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Willis S. Johns Recreation Center

Phone:
Teen Room:

Hours of operation

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
CLOSED

Gym Hours

  • Basketball | 18 years old & up
  • Monday - Thursday
  • 9:30 AM - 1:30 PM


Playground Open to the Public


  • School Days:
  • Dawn to 2:00 pm
  • 5:30 pm to Dusk

  • School's Out Days:
  • 5:30 pm to Dusk

  • Weekends:
  • Dawn to Dusk

Teen Room Hours

  • Every third Saturday of the month
  • 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
  • Open for video and board games.

Teen Room Hours

  • High School Drop-In Only:
  • Monday - Friday
  • 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Campus Amenities

(Click on the icons to jump to an amenity)

Willis S. Johns Recreation Center
Fossil Park Campus
Fossil Park
Fossil Park Sports Complex

Rental Information

Center Activities

The center offers classes for all ages. First class is free! Check out the center's activities and try something new:

Activities for all ages:

Class Schedules
Upcoming Events

Youth & Teen Programs

Our Youth & Teen Programs provide out of school opportunities for participants in Kindergarten through 8th grade to play, learn, and explore through interactive activities, field trips, and more! Check out our calendar of upcoming activities that you can register for:

Register for Teen Activities
School's Out Days

Seasonal Camps
Childcare

Ongoing Teen Activities:

Activity Day Time Details
Before & After School Program Monday - Friday 7:00 AM - 9:30 AM & 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM Must be enrolled in the program to participate. Click here to learn more.
Academic Tutoring Monday - Friday 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM Must be enrolled in the Before & After School Program to participate. Click here to learn more.
Teen Council Meeting Every first & third Tuesday of the month 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM Want to be involved in picking our events and activities. Join us in the Teen Room.
Club Day Time
Literacy Club Monday 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Sports Club Tuesday 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Photography Club Wednesday 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Cooking Club Thursday 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM

About the Center

The center was named in 1971 in honor of Colonel Willis S. Johns, USAF Ret in recognition of his contributions to the community in the Meadowlawn area.

Willis S. Johns Recreation Center, within Fossil Park, is located in an active Northeast part of St. Petersburg. The 12,500 sq. ft. center offers a variety of classes including dance, karate, yoga, dog training, and more. It houses a 6,700 sq. ft. gymnasium with a full-size basketball court and two studio rooms that can be rented out by the public for events.

The center also features unique artwork on the Fossil Wall, which is made up of 20 - 1.5' x 1.5' clay squares with assorted sharks teeth, toys, plants and other fossils imprinted into the squares. It was created by Michele Tuegal and Russ Gustafson-Hilton in 1997.

The Bayou Rhythm includes two stained glass works located above each of the entrances of the facility. These colorful works depict a beach/sea setting. The artist was Lee Beistle.

Campus Map

Map Legend
  • Center legend iconCenter
  • Shelter legend iconShelter
  • Playground legend iconPlayground
  • Field/Courts legend iconFields/Courts
  • Pool legend iconPool
  • Sidewalk legend iconSidewalk
  • Parking legend iconParking
  • Parkland legