Charles Houston Recreation Center

Lovely center! We went to check out the soft playroom late on a weekday afternoon. It was smaller than I expected but my daughter was the only one there and she enjoyed herself. Friendly staff, and very clean. Parking was easy. I'd like to come back and check out the pool next time.

I've visited a couple of times for meetings and as someone that rarely is inside a rec center I was impressed. As a historian I loved the amount of history found inside the rec, from the name outside to the entrance to the Alexandria African American Hall of Fame. Charles Houston is an unsung hero in the legal fight for equality in the U.S. All of these elements are lasting tributes to the Parker-Gray community where the rec lies.

It is spacious, state-of-the-art and has a lot to offer to everyone, of all ages. There is a parking lot in the back of the building the WiFi doesn't require a password to connect. So you can visit to exercise, meet friends or even learn about the Black history as the city and landscape change, note the Ramsey Homes across the street were demolished in late 2018.

Just had my girls birthday party here, and I will say it's a great bang for the buck. We are residents and were able to get the Wow party package, which consists of theme (we choose Moana from their theme list), one activity (face painting, moon bounce or soft play equipment). We chose the moon bounce with our package. Initially, we wanted to do a later time but by the time someone got back to us, that time was already booked. We ended up going with an earlier time and adding an hour to that (since the party packages are only for 2 hours).

The great thing about the party package is that it includes decorations and set up, so all you have to do is show up with food and cake. I will say that our party started at 10am but they didn't finish setting up until about 10:30am. They were also having the small tot gym from 9-12pm as well, and so we were able to pay an additional $5 for our little guests to check that out as well.

One thing that I was not happy about though was the moon bounce. They said it was only for 5 and under, but they gave us the most janky moon bounce! It couldn't keep air in and was actually dangerous! They set it up in the middle of the room initially and the 2 little kids in their were falling all over the place and there was no padding around the moon bounce, just the linoleum floor. When I checked out the moon bounced in the tot gym, they were way more sturdy and could hold 5-7 kids (the one we had could barely hold 2-3 little 2 year olds).

Other than that, I'm glad we added on another hour. And when our time was up, they didn't rush us out completely, which was also nice. I do recommend making sure they have a sturdy moon bounce if you choose to go with that theme, and also make sure they confirm the time with you before you commit and pay!

Cheap and conveniently located with free parking. The playroom is perfect for little toddlers. It's a great way to spend cold, rainy days indoors with your little one in the ball pit or slide. The staff at the center are always nice and friendly. Definitely recommend for those beginner walkers.

* Soft playroom and open gym review *

The open gym is open Monday through Wednesday from 9 until noon. $5 admission will get you into an entire gymnasium full of toddler friendly activities including blow up machines, tricycles, and tons of things for them to climb on.

That same $5 covers your admission into the soft playroom that is open daily from 9 until 5 p.m. there is no time limit for how long you can be inside here unlike Chinquapin in which they only limit you to 30 minutes in the soft playroom. It's more expensive there too if you're not an Alexandria resident, which, we are not.

It's always a good mix of parents and nannies who bring their kids here.

The facilities are fairly clean and the soft playroom is patted well.

Been going here since I was 10 years old, 31 while writing this review.

Thank you to Kay and DP, the 2 boxing coaches here, I was taught discipline and other random things that changed my life.

The resiliency that I learned in boxing made me a better man.

I was lo king for a nice public pool to hangout at. This one is definitely my favorite.

This is a review strictly about the Little Gymmies play time. I highly recommend for anyone with toddlers to come and check this open play time out. Its in a nice gym that has lots of natural light and good ventilation. There is a variety of toys, bounce houses, and soft building fort types pieces. Its a great refuge if the weather is not ideal for outdoor play.

This is a wonderful rec center with a lot to offer local residents.

The Pool: A perfect pool for little ones, there is a zero entry incline with small fountains and the majority of the pool only goes to 3 feet. You are not allowed to use the pool if you do not have a child with you. There are changing rooms in the rec center and single bathrooms with a shower right off of the pool area. Lounge chairs surround the pool and you have a choice of chairs in the sun or in a shaded area.

Soft Play Room: There is a small soft play room good for babies, crawlers, and toddlers. A mini ball pit, a slide, and some soft toys to play with. On M-W and Saturday from 9-12, they also set up the gymnasium with tons of toys and several bounce houses for toddlers and preschoolers.

The Playground: The equipment here is geared to preschoolers and older kids. No swings, but there is a large slide, "climbing mountain", monkey bars. Soft surface. The gates are usually locked so you need to enter through the rec center.

Classes: Be sure to check out the many class offerings through the Alexandria City Rec Centers. My daughter has enjoyed the art, music, ballet, and soccer classes offered at Charles Houston.

So they suddenly decided to cut their morning hours, with only 5 days notice. There have been a lot of new signups at the Charles Houston Recreation Center lately, and this change is rather deceitful with such short notice - money down the drain when they suddenly change the hours that many people workout at - especially since you HAD to sign up for a membership in order to workout early in the morning. The extremely short notice is not cool, City of Alexandria. Not cool.

Update to the update:

FYI city management claims "not enough users" during the mornings, but this is total BS. I'd typically come in at 7:30am, and there would be 15-25 people already on the sign-in sheet, and I'd see 6-11 different people working out, regularly, during the times I was actually at the facility in the early mornings. Alexandria Rec claims there were fewer than 10 during the entire early morning hours. This is a blatant lie, or gross miscalculation. Furthermore they claim that none or almost no one has complained, and I know for a fact that this is incorrect.

I live, work, and own a residence in Alexandria City, and the city provides many wonderful resources for residents and visitors - including the CHRC. But I'm extremely disappointed in how they cut morning hours with a posted notice just days before, their gross misrepresentation of numbers of active morning participants, and their denial/lies about complaints.