The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Center Phoenix
Rating
Family of 4
This one takes a phone call.
Duration
2 to 3 hours for a water park and gym visit, and a full day if your kid is enrolled in Camp Kroc or a class block
Best Ages
Roughly 2 to 17, which is an unusually wide band for one building. Kroc Tots and tee-ball cover the youngest end, the indoor water park and splash pad hit hardest with ages 3 to 10, and the rock wall, gymnasium, boxing gym, dance room, and game room keep tweens and teens engaged. Infants can come along for family swim, but there is no infant-specific programming, and Child Watch age minimums should be confirmed by phone.
About
It is not a city rec center with a gym bolted on. It is a purpose-built campus, and the list of what is inside reads long: an indoor pool and water park, a splash pad, a gymnasium, a rock wall, a game room, a dance room, multipurpose rooms, a boxing gym, a theater, a fitness center, outdoor sports fields, and a cafe.
The indoor water park is the headline, and in Phoenix it is a different proposition than an outdoor pool. From June through September, outdoor swimming means either sunrise or sunburn, and an indoor water park sidesteps the entire problem. It also makes this one of the better monsoon-season plans in the city, since a storm that shuts down every park in the Valley changes nothing here.
The programming spread is wide. Youth sports include flag football, soccer, basketball, tee-ball, volleyball, and Kroc Tots for the youngest kids. Aquatics runs swim lessons and lifeguard certification.
Arts and education covers dance, music, and theater, which is a real theater, not a stage in a gym. Camp Kroc handles summer. Child Watch and the 6-11 Club mean a parent can actually get a workout in, which is not something most family facilities solve.
The part to sort out before you go is cost. The Kroc Center is membership based, with day passes available for families who do not want to commit, and the Salvation Army offers scholarships toward membership costs. Current rates are not something to take secondhand, so call (602) 425-5000 or check krocphoenix.org first.
Doing the membership-versus-day-pass math before you walk up to the desk is worth ten minutes, because a family that would come weekly through a Phoenix summer usually lands on the membership side.
Listed hours are Monday through Friday 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday is open for church services rather than general recreation, which surprises families who show up for a Sunday swim. Confirm hours and current water park availability by phone before a long drive, and pack swim gear every time regardless of what the plan was, because somebody will want the water.
Age Suitability
Parent Logistics
Stroller-Friendly
Yes
Nursing / Changing
Unknown
Kid Meals
Limited
Setting
Indoor & Outdoor
Rainy Day
Great option!
Plan Your Visit
Best Time to Visit
Weekday mornings after the 6 a.m. open are the calmest, though the water park side is busiest whenever school is out. Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. is the classic family window and also the most crowded. Sunday is open for church services rather than general recreation, so do not plan a Sunday swim. June through August is peak, and it is also when this place earns its keep.
Wait Times
Members walk straight in. Day pass purchases take a few minutes at the front desk. The water park and rock wall are where lines actually form, roughly 10 to 20 minutes at peak summer weekend hours and close to nothing on a weekday morning. Child Watch and popular classes fill in advance, so reserve rather than wait.
Nearby Food
There is a cafe on site, which makes this one of the few places in this batch where you can eat without leaving. Treat it as a convenience option rather than a plan, and call ahead if you need to know its hours on a given day. Outside, the Broadway Road corridor in south Phoenix is strong on Mexican food, with taquerias, panaderias, and carnicerias with hot food counters within a few minutes in most directions, plus the usual drive-thru chains. Eating before you arrive is the cheaper move, and a taco stop after a swim is the better one.
Why Kids Love It
There is an indoor water park, which in Phoenix is close to magic, because it means slides and splashing in July without the sun trying to end you. A kid can go from the water park to a rock wall to a gymnasium to a game room without leaving the building or repeating themselves. For a lot of south Phoenix families this is the single best rainy-day, hot-day, and I-am-bored-day answer within a short drive.
Pro Tips from Parents
- Call (602) 425-5000 for current membership and day pass rates before you go. Pricing is not something to guess at, and knowing the number in advance changes whether you buy a day pass or a membership at the desk.
- Ask about scholarships toward membership costs. The Salvation Army offers them here, and families who would benefit most often do not know to ask.
- Sunday is open for church services, not general recreation. Listed hours are Monday through Friday 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., so plan family swim around that.
- Child Watch and the 6 to 11 Club exist, which means you can actually use the fitness floor while your kids are supervised. Confirm age minimums, hours, and whether it is included or extra when you call.
- The indoor water park is the reason to come in summer and the splash pad handles the youngest kids. Pack swim gear every visit, even if the plan was the gym, because someone will change their mind.
What to Bring
- Swimsuits and towels for everyone, because the indoor water park and splash pad are the main event
- Swim diapers if you have a toddler, since most aquatic facilities require them
- Water shoes or flip flops for wet decking
- A change of clothes per kid and a bag for wet suits
- Court or gym shoes if you plan to use the gymnasium or rock wall
- Refillable water bottles and snacks, so the cafe is a choice rather than a necessity
- Diapering supplies and a portable changing pad, since changing table availability is not confirmed
Cost Info
Estimated Cost (Family of 4)
This one takes a phone call.
The Kroc Center runs on memberships, with day passes available for families who do not want to commit, but current rates are not posted in a way you should budget from secondhand.
Call (602) 425-5000 or check krocphoenix.
org for member and day pass pricing before you go.
Parking is on site.
The cafe adds to the total if you eat there, so pack food if you are watching the number.
The Salvation Army also offers scholarships toward membership costs, which is worth asking about directly.
Tips to Save
- Ask about scholarships.
- The Salvation Army offers assistance toward membership costs at this location, and it is not something they lead with at the front desk, so raise it yourself.
- Run the math on a membership versus day passes before you buy either, because if your family would come more than a couple of times a month during a Phoenix summer, the membership almost always wins.
- Compare Camp Kroc pricing against private summer camps in the area, since a facility with an indoor water park, gym, and rock wall included is a different value proposition than a church-basement day camp.
- Bring your own water bottles and eat before you come rather than defaulting to the cafe.
Hours & Contact
Have a Question?
Frequently Asked Questions
Tickets & Booking
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