Undergraduate students can receive Alternative PE Points for participation in personal training, group exercise and private swim lessons. For detailed information, please visit the MIT PE website.

MIT Recreation’s main facilities include the following:

Zesiger Center, W35, 120 Vassar St.

• Multi-Activity Court (MAC)
• 50 meter pool with diving boards
• Separate 25 yard teaching pool
• 6 international squash courts
• Massage Suite
• Two floors of cardio, strength & conditioning areas
• DuPont Athletics Center, W31/W32: 2 Squash courts, 2 multi-purpose rooms, T-Club Lounge (studio), 2 Full Sports Courts, Wrestling Room, Fencing Room, Indoor Golf Range,
• Johnson Athletics Center, W34: Indoor Track (200Meters), Seasonal Ice Rink
• Rockwell Cage W33, 3 Full Sports Courts
• All Gender locker rooms:
  • All-Gender & Family Locker Room (shower, restroom, and lockers) Pool Office Corridor | W35-166
  • All-Gender Restrooms (no shower or lockers) 2nd Floor Fitness | W35-271 & W35-269
  • All-Gender & Family Changing Rooms (no restroom, shower, or lockers) Johnson Ice Rink | W34-105 & W34-106

Alumni Pool and Wang Fitness Center, Building 57, 32 Vassar St.

• 6 lane 25 yard pool
• Separate teaching pool
• 1 floor of cardio, strength & conditioning areas
• Group exercise room/dance studio
• Cycle Room

You do not have to be affiliated with MIT to become a member or to use MIT Recreation facilities. Those non-affiliated with MIT can purchase a Friends of MIT membership or a temporary pass.

There are many ways that you can help MIT Recreation spread health and wellness throughout our community. You can bring Wellness Your Way to a convenient space, gather at a free ENGINEERyourHEALTH event, or sign-up for The MIT Recreation Ambassador Program.

About MIT Recreation Ambassadors

The MIT Recreation Ambassador Program was created for members who are passionate about inspiring our community to find balance, manage stress, and enhance their overall well-being through participation in recreational activities. Learn More Here, or if this sounds like the right program for you, Sign-up Here.

Yes, it’s that simple!

MIT full-time students have a membership included in their “activity fee”. So, all you need to do is stop by the main desk at the Z Center or at Alumni/Wang and sign our electronic waiver. Then, our staff will add facility access to your MIT student ID.

Your membership payment history can be found in your Membership Profile under Statements. Payment documentation should be sent directly to your insurance provider. If your provider requires additional documentation please email memberservices@mit.edu. Unfortunately we’re not able to provide or sign-off on attendance.

For more information on the MIT Fitness Benefit visit the MIT Medical Wellness Benefits page.

If you are canceling a membership while still under contract, a $50 cancellation fee will be collected along with the final month’s payment.

If you have an auto renew membership that is post contract, there is no fee for cancellation. The final month’s payment will be collected as scheduled.

Members that cancel due to leaving their position at MIT, a relocation of 25 miles or more away from MIT or due to a medical reason may cancel without penalty at any time. Proper documentation must be provided to waive the $50 cancellation fee. Documentation must contain proof of relocation, change in employment status or medical reason (change of address form, job acceptance letter, utility bill, doctor’s note, etc.) This documentation can be sent to memberservices@mit.edu in tandem with filling out our membership change form. If proof is not provided, a $50 cancellation fee will be applied in addition to the final month’s payment.

CONSUMER’S RIGHT TO CANCELLATION. YOU MAY CANCEL THIS CONTRACT WITHOUT ANY PENALTY OR FURTHER OBLIGATION BY CAUSING A WRITTEN NOTICE OF YOUR CANCELLATION TO BE DELIVERED IN PERSON OR POSTMARKED BY CERTIFIED OR REGISTERED UNITED STATES MAIL WITHIN THREE (3) BUSINESS DAYS OF THE DATE OF THIS CONTRACT OR THE DATE OF YOUR RECEIPT TO THE ADDRESS SPECIFIED IN THIS CONTRACT.

