Chinn Park Regional Library and Aquatics & Fitness Center

Since the Chinn Park Regional Library and Aquatics & Fitness Center opened their doors in 1991, they’ve provided hundreds of families with a variety of activities and means of getting and staying healthy.Located just off of the Prince William County Parkway at 13025 Chinn Park Drive, the campus of the Chinn Park Regional Library and Aquatics & Fitness Center, accessible from both Old Bridge Road and the Parkway, houses two pools, two whirlpools, a sauna, two floors of the very latest in cardio and strength training equipment, a basketball gym, outdoor pavilion, playground and trail as well as a +25,000-sq. ft. library with more than 211,000 titles.The Chinn Aquatics and Fitness Center

Photo courtesy PWCPA

The Chinn Aquatics & Fitness Center, which is part of the Prince William County Park Authority, promotes healthy living and abounds in fun family activities. Individuals and families have a variety of membership options as well as class offerings.

This fall, families have three organized programs from which to choose: Family Fun Swim Time, for just $15 for a family of four (held on Saturdays and Sundays, from noon to 4:30 p.m.); TGIF Family Fitness & Fun (held from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Fridays), for

$15 per participant, which combines drills, relays, games, and exercises—ideal for families with children ages three to 17; and TGIF Family Zumba, also $15 per participant (held from 6:30- 7:30 p.m. on Fridays), which uses Latin rhythms and fitness program to energize participants ages three years and older.

Also this fall, the fitness center is offering Scout Water Badges programs on Tuesdays and Thursday evenings, in addition to Saturdays at noon. Home-school families can take advantage of numerous fitness instruction classes, too. And those interested can become certified lifeguards and water safety instructors.

Details about these classes and other programs can be found in Prince William Park Authority’s leisure magazine, printed three times a year.

The Chinn Park Regional Library

Photo by Jeff Owen

The Chinn Park Regional Library offers a variety of family- focused activities. Weekday programs are geared toward children ages two to seven, with an adult, and range from story hours to “Friday Flicks.” The library hosts a family craft night once a month that draws participants of all ages. The projects are simple enough for small children but enjoyable for older children and parents as well. (Materials and instructions are provided. No registration is required.)

Teens can take advantage of Internet resources or attend programs such as “Help! I Have to Write a Research Paper!” while adults have the choice of attending either daytime or nighttime book clubs. (Chinn Book Chats meets on the 2nd Monday of the month at 1 p.m.; NOVA Novel Book Club meets on the last Tuesday of the month, except August and December at 7 p.m.)

If neither of these club meeting times work with your schedule, or if you have a group of friends interested in starting their own club, the library has both online resources and “Books to Go” kits, which include 10 copies of a title, a notebook with supplemental discussion materials, and contact information for further assistance. (Kits circulate for a six-week period and are renewable.) Starting your own book club with your teens can be a great way to connect as a family.

For more information about the Chinn Aquatics and Fitness Center, visit the Prince William County Park Authority website, at www.pwcparks.org. The fitness center is located at 13025 Chinn Park Drive in Prince William, Va. For general information,  call  (703)  730-1051.

Jennifer M. Price is a freelance writer and desktop editor. She was a resident of Prince William County from 1978 to 2003, and still has family ties in the county. Price is a graduate of Gar-Field Sr. High and Longwood College. Now living in Fredericksburg, she is surrounded by many other former county residents who reminisce about the “old neighborhoods.”