The La Crosse Area YMCA is now open 24-7.
Both the Dahl branch in La Crosse (map) and the Houser facility in Onalaska (map) will be open around the clock.
The cost will be a one-time, $10 key fob fee, along with an added $5-a-month charge for members.
The facility will be limited to the wellness center — where the cardio and weights are located — and the gymnasiums.
Staff will not be in the building overnight to, for example, help spot someone on a lift.
“There’s going to be times when there are just members in there,” La Crosse Area YMCA CEO Bill Soper said. “We’re encouraging people to bring a buddy — work out with somebody. There will be a decent number of hours when there will just be members in the building.”
Soper added that eight other YMCAs in Wisconsin already have this 24-7 plan and it’s working well.
“We hope there’s enough interest in it,” Soper said, adding that if it’s fairly popular there should always be more than one person in the cardio center throughout the night. “We think there’s going to be that there’s usually more than a few people in there. That’s what our hope is.”
The locker rooms will not be available overnight. Soper didn’t say this, but it’s likely because they cannot be monitored with cameras.
La Crosse Area Y membership costs vary. The Y does offer financial assistance depending on income, as well as flex pricing for veterans and seniors. There is also a $15 membership for college students.
It also offers various family plans — some of which provide daycare.