ADDITIONAL RIGHTS TO CANCELLATION

You or your estate may also cancel this contract for any of the following reasons: (a) if upon a doctor’s order, you cannot physically or medically receive the services because of significant physical or medical disability for a period in excess of three months; (b) in case of your death; (c) If the health club services to be provided under this contract are not available because the seller fails to open a planned health club or location, permanently discontinues operation of a health club or location, or substantially changes the operation of a health club or location (d) If you move either your residence or your place of employment more than twenty-five miles from any health club operated by the seller or a substantially similar health club which will accept the seller’s obligation under the contract.

Patrons may request an upgrade/downgrade on membership type and/or term by completing our online Membership Change Form no later than 30 days prior to your current expiration date.

You are eligible to remain in your Faculty/Staff membership for 30 days after your next membership billing date. Paid in full members can remain in their membership for 30 days after their last day of employment. After 30 days, members will be transferred to the appropriate membership type based on their affiliation with MIT.  Members without affiliation will be eligible for the Friends of MIT membership type.

If your ID card stops working you’ll still be able to access our facilities. If you’re unable to obtain another MIT ID (e.g. Alumni ID), we’ll provide you with a MIT Rec Sports membership card that will replace your expired MIT Employee ID.

The auto-renewal membership provides a greater level of ease and flexibility for members.  It eliminates the need to go through the renewal process each year.  After 12 months the membership is no longer under contract, the rate is simply the annual fee divided by 12 payments on a month-to-month basis.  After auto-renewal members have completed their initial 12 month term, they can cancel their membership without penalty by providing a 30 day notice in writing.

Available for faculty/staff/postdoc/retiree, alumnus/a, affiliates, and friends of MIT memberships.

We offer an optional paid towel service to members and MIT students. For day and month pass users, we offer towels for purchase at a discounted rate.

Towel Fees:

• Students = $3.95 per month
• Non-Students = $4.95 per month
• Non-Members and Temporary Pass Holders = Towels available for purchase for $2.95

Inform a staff member at any of our entrance desks. Towel service will be billed to your account on a monthly basis. A payment method on your membership account is required to enroll. If you don’t have a credit card or bank account on file, you can add one to your account online.

Members are allowed to make two hold requests per year in monthly increments for up to 90 days, a $10 monthly  fee will be charged in full when the request is processed. There are no hold fee refunds for early reactivation requests. Holds will go into effect on your next billing date (1st or 15th of the month). For more information, please view the policies section of our membership page.

• Minors eligible for vaccination must be fully vaccinated or have a medical or religious exemption in order to participate in MIT events and programs
• Children under age 12 are eligible for a medical exemption from the vaccination requirement as they are not yet eligible to be vaccinated.
• Children over the age of 12 who are unable to participate due to not being vaccinated can request a refund.

Private Lessons can only be purchased through our Mobile App or in-person at one of our main Member Service desks at the Z Center or Alumni/Wang.

Due to a high demand we recommend that prior to purchasing new lessons please fill that you out this survey so that we can ensured that we have a match for your request. After we match you with an instructor we will follow up with next steps on purchasing a lesson package to fit your goals.

You will be contacted to confirm we are working on your swim lesson request within 48 hours of your survey submission. If you are looking for lessons during our peak times, it may take up to several weeks for us to find an instructor with space in their schedule. If your availability is flexible, we may be able to place you with an instructor in as little as one week.

If we are not able to place you with an instructor within the time-frame you need we offer a full refund of lessons purchased. We are also able to transfer purchases to group lessons or other activities.

Generally, private lessons can be scheduled anytime that the pool is open and an instructor is available, but there are some days and times when scheduling can be challenging.

Peak Times – during our peak times instructors are often teaching other programs and their availability for private lessons may be limited. New registrants looking for reservations during these times may be placed on a waiting list until a space becomes available. Peak times include:

Weekdays between 3:00pm  – 7:00pm

Weekend mornings between 8:00am – 2:00pm

Youth Restricted Hours – During the academic year youth under the age of 18 are not allowed in the Zesiger building between 5:00 – 7:00pm. During this time youth lessons can only be scheduled at the Alumni Pool.

