Gary YMCA Tolleston: Fall 2026 Hours, Rates & Programs

Before the new Gary YMCA opened on Monday, September 28, Crossroads YMCA already counted more than 6,000 Gary residents as members at its locations outside the city, Capital B Gary reported in its preview of the opening. The fall 2026 program book for the building at 1771 Taney Place shows what those members drove out for. Most of the schedule falls into two windows. One runs from 4 to 7 p.m. on weekdays. The other runs from 9 a.m. to early afternoon on Saturdays.

In its first fall, the new Y's calendar is built around the hour school lets out and the Saturday morning lesson.

The Building That Brought the Commute Home

The Y sits on the site of the former Tolleston Middle School. It is a $50 million, 91,000-square-foot facility run as a partnership among the City of Gary, Crossroads YMCA, the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Northwest Indiana and Methodist Hospitals. Crossroads CEO Jay Buckmaster told Capital B that the project was first expected to cost about $30 million.

Inside are three full-size hardwood basketball courts, an indoor track upstairs, two large group exercise rooms, a child development center, a young adult area and a full-size teaching kitchen with seating for cooking classes. Capital B's post-opening tour counted three indoor pools: a traditional recreation pool, a warm-water therapy pool with ramp access, and a whirlpool. When that report ran on October 1, the Y had more than 270 local sign-ups. That's a small number next to the 6,000 Gary residents already using other branches. Much of that gap is people deciding whether to move their routine from a branch in another town to Taney Place.

The schedule shows what the Y is offering those people.

The 4 p.m. Clock

On weekdays, nearly everything with an age range starts between 4 and 6:30 p.m. The building opens at 4:45 a.m. for adults working out before their shift. The programming is aimed at the hours after school.

Two details shape a family's evening. Kids Club is a member drop-off capped at two hours per day, so a parent can be in a group class or on the track while a child is in the club. Each preschool and youth swim class runs 45 minutes, so the last one starts at 6:30 p.m. and ends at 7:15, with the building closing at 8. In the fall 2026 Gary program book, swim lessons for ages 3 to 12 cost $30 a month for members and $60 for guests. Waterbabies and Paddlers cost $25 for members and $50 for guests.

Group exercise is free for Crossroads members. Classes run from yoga, Zumba and HIIT to senior fitness, water fitness and core and mobility work. Reservations open 73 hours ahead, so the slot right after work fills from three days out.

The Saturday Clock

Saturday shifts the schedule to the morning. The building opens at 6:30 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m., three hours earlier than on weekdays. The pool fills the morning:

• Preschool and youth swim lessons are 45-minute classes that start every 50 minutes from 9:00 a.m., with the last class starting at 12:20 p.m.
• Paddlers meets at 9:30 a.m. and Waterbabies at 10:05 a.m.
• Adult beginner swim lessons start at 9:00 a.m., the same time as the first youth class. They cost $30 a month for members and $60 for guests.
• Kids Club runs 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. It is closed on Sundays.

The 9 a.m. overlap means a parent who never learned to swim can be in the water at the same hour as their child. That's easier to fit into a week when the pool is in Tolleston and not a drive away.

In winter, Saturdays get busier. The Discovery Basketball league for coed divisions of 4 and under, 6 and under, and 8 and under plays and practices on Saturdays. The program book lists league dates of 1/16 to 2/20. The fee is $65 for members and $85 for guests.

The Y's fall guide lists Halloween events at the Southlake and Hobart branches but none at Gary. The last two Saturdays in October, October 24 and October 31, can still start with a morning at the pool and end somewhere else in the city. On Saturday, October 24, the Gary Public Library holds Halloween Fun at Children's Services from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. On Saturday, October 31, the library's Fall Fest 2026 runs at the Main Library from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., and the Carter G. Woodson Branch at 501 South Lake Street holds Trick or Treat from noon to 3 p.m. while treats last. The night before, the City of Gary's Trunk or Treat runs from 5 to 7 p.m. at Roosevelt Park Pavilion, 2201 Harrison Street.

The Lobby Fills the Gaps Between Sessions

A two-hour drop-off window leaves a parent with time to fill, and the lobby has three ways to fill it. Capital B's tour describes Juice Jung Cafe, a Wintrust Bank branch and a wellness center run by Methodist Hospital, all next to the check-in desk.

Wintrust's announcement says the branch belongs to Old Plank Trail Community Bank and opened September 28, the same day as the Y, with teller stations, an ATM and a community room. Juice Jung Cafe is a Gary business with a second location at 1010 W. 5th Avenue. Its website posts hours for that shop, but not for the Y counter. Crossroads says Methodist Hospitals plans health screenings, educational workshops and access to medical resources. The program book lists health seminars, a Community Wellness Day and a Senior Coffee Club among its community programs, without dates yet.

Executive director LaShawn Brooks, a Gary native, framed the building in personal terms. "Tolleston is more than a place where we work; it's a community to which many of us are personally connected," she said, as Capital B Gary reported.

What Joining Costs After the September Waiver

Signing up in late October costs a little more than it did on opening day. Crossroads waived its usual $50 enrollment fee only for people who joined in September. The fall 2026 rate table charges that $50 joiner's fee once on top of the monthly rate:

• Adult: $39
• Family: $59
• Senior Couple: $49.50
• Young Adult, 18 to 26: $33
• Senior: $33.50
• Youth, 12 to 17: $28

The guide says rates may change and that financial assistance is available. Personal training and swim lessons cost extra. The Gary branch page has the posted hours and the current brochure. It's worth checking before a first visit, because the hours table there is still labeled for "once open."

The Sign-Up Dates Between Now and January

Both clocks depend on registering ahead. In date order, as the program book prints them:

1. Tuesday, October 27: culinary pop-ups for ages 5 and up at 4:00, 5:00 and 6:00 p.m.
2. November 1: registration closes for November basketball and volleyball clinics. December clinics close December 1.
3. Week of November 1: Culinary Classics and youth gymnastics, cheer-tumbling and ninja classes begin. Culinary Classics costs $57 a month for members and $114 for guests.
4. Through December 19: early-bird registration for the recreational basketball and volleyball league at $115 for members and $135 for guests. Regular registration runs 12/20 to 1/6, and league play runs 1/11 to 3/5, Practices are on Wednesdays at the branch where you register, and games are on Thursdays at the Sportscenter.
5. Through January 9: Discovery Basketball registration, which opened 10/18.

A household that wants Monday clinics in November has to register by November 1. A spot in the Saturday league that starts in January can be booked at the same front desk on Taney Place any time through January 9.

Where a pool, a gym and after-school care sit is part of how we help clients compare one Gary block with another. If you want a local read on Tolleston or anywhere else in Gary, Anthony Kirkland is glad to share what he's seeing on the ground. Let's Connect.