Description
The Paul Derda Recreation Center in Broomfield, Colorado is a fantastic destination for families looking for fun, fitness, and adventure all under one roof! Designed with kids in mind, this vibrant center features a lively indoor playground perfect for toddlers and preschoolers up to age 7, where little ones can climb, slide, and explore in a safe, engaging environment. The playground is filled with playful Colorado-themed details, including animal sculptures, colorful murals, and even a slide that makes noise—guaranteeing giggles and excitement.
Parents will love the convenience of family-friendly amenities like party rooms for birthdays and gatherings, a licensed preschool, and on-site childcare. The center also offers a variety of activities for all ages, from swimming in the indoor aquatic park with water slides and interactive play structures, to joining fitness classes or enjoying open gym time. With free Wi-Fi, family locker rooms, and plenty of space for adults to work out or relax, the Paul Derda Recreation Center truly has something for everyone. Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or just looking for a fun place to spend the day, this center is a welcoming, kid-friendly haven for families in Broomfield.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g33330-d2281594-Reviews-Paul_Derda_Recreation_Center-Broomfield_Colorado.html,https://slidesandsunshine.com/paul-derda-playground/,https://www.broomfield.org/2664/Paul-Derda-Recreation-Center,https://turnpikeshops.com/broomfield-feature-paul-derda-recreation-center/,https://members.broomfieldchamber.com/list/member/paul-derda-recreation-center-4342,https://www.broomfield.org/2082/Indoor-Playground,https://www.broomfield.org/1452/Recreation-Facilities-Hours,https://www.softplay.com/work/paul-derda-recreation-center/,https://broomfield.org/339/Parks-Recreation-and-Senior-Services,https://reesehackman.com/portfolio/paul-derda-recreation-center/,https://www.broomfield.org/2708/Broomfield-Community-Center
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36 Reviews on “The Paul Derda Recreation Center”
The Paul Derda Rec Center is a wonderful place for Broomfielders to go and workout or unwind.
Some of the pros are
– A great indoor play place (think mcdonalds w/out the smell of food and much bigger) with handy hand sanitizer dispensers on the wall
– A rock climbing wall
– Great workout classes (so I’ve heard)
– Indoor pool w/ slides
– Individual ‘cabanas’ that make changing in and out of swim gear a heck of a lot easier w/little ones
a few cons
– I’m not a Broomfielder so I don’t get resident rates (I know, that only sucks for me but I thought I’d mention it)
– They have a sort of ‘lazy river’ in the pool/slide area and the current is REALLY strong. Too strong for small kids unless they are really really good swimmers. It’s enough of a pain to keep me from going unless I have backup.
Although I love the idea of a free indoor jungle gym–complete with numerous screaming kids for my son to befriend–I have mixed emotions about this place. The reason is that no amount of hand washing and scrubbing with anti-bacterial wipes keeps my son from usually getting sick a few days after visiting. My wife simply refuses to take him here. I have rolled the dice a few times and didn’t lose, but it’s a risky bet. I guess the germs at preschool are a little less virulent or something.
This rec center rocks.
Sometimes the weights area is a bit tightly packed — as are all parts of all rec centers at peak flow times.
My son loves to climb the wall, and the staff keeps the footings changed frequently so it’s not too easy or predictable.
Every day at 5:23 PM hitler bursts through the floor and does a tap-dance routine.
or not.
This entire place is super focused on kids. There is the indoor play gym which is free to Broomfield residents. The pool area is fun for kids (slides, lazy river, fountains, etc.), but there isn’t much offered for adults – just a small lap pool. I even heard they spent so much on the kids side that they ran out of money for the adult side of the pool and that’s why it is so small.
They do have an adult hot tub, which is great and they offer wonderful free swim classes included with admission.
This place is big and it has lots to do. Though most of it seems to be for kids and parents of kids, I still enjoy myself when I’m there.
I go to Paul Derda instead of other places because they have an indoor track. It’s not the biggest track, but it’s there. I’m a Westminster resident and the nearest track is way out west, so I pay the extra money to use this Broomfield track.