It is our goal to keep scheduling as consistent as possible, but every instructor’s schedule is different and some instructors are able to be flexible with lesson time changes when needed.

If you need to cancel a private lesson please contact the instructor directly as early as possible. Lessons canceled with less than 24 hour notice may still be charged. Missed lessons or “no-shows” will always be charged in full. Please be respectful to your instructor and their time by keeping cancellations to a minimum and contacting them as soon as a cancellation is needed.

Generally parents are not needed in the water with children for a private lesson, but we always want to work within the best interest of the child and encourage parents to be in the water if helpful. However, all parents must remain in the Aquatics area during lessons for supervision of children who are under the age of 18 years old.

Members are allowed to swim during the lesson, but must remain available should they be needed by our instructors. If non-Members wish to swim during lessons, they must purchase a day pass.

Members are able to select as an add on fee to their membership towel service.  More Information

If anyone forgets a towel one can be purchased at the Membership Desk for a small fee.

Unless noted all Private Lesson packages expire one year after purchase.

We do not pro-rate classes, it’s best if you sign up ahead of time. If you do end up signing up after the class has begun, you will still pay the full fee.

No, we prefer you do attend as many classes as possible, but realize things do come up.

We do not schedule make up classes if the participant can’t make the scheduled class, but we try our very best to reschedule all classes if they are cancelled due to weather or other circumstances beyond our control.

You have the option to come in as desired and utilize the available court space based on our Open Recreation Schedules. If you would like to reserve a specific space to ensure availability, please see below.

Squash reservations are available on the hour, one hour at a time. Active members can make reservations by phone at 617-253-9485, or login to your account and click on the scheduler.

Indoor tennis reservations, in the Tennis Bubble (W-53), can be made during the 30-week season October – April by calling 617-253-1451. Outdoor tennis court reservations (summer only) are available by calling the Vassar Street Member Services Desk at 617-253-9485.

Facility reservations for groups and special events are also available. Please see our Rentals & Reservations page for details.

Additional reservations:

• Other Facility rentals email mdufour@mit.edu

Most often the pool is configured in Long Course between late December and early January and from early May through mid-August.

To reduce the possibility of water contamination we ask that all swimmers not completely toilet trained wear a swim diaper covered by tight fitting plastic, rubber or vinyl cover. Appropriate plastic, vinyl/rubber covers can be purchased at our member services desk and are found most infant/toddler retailers.

Recreational Swim or “Rec Swim” is time on the pool schedule when members and guests are welcome to swim, including lap swim, family swim and aqua jogging. While MIT Recreation Private Swim Lessons may also be conducted at this time, lessons from non-MIT instructors are not permitted.

We rely on all swimmers to work together to maximize the available pool space.

Adult supervision is required for children 17 and younger in same pool area at all times. We request that all non-swimmers be fitted with a U.S. Coast Guard approved flotation device and stay within arm’s reach of an adult.

Class reservations open 6 days before the class official start time.

Class reservation is open until 1 hour before the class start time or until the class reaches maximum enrollment.

No. You can reserve a spot in class online through our website or in person at either the Vassar Desk or Alumni Wang fitness desk.

Your spot is only guaranteed if you are on time for class.

Canceling enrollment for a class can be done either online or through the MIT Recreation app by clicking on the class you enrolled for and following prompts to cancel. Please note that cancelation through the app or online cannot be done the hour before your class start time. At that point you may arrive in person to cancel (no phone calls or email cancellations accepted).

Note: You have three no-shows (if you register and do not show to class without canceling) before being penalized. View all Group Exercise Policies

No. If you reserve a spot online, you can go straight to class. Check in will being 5 minutes before the class official start time. Please have a form of identification with you when checking in.

If you were not able to cancel your reservation and do not show up for class, you will receive a no-show “freebie.” After 3 no-show “freebies,” you will not be permitted to preregister for classes in advance for 7 days. After 6 no-show “freebies,” you will not be permitted to preregister for classes in advance for the rest of the current schedule*. You are still encouraged to attend classes, but must use the standby line.

No-show “freebies” do not roll over into the next schedule. Patrons start each schedule with a clean slate.

