit-only until 4:30pm on weekdays, or free on weekends. It is always packed, and people are super aggressive. I've had multiple people yell and even approach my window because my vehicle lights were on while I sat a few minutes before going in. I actually had a group of men pull up behind me in a truck and start yelling, and one actually got out like they were trying to start a physical altercation. The staff did nothing about it despite me talking to them multiple times. They also refuse to do anything about people who park illegally in handicap spots.

Yes, they are developing the open space next to the gym. No, it's not a parking lot. I probably pay as much for parking as I do for my sister's affiliate membership. They also just upped the rates for all memberships and day passes significantly (from $60 to $70). Even though I have no option but to pay for this gym as a student, I am planning to pay for a membership at a different facility for myself and my sister because it would actually be cheaper than just her...

After about 7 months of using this gym, I'm ready to give up on it and try other options.

There's a lot to like about the Bakke: there are tons of amenities (pool, track, basketball courts, weights, cardio equipment, etc.), the space is beautiful, and it is constantly being cleaned and maintained.

However, I'm tired of going to the gym only to be turned away. The gym is closed at random and inexplicable times. There's a status page you can check, but you'll get tired of doing that, and even if you check it every day there are exceptions hidden away in tabs that you might skip. For example, earlier this summer, it was just closed for an entire week for "maintenance" (despite it being the most constantly-maintained gym I've ever used), and that fact was hidden away on the maintenance tab which I didn't check.

You might be thinking "well I would always check that status page thoroughly, so this won't be a problem for me". I guarantee you'll be fooled at least once! Sometimes the gym will be closed to you for odd and unannounced reasons, like there being an event or something. And if you drive to the gym and want to park, the parking garage can also be closed for unannounced reasons. Or, the parking garage may just be full. I've been turned away from this gym for such a stunning variety of reasons! (Oh, and parking is expensive -- $1 per 30 minutes -- so if you think the membership fee is cheap, consider that you'll probably be spending $20-30+ more per month to park if you need to drive.)

Even within the defined and posted gym hours, I find the gym's availability to be unacceptable. Gyms should be open earlier than 10am on weekends. It seemed nice for a while, but I need a gym that's more dedicated...

Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center is a well-equipped facility, but there are a few things to keep in mind before visiting. Entry is only permitted with a Wisc card, so make sure to carry it. As you enter, on the left side of the gate, there’s a booth offering protein shakes and other healthy options. The center provides a one-on-one wellness coach service, which is most likely free, but be sure to adhere to scheduled sessions—failure to do so may result in a penalty fee. However, if you no longer wish to continue, you can opt out by emailing them.

Navigating the center can be confusing as there are not enough signboards indicating which rooms serve which purposes. This can be especially challenging because the front desk is mostly staffed by part-time students who may not be familiar with the entire facility. It would be beneficial if they received additional training to enhance the user experience.

The schedule for the entire year is available online, making it easy to plan your visits. However, if you’re taking public transport, locating the bus stop across the street can be tricky since there is no seating area—using a map is the best way to find it. Overall, the center offers great services, but improving signage and staff training could make the experience...