TMU Gyms: Mattamy Athletic Centre and RAC Compared

The two buildings do different jobs. The MAC has the NHL-sized ice and the main basketball and volleyball court, plus a second-floor fitness centre. The RAC is the older recreation hub with the pool, the track and squash courts, and it runs TMU's recurring women's-only and equity-focused programs. Kerr Hall West adds two more gyms at 379 Victoria Street.

TMU spells the RAC's name two ways on its own pages: Recreation and Athletic Centre and Recreation and Athletics Centre. Both mean the same building.

From September 8, 2026, both buildings list the same hours: 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekends. At the RAC you must be out by 11:15 p.m. on weekdays and 6:45 p.m. on weekends.

Holidays are where they differ. On statutory holidays and TMU Day, the MAC Fitness Centre keeps regular hours while the RAC and Kerr Hall recreation spaces close. Over the December break, the MAC Fitness Centre runs a reduced schedule that TMU announces each December, and the RAC and Kerr Hall close.

TMU posts live occupancy for both gyms, so you can check how busy they are before you walk over.

TMU's fee table lists the membership as included in tuition fees for full-time undergraduate and graduate students. Other TMU pages say all undergraduate and graduate students are members, so part-time students should confirm their status at the front desk. Chang School and non-TMU students pay $56 a month on a recurring plan, $64 for one month or $672 a year, at rates effective June 1, 2026.

Your OneCard won't open the turnstiles until you sign a one-time participation waiver and the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) online. You sign in to the recreation member portal with the my.torontomu.ca button and your TMU username and password. If you click Accept Later, you can skip the waiver on screen, but your card still won't work at the RAC or MAC.

Most everyday activity costs a student nothing beyond the fees already on their account. The paid extras are the structured courses and some clubs.

The RAC opened in 1987 as an underground facility, and TMU is renewing it in stages. TMU says every RAC space now has new heating and cooling except RAC Gym 2, which was scheduled for replacement in June 2026. A new Welcome Lounge with tables, booths and power outlets opened in fall 2025 for studying or waiting before a workout.

The main RAC change rooms are more than 30 years old. A redesign with men's, women's and universal change rooms is in detailed design during 2025-26, but TMU hasn't set a construction schedule. In winter 2026, TMU added an all-gender change space near the RAC customer service centre and private change stalls on the pool deck.

TMU lists two different accessible entrances for the RAC. Its hours, pool and track pages give 31 Gerrard Street East, while the RAC facility page gives 379 Victoria Street. A passenger lift is available, and the pool has a lift for getting in and out of the water. Email the aquatics team if you need the pool lift outside Rec Swim.