But it’s not perfect. There are lots of women with baby strollers casually strolling along while taking up most of the track. This makes it difficult for people to run on it most of the time. There are signs everywhere telling slower people to move to the side but it doesn’t really do any good. But it keeps things interesting as you dodge people meandering around the track.
They also have some good exercise classes. I really like kickboxing and step aerobics. They also have spinning classes (they hand my butt to me every time) and free weight classes (I have tiny, sad arms). They have some weight machines too, though that isn’t really my thing.
The parking lot is almost always packed. I always have to laugh when I see people driving around looking for a spot closer to the door. It’s a gym, people! Get some exercise.
Even with all of the focus on the kids this is still a place for adults, too. It works for me.
We have 6 kids and really love coming here with them. If we want to go swimming, we can put our baby in the child watch and swim with the older kids. The child watch is free with an annual pass, which is huge for me! I can work out knowing that my little kids are safe and having fun. And I also love how my older kids can go swimming while I work out too. They have so many fun classes for my kids (rockclimbing, gymnastics, etc., ) all under one roof. And there’s a beautiful view of the mountains as you run around the indoor track. My kids wish the game room was a little better though. But they aren’t in there very much anyway.
This Rec Center is awesome. Great place to work out whether you want to do aerobics or weights. There is a nice pool but only drawback is can get crazy with kid activity. This isnt so bad if you want to play but not so fun if you just want to do laps.
The service and work out folks always seem to be nice and all classes I have been in have been well done.
All in all a fantastic place to workout at a great price!
cheers
Steve
Fantastic rec center! The prices are great, the facilities are clean and the pool is awesome. Especially the pool. I bring the kiddo here for swim lessons and to just hang out. We have a pool at our apartment, but the water is cold- the water at Paul Derda is really nice and warm. The family hot tub is great, too. I’m sure I’ll keep bringing her here as she gets older- there is so much to do! Love it love it.
There is a lot of activity at the Derda. There is an indoor playground, a small game room, childcare, and a nice pool area. The workout areas are small and very busy during peak times. The indoor track is nice but, as one reviewer said, it’s often full of stroller moms.
Even though it is a nice facility, I can only give it two stars. The Derda is a great place for families –I love going there with my family– but the constant hustle and bustle is too much on the days when I just want to work out.
Fantastic pool, great lockers, fabulous indoor climbing area for kids, just wonderful! If I didn’t love my Westminster City Park Center (and it was closer), I would go to this place all the time.
After going to the Paul Derda Recreation Center for over two years, I’ve decided to go elsewhere. The lack of supervision of children on the running track and elsewhere throughout the facility has become a hazard. Management is unresponsive to complaints about unaccompanied minors
Hands down best recreation center I’ve ever been in. It’s ALWAYS clean, and new looking. Everyone is always friendly, prices are reasonable and the classes are great. My son took a summer camp and preschool class here and is still talking about it and wanting to go back. The teachers in the preschool programs are amazing, I can’t say enough about how great they are. Worth every penny and more for the classes that my son absolutely loved.. Shyness is now a thing of the past for him!!
The jungle gym area up front is free whenever for kids under 4 and it’s great. The kids love it and it gives us something to do on boring days where we need something to do. Everything always looks clean and updated and have no complaints at all!
This is one of the places I miss the most after moving. Definitely a 5 star facility.
Check before you sign up for anything. They recommended a class for my daughter but it was full. Recommended another class so we signed up. Spoke to Supervisor later and she said not to take that class because it wasn’t what our daughter was looking to learn. Asked for money back, and they will credit (hold my money) or for a $10 processing fee return the rest of my money on my credit card. Seriously? Its costs $10 to run the card? So much for customer service.
Love it here for the kids. The pool area has two bigger slides and one small one in the kiddie area in addition to a small lazy river. We’ve been to other rec center pools and not only is this one of the nicest facilities but the staff/life guards are not on power trips. They are actually nice and sweet with the kids. Perfect place for taking the kids during all this rainy weather we’ve had!!! No more rain!!!!!
I love this pool for my 13 month old. It is nice and warm for him. I wasn’t super psyched about the waterfall which makes going in the lazy river impossible with a little one (no way to avoid it when it’s on). If you can find the manager to turn it off; they will do that for you. If the waterfall is off, the lazy river is quite fun. We even went down the yellow slide, which was a bit too fast for my comfort zone with a baby on my lap. By myself I would have loved it. I especially love the play area upstairs by the entrance. Brilliant for little ones! It is a nice afternoon activity for us. Definitely one of the better Rec centers in the area! Also love the amount of family dressing rooms. And the cooler (as in not super hot) family hot tub!
Love this place! Great fitness classes-spin, body pump, jazzercise, and step are my favorites. Child care center (on site) makes it easy for parents to work out and is very reasonable- free for members! Indoor play area- free to children under 4 and huge rock wall. The best part- an incredible indoor pool with lazy river, water slides, and an outdoor sunning area. All rec centers should be this cool. Also, cheaper for non-resident membership than the bot as nice Boulder rec centers are for residents (by a lot)!! The employees and instructors are top notch as well!
Have been going here now for a couple months. Great clean facility. Love the training area, lots of equipment. I never really had to wait long. My husband loves the weight area Lots of kids in the pool which is fine. Bathrooms are clean as well. Super friendly staff. We enjoy coming here and will miss in when we move in January. Come check it out, you’ll be glad you did!
Hope it stays great, pool filled with kids, there are two hot tubs one for families and one for adults. Saw gum on the ground, what parent gives their kid gum at a public pool? They have specific machines for stretching and the interactive cycling machines were awesome, really got to steer and feel like you’re in the peloton. Day rate was only about $7!
I’m very impressed with the PDRC. We moved to Broomfield last year but our first visit was just a few days ago. I’ve had memberships to a few fitness clubs over the years and always ended up canceling them due to the prices and overcrowding, not to mention broken machines never being fixed (hello 24 Hr Fitness back in Fountain Valley, CA!).
I really like that with PDRC you can opt for a daily drop in rate, a “punch card”good for multiple visits, or an annual membership. This makes it really easy to check out what they have to offer without having to commit to anything or spend a lot of money. Their membership fees don’t have some insane initiation fee like most fitness clubs (in fact, there is zero initiation fee!). If you’re a Broomfield resident you get a discount. There are special prices for couples and family memberships too.
The entire facility looks so clean. They have spray bottles of disinfectant and towels all over the cardio and weight areas to wipe down machines. I also saw a few employees cleaning the machines when I was there. Restrooms and locker rooms were clean as well.
So far I’ve only used the cardio, weight, and indoor track areas. Eventually I will try a class and the pool. The pool looks more geared for kids and swim lessons, as they have limited space and times available for lap swim. There is a schedule posted so I’m sure I could work around that.
There’s also a gym for basketball, etc. and a gymnastics room which looks like it’s available for private lessons only. There’s a rock climbing wall that I’m sure my husband will enjoy bouldering on soon. Free WiFi is a great touch as well. They have some vending machines downstairs with healthier choices too.
Employees seem to be very welcoming and helpful to newcomers like us. I’m really excited that I found a great alternative to a typical gym… one that is sparkling clean and offers so much for such a good price. This is another reason why Broomfield is a great place to live!
I have always been very happy with PDRC. There is a great selection of group classes at a variety of times that work well with my schedule (Susan is an amazing body pump instructor). The facilities are kept really clean and I never have to worry about broken equipment that isn’t taken care of quickly. The kids classes are amazing and I feel like my kids are safe and always have a lot of fun. I do wish it was open earlier on Saturday though.
Rock climbing, swimming, gym, basketball… the only downfall is that Yelp won’t allow Check-Ins because the point of navigation shows a ‘?’ Mark on the map. Kudos to anyone who was able to Check-In. But I’ve been here a generous amount of time, using the gym for an hour and then the best of the best can be experienced when you take a dip in the hot tub, hidden on the side of the nostalgic pool. The rec center offers monthly memberships, but we had to decline because two adults were $50 a month– though I can’t say $40 for 24 Fitness is better either.