*Schedule refers to January – May (Winter/Spring), June – August (Summer), and September – December (Fall)

Our Group Exercise schedule will often list any free classes that we offer. Members or temporary pass holders are welcome to join those classes until they reach capacity.

No, MIT Recreation will provide the equipment you need for class. All you need to be prepared is proper workout attire and shoes for all classes with the exception of Capoeira, Pilates and Yoga which do not require shoes but you can wear them if you are comfortable.

Guests participating in Group Exercise will need to purchase a Day Pass and a Group Exercise Single Class Pass, which you can purchase online. Guests will need to use the stand by line for entry to the class and cannot pre-register online or using the app.

Monthly and annual group exercise passes are not available for guests/non-members.

You can purchase personal training packages online or in-person at one of our main member service desks. You will be contacted within 3 business days to begin scheduling your sessions. When you get to start depends on a few things: how soon you return our forms, if you need a physician’s consent, and the availability of the trainer and yourself.

After purchasing your desired package of private training, you will be sent a registration packet with important medical documents, a goals sheet, and a contract to complete. These are used to match you with the best trainer based on your schedule and goals.

To purchase online, follow these instructions:

1. Log into your account
2. Choose Account Information
3. Choose “Buy Series Sales”
   1. Drop Down Module, select “Scheduler”
   2. Drop Down Service Category, select “Personal Training”
   3. Service, select the appropriate item & hit submit
   4. Now select the package you would like to purchase and “add to cart”
   5. Make Payment

Note: Sessions cannot be scheduled through the scheduler feature and participants will be contacted by one of our staff.

You should consider your personal training experience (beginners often start with longer sessions) and your personal goals. If you need help figuring out which direction to take, consider a Fitness Assessment or email our Personal Training Program with any questions.

Personal training for children between 13-17 years old is offered. In order for your child to join you on the 3rd floor fitness space outside of the youth restriction hours, they must participate in teen personal training which is a chance to educate teens on appropriate fitness center etiquette, proper exercise technique and safety.

Gloves or mittens are recommended. Wear clothes that do not hinder movement. Dress in layers so you can adjust your temperature. It is better to wear thin socks or tights, with tighter fitting skates.

We recommend leather figure skates, as plastic will not support your ankles and feet properly. Your skates must fit snugly for proper support. Tie up your skates tight around your foot and ankle. You should not be able to fit your hand between your ankle and the tongue of the skate.

Yes, visit the main desk to pay and then drop your skates off (with the receipt) to the skate rink office during general skate.

Purchases can be made either in the app or at the front desk. To purchase sessions in the app: 

 1. Download and login to the Mobile MIT Recreation app (Android or Apple).

 2. From the landing page, select “Packages” in the bottom right corner.

 3. You may filter the packages, by selecting the three bars in the upper right corner.

 4. Choosing “Massage” under category will show you all available massage sessions. 

 5. Select the package you wish to purchase and proceed through the prompts to complete your purchase. 

If you are interested in returning to our program before we begin the scheduling process with a therapist, we must verify your Membership and obtain an updated Health History Form.   

• If you’re an eligible member on hold, you can opt to remove your hold by completing our membership reactivation form. 
• If you don’t have a membership on hold, but would like to join, you can create a member profile and initiate the membership registration process by visiting our membership login page and selecting the ‘Access My Account’ option.  

Once your Membership and Health History Form are complete our team will contact you within five business days to begin the scheduling or purchasing process.  If you have any questions in the meantime please email: massagetherapy@mit.edu 

While we look forward to having you as a returning guest to our massage therapy program at the Zesiger Sports & Fitness Center at MIT, we need to make you aware of new requirements and policies.  

• A 30min window between massage sessions will be required to complete a deep cleaning of the space, filter the space with a HEPA air filter and allow therapists to complete all required tasks. 
• Massage sessions must be purchased in advanced prior to your session. 
• A Health History Form must complete 48hours prior to your service.
• Cancellation Policy & No Show: any cancellation that occurs with less than 24 hours-notice or any appointment that is missed will still be charged for a single session. 

