Welcome to the Melrose Family YMCA!  We want to help you get acquainted with everything our YMCA has to offer – from health and fitness programs,   child care, youth and teen activities, volunteer opportunities and much more.

The Melrose Y is a non-profit charitable community service organization dedicated to building strong kids, strong families and strong communities.

Our MISSION:

The Melrose YMCA is a community organization open to all regardless of age, sex or religion.  The Y evolved from values of its' Christian heritage: which are to live guided by love, kindness, and charity towards all.  It is the purpose of the YMCA to utilize these values to significantly improve the quality of life of its' members, families, community and staff by providing a healthy atmosphere for the development of mental, spiritual and physical potential

Financial Assistance:

One of our goals at the YMCA is not to turn anyone away because of an inability to pay. We offer financial assistance to individuals and families so that YMCA programs are accessible to every person in our community regardless of age, gender, religion, ethnicity or income level. Financial forms are available at the business office.

History of the Melrose Family YMCA 

The Melrose YMCA was first organized on June 24, 1858. Unfortunately the fledgling town of Melrose was not large enough to sustain a viable YMCA and the organization was dormant until 1890. At this time many of the same individuals who would be active in the charter of Melrose as a city, Albert Franklin, Charles Barry, Royal Leighton, Charles Macfarland, Leonard Leighton, Franklin Shumway, William Pierce, Wingate Sargent, Frank Bosson, and William Wooldridge, chartered the Melrose YMCA once again. The current Melrose Family YMCA was organized on December 10, 1890. 

The association grew fast and a need developed for a permanent structure for the association. The architect H. H. Richardson designed a building for 497 Main Street. This building became the anchor for downtown Melrose at the turn of the century. The building housed the Melrose National Bank and the Melrose Public Library and Reading Room on the ground floor. The building contained a gymnasium and a bowling alley. The office, library, parlors and committee rooms were on the second floor, while the third floor housed a beautiful meeting hall which was also used for public concerts and religious services. The total cost of the building was $50,000. 

During the early years, the Melrose YMCA offered traditional YMCA programs for the physical, mental, and spiritual development of primarily young men. The YMCA played a prominent part in the downtown life of the community. In 1910, the Y built a swimming pool and locker facilities as an addition to the building on Main Street. In 1911 the Y planned and developed the first outdoor playgrounds for the city. In 1911 women were admitted into the Y, although they were not allowed to use the pool until 1923, and even then the sexes were not allowed in the pool at the same time. In 1918 all returning WWI service men were afforded free memberships. 

The Y continued to offer programs through the 30’s and 40’s. Of note during this period was the tenure of Lloyd B. Waring as president of the Y from 1941-1947. Lloyd’s legacy to the Y continued throughout his life as he was instrumental in securing the funds for the construction of the current Y pool which was built in 1960. During the 1950’s the Melrose Y was famous as the home of one of the largest Tri-Hi-Y programs in the country. This program involved high school girls in service clubs. Each year culminated with a large parade down Main Street and the crowning of that years’ Tri-Hi-Y Queen. This program raised thousands of dollars for YMCA World Service by collecting pennies during the parade. 

As previously mentioned, the YMCA built a new pool in 1960 replacing the pool built in 1910. The Main Street Building was also refurbished at this time. The banks moved out of the ground floor and the Y took over this space. The Y became a center for regional swimming activity for YMCA’s. It became a training site for other Y’s. The Y has had a competitive swimming team since the 1930’s, but the new pool invigorated the program and the Y had several New England Champions and National qualifiers during the 1960’s and has continued to ever since. The Melrose Y was a leader in the development of lessons for preschoolers and helped in the development of the first teaching manuals for this age group.