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Guelph Gym Guide: Athletics Centre, NRG and Gryphon Facilities
Most Guelph recreation happens at the Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre (GGAC) at 50 East Ring Road. Your compulsory fees already buy a Recreation Membership, which covers drop-in sports, the walking tracks, lane swims, intramurals and clubs. The fitness centre and group classes aren't included. For those you buy an NRG membership at $55 plus HST a semester, or NRG Plus at $99 plus HST to add the climbing wall.
Sources checked September 30, 2026. View sources
What's where
Guelph Fitness and Recreation lists these facilities. Most are rented to teams and groups too, so drop-in times depend on the Drop-in Rec calendar.
| Facility | What's there | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre (GGAC), 50 East Ring Road | Fitness centre, the NRG Zone sensory-reduced studio, the Event Centre, Mitchell, West and Small gyms, studios, squash courts and an indoor climbing wall | Everyone checks in at Client Services. Fitness centre users swipe in again at the fitness desk. |
| Gryphon Aquatic Centre (inside the GGAC) | Gold Pool: 25 m, eight lanes, 6 ft deep. Red Pool: 25 yd, five lanes, 4 to 11 ft deep, with a diving board | Accessible change rooms and a pool lift in each pool. The hot tub opens during Gold Pool length swims. |
| Gryphon Centre Arena, 149 Reynolds Walk | Gold Rink (Olympic-sized, 1,200 spectators) and Red Rink (NHL-sized) | Rec skate and rec hockey passes are sold separately from other day passes. Craft Kitchen and Ale House is on the second floor. |
| Gryphon Fieldhouse, 55 East Ring Road | Artificial turf field, 90 by 180 ft, and a four-lane 200 m track with 60 m sprint lanes | Used for recreation, clubs, intramurals and varsity track and field |
| Alumni Stadium, 26 Lang Way | CFL-sized turf field and a 400 m track, with 8,500 seats | A varsity and event venue. Your Recreation Membership gets you into regular-season varsity games. |
Is the gym included in your fees?
Partly. Every registered full-time or part-time undergraduate pays for the Recreation Membership in compulsory fees, and you can't opt out. For 2026-27, a student taking 2.00 or more credits pays an Athletic Fee of $169.26 and an Athletic Building Fee of $62.80 each semester. The building fee pays for the Athletics Centre and the soccer complex.
The fitness centre and NRG classes need a paid add-on. NRG and NRG Plus are sold for the fall and winter semesters. Without a membership, you can buy a student day pass instead.
| Option | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Recreation Membership | Included in compulsory fees | Drop-in Rec (sports, walking tracks, lane swim), intramurals and clubs |
| NRG Membership | $55 plus HST a semester | Fitness centre, unlimited NRG fitness classes, the NRG Zone and Gryphon Fitness OnDemand |
| NRG Plus Membership | $99 plus HST a semester | Everything in NRG, plus the indoor climbing wall |
| Climbing Membership | $70 plus HST a semester | The climbing wall only |
| Active student day pass | $10.62 plus HST | Fitness centre and NRG classes for one day, not the climbing wall |
Fall 2026 hours
These hours run from September 8 to December 6, 2026. The fitness centre plays no music for the first hour each day. Over Thanksgiving weekend, October 10 to 12, the fitness centre is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the building 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
| Day | Fitness centre | GGAC building | Climbing wall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. | 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. | Noon to 2 p.m. women only; 2 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. open |
| Tuesday | 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. | 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. | 12:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. | 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. | Noon to 2 p.m. women only; 2 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. open |
| Thursday | 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. | 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. | 12:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. |
| Friday | 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. | 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. | Closed for route setting |
| Saturday | 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. | 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. | Closed |
| Sunday | 7 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. | 7 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. | 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., from October 18 |
Your first visit
You need a membership, a registered program, a day pass, a ticket or a rental permit to use GGAC facilities. Book a free fitness centre orientation from the hours page before your first workout. Climbing gear, including shoes and harnesses, is free at the wall.
- Day lockers are free; bring your own lock and empty it the same day, or pay a $10 fee.
- Paid lockers with towel service are sold in person at Client Services.
- Squash courts are booked up to 7 days ahead: one court a day and three slots a week, for yourself only.
- Replacing a lost membership card costs $10.
- Universal change rooms are available.
Intramurals and clubs
Intramurals run in fall and winter at competitive, recreational and fun levels. Teams play once or twice a week, usually Monday to Thursday evenings or Sundays. Fall 2026 registration opened August 31. Winter registration opens November 30, 2026 at 6:30 a.m.
You pay before you play. A team bond is $100 a semester ($300 for ice hockey) and comes back at the end of the semester if your team has no defaults. Free agents pay $15 a semester ($30 for hockey). Registering only on IMLeagues doesn't hold your spot.
Recreation clubs range from climbing and dragon boat to quadball and underwater hockey. Club fees vary; the Atcha Crew hip-hop team, for example, lists $20 a semester. Students enrolled on campus in fall and winter already hold the base membership that clubs require.
Keep exploring
Sources and updates
This independent guide summarizes the official information linked below. Availability, access rules and application cycles can change; check the relevant university page before making a decision.
- Guelph Fitness and Recreation: student memberships
- Guelph Fitness and Recreation: Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre
- Guelph Fitness and Recreation: Gryphon Aquatic Centre
- Guelph Fitness and Recreation: Gryphon Centre Arena
- Guelph Fitness and Recreation: Gryphon Fieldhouse
- Guelph Fitness and Recreation: Alumni Stadium
- Guelph Fitness and Recreation: hours of operation, Fall 2026
- Guelph Fitness and Recreation: frequently asked questions
- Guelph Fitness and Recreation: day and week passes
- Guelph Fitness and Recreation: indoor climbing wall
- Guelph Fitness and Recreation: intramurals
- University of Guelph: undergraduate tuition and compulsory fees, Fall 2026 to Summer 2027
- University of Guelph: compulsory fee descriptions