Returning clients that have packages on their accounts may now schedule your Massage Therapy Session by downloading our Mobile App ((Android or Apple) up to 48 hours in advance. We do follow a 24 hour cancellation policy, if you cancel within 24 hours, you will be charged in full for your session. 

1. From the main landing page in the app, select Reservations on the bottom right. 

1. Select the Massage by Room in which you are reserving space. 

1. The app will default to your favorite club location. Location can be changed to any available. 

1. Select the date of the reservation. 

1. Select the duration of the reservation. 

1. Open the Advanced Options screen to adjust filters.  

1. Scroll down the original reservation screen. If you’d like to use the booking details you’ve just set next time, check Saved Filters. 

1. Hit Search to look for available rooms and times. 

1. Available results will generate in chronological order. Scroll through the list to choose the best available time. 

1. Please note, 15 minutes in between appointments is required for COVID precautions, please do not book back-to-back sessions.  

1. Hit Reserve at the bottom to proceed with the reservation. 
2. The newly booked reservation will now appear on your app landing page on the day it takes place. 

The massage room is located in W35-325 (the Zesiger Sports & Fitness Center, 120 Vassar St.) Go to the third floor of W35 and take an immediate right into the office suite. The massage room is the first door on the right. If you need help, our staff can assist you with further directions.

You can wear comfortable athletic clothes or just your undergarments, whatever makes you most comfortable. Our massage therapists learn how to properly drape with towels and sheets as part of their professional training.

Tipping is completely up to the client, most of our clients at MIT do tip our therapists, but you are not required to.

For Golf Lessons, you can choose to bring your own clubs or use the ones provided by our instructor (both right and left handed, youth and adult sizes).

For Golf Range reservations and use of the Golf Simulator, members and guests are welcome to use the MIT Recreation golf clubs provided, which include a selection of men’s and women’s clubs.

Yes, members and guests can make a reservation for the Indoor Golf Range to access the Golf Simulator. Learn more and make a reservation here.

There is only one hour of booking time permitted per host, per day. If you are playing in a group, another member of the group can book another hour as the host.

Members can reserve a court online, in the MIT Recreation app, or by calling 617-253-9485.

*Reservations are not available for non-members.

Note: Squash court reservations can be made up to 24 hours in advance; for 1 hour per day.

We do not have racquets for rent, but we do sell racquets, goggles, and squash balls at the main desk of the Zesiger Center.

A guest pass gives you access to DAPER’s main complex (i.e. Z Center, Johnson, Rockwell, duPont), the Alumni Pool and Wang Fitness Center, plus our Outdoor Tennis Courts, Fields, Track, drop-in Group Ex classes marked as free are included.

After purchasing a pass, temporary pass holders need to download the MIT Recreation mobile app prior to arriving. Your access barcode should be at the top of the app’s home page and can be added to your phone’s wallet if preferred.

To gain access to the facility you will scan your barcode at the entrance desk. If this is your first time visiting, or the first time since March of 2020, you may not have a barcode number. If this is the case please see a staff member and provide proof of ID so we can add a number to your guest profile.

All temporary pass holders have access to day lockers. Towel service is no longer available to non-members. We recommend that you bring your own towel and lock. Shower towels and locks can also be purchased from our pro shop.

Guests with unused day passes purchased prior to April 2020 have a credit on their account. Credits can be applied to a membership, temporary pass, program, pro shop item, etc. but can only be redeemed in-person.

Guest pass packages are no longer available but week and month passes are. All passes are active beginning on the day of purchase.

Unless you have a credit on your account temporary passes must be purchased through our website.

A three-month family summer pass will be available to purchase beginning on June 1st. The family pass gives facility access to a main member, spouse or partner, and children under 18 (or 18-22 with a student ID). Caretakers are required to purchase a separate individual pass.

There’s a single price for guest passes. Student discounts are not available. There’s no charge for children 2 and under.

Login to your account profile to view your balance. The amount should be listed at the top of the main page. If you’re having difficulty with your login, do not create a new account. Please email memberservices@mit.edu and include your ID # (if applicable) so we can update your email address on the account. You should receive a password reset link once the account has been reset.