I’ve seen treadmills, yoga mats, helmets, lots of showers and plenty resources for being active within the Rec center, being big and all. I love the gym, it’s great. It’s fun. Lots of families go here so it’s not possible to NOT find something to do. I love the mini river that pulls you in the water and circles you around the pool around the rocky trail, because it’s an eye opening experience. There are lots of slides and a toddler water park with lots of sprinklers and bath toys. Next to the fun of it, there are swimming classes taking place. Upstairs you have the yoga and working out, the rock climbing wall is HUGE!
The pool also has lots of locker rooms- spacey locker rooms with family changing rooms that come with a quick shower room, sink and mini bathroom. Definitely worth it.
This is a terrific rec center – indoor & outdoor (in season) pools, climbing wall, weight machines, a good assortment of cardio machines, running track, nice gym, and lots & lots of classes! If you have kids, this is an especially nice place, as there is child care, a lazy river, a game room, and a climbing-around room for the smaller kids. They also have a busy gymnastics program with its own dedicated section of the gym. The decor is really nice – beautiful pictures and a fantastic set of bas relief by Kathleen Caricoff on the walls. Lots of light, too. There’s a little library of donated books that you can take & return whenever you feel like it. And it’s a happening place – busy all the time, people working out everywhere, even in front of what was meant to be (but stretching/exercising is a much better use for it) a rest spot with a large tv. The workout rooms have suspended wood floors and water fountains right there in the room. They also have a pile of toys – balls, hand weights, steps, ropes, etc, The employees are cheerful, especially the ones at the front desk as you come in. And I think the prices are reasonable, even for those of us who don’t live in Broomfield.
Why not 5 stars then? Only 2 gripes. First is the cycling program. There are LOTS of classes, but clearly spin classes are the red-headed step child of the program. They don’t have a dedicated room, so you will get to put your back in danger twice a class, moving the bikes to & from their resting place at the edge of the room. The bikes themselves are awful – those grinding, jerky Spin bikes. No cadence meters, the same spot on the resistance dial changes resistance as the class progresses, etc. The classes are called “Spin,” so I assume that the gym is getting some funds from the Spin people in return for the advertising? And maybe the bikes are subsidized? Who knows. That said, the cycling instructors are solid & even if your knees would be happier on a better bike, the workout is good. The other complaint is that they have those push-in timer buttons in the showers, which is such a huge waste of water. You push it in, but have to wait til it comes back out to adjust the temp. And of course inevitably, you need about 10 more seconds of water at the end of your shower, but the timer is out, so you push the button again, then leave the shower running when you’re through. I’m surprised this setup exists in Colorado; there is too little water here to waste! But hey, you can get a shower, even if too much water is run doing it.
My complaints are pretty trivial – if you’re looking for a gym, I recommend checking this one out. If you can’t get a workout here, you’re not trying!
I took my daughter here recently to go swimming and what a hidden gem! This is a great recreation center for children of all ages. My daughter and I had a blast with the two slides, lazy river and 25ft swimming pool! The water was refreshing yet warm. They also have a lane for laps open and a nice swimming area for the younger kiddos too! I definitely recommend this rec center if you have kids who want to go swimming year round.
Tip: The blue slide you use a tube; yellow slide is no tube
I love this place specially bringing the kids so much to do I love the swimming pool the weight room & rock climbing
We just visited the pool for the first time and it was a lot of fun. They also enjoyed visiting the playground afterward. I really like that the kids can play in more shallow water without constantly having to be held. Love it being indoors where you don’t have to worry about the cold or sunscreen.
Remember to never lose any personal effects here, because if any staff member reaches out to try and get them back to you they’ll be fired for insubordination.
Facility is nice, equipment is good enough for a hard workout. The childcare (granted, it’s free childcare) is WAY too crowded. Not safe for the kiddos.
This place is HUGE! Very reasonable rates for resident/non residents to use the facility. There’s a gym with so many neat equipment that I’ve never seen before like a half-tire flip, rock climbing, Children’s play place, story time area, arts and crafts and an indoor pool complete with water slides and lazy river.
It was really crowded since it’s summertime and there were a lot of camp kids there. The facility in itself is great. It’s just the fact my son picked up a band aid from the pool really irks me. I know it could’ve been recent but still, it’s gross.
The front desk ladies here are some of the rudest people I have met. They yell at 18 year old girls and treat them like children all because they want to use a space there… do not waste your time GO TO WESTMINSTER REC OR BROOMFIELD COMMUNITY CENTER. Those employees are much kinder!!! Never coming back even though it’s right by my house.
This is a wonderful facility. Everyone I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with has been so helpful and kind. My kiddo took swim lessons at Paula Derda. We had our daughters 10th birthday party here. It was so fun and so perfect. We rented the party room big enough for 50 people. It had a kitchen in it and plenty of tables. The pool has 2 slides and a small lazy river. The kids all gad a blast. 10/10 we will definitely be going again. Birthday party destination for sure.
My kids take swim classes at the rec center and it has been great. the facilities are clean and the swim instructors are friendly. Our kids also love the child watch childcare area. They look forward to going there every Saturday! Love that there are services for everyone, young, older and in between!
Broomfield is lucky to have an affordable rec center with a lot of amenities!
Pool, strength/weight area, reformer pilates room, aerobics and yoga rooms, walking track, children’s play area, basketball, gymnastics… This rec center has it all! I pay a monthly membership of $35ish which gives me full access to the rec center **and** also the Broomfield Community Center!
Ample parking and flexible hours as well. I would give 5 stars, but on occasion, the weight room is very warm (thanks to the large windows that face the mountains).
I was treated with complete disrespect and unprofessionalism by Lexxa who is supposesly a supervisor. Lexxa completely embarrased herself and made a spectacle over my son in a stroller. I can see why she works where she does, couldn’t cut it in the real world. This is what you get for minimum wage.
Apparently she has some anger issues and feels inferior. Hopefully she gets some help and a new job.
She should be fired. Stay away from this place!
I will be contacting the director and mayor of Broomfield.
This place is super racist !!! Don’t ever go here my family has here and was treated super disrespectfully while I had my two year old son also after we said something they harassed us the whole entire time while
Here making us feel super uncomfortable
My wife, myself, and our 6-month baby were swimming laps (yes, laps in an infant flotation device) in the lap pool lane when the lifeguard asked us to leave it for someone who ‘actually wants to swim laps.’
We explained that we are also swimming laps and we don’t understand why we need to leave the lane for someone else who wants to do the same. The lifeguard told us the ~50 y/o man was rude to her, so she felt pressured to do so. We settled on splitting the lap pool into two sides (even though we are literally 3 people and he is 1).
The guy didn’t like that very much and he stood against the wall at one end of the pool for a while looking upset. When we swam to the end of the pool he was on, he forcefully splashed down into the water to send it into my baby son’s face and made him gasp for breath and start crying.
A male lifeguard witnessed this and went for help. When the manager arrived, she insisted that we leave the lane and when we refused, she asked that we instead continue ‘sharing’ the lap pool lane with the guy who assaulted our child.
The best part is the first time we wanted to go swimming in Broomfield, we arrived at the other facility that has strictly lap pools and therapy pools and they suggested WE GO ELSEWHERE because it’s NOT FOR BABIES. Ok then why does the 50 y/o creep get to come to the kids pool and demand we exit the lane?
Thanks for being just another place in Colorado that hates babies. We are disgusted by the manager response. If you have an issue here, dial 911, cause no one is going to help you.
Even when you go to a place built for children, they will act like they’re worthless and an inconvenience to others. Review your policies.
Upon arrival, it would be helpful if guests were informed that only half of the basketball court is accessible, as the crowded environment made it challenging to enjoy shooting hoops. Additionally, it would be beneficial if children aged 12 and older were allowed to enter the hot tub accompanied by an adult. Nevertheless, overall, it is an enjoyable facility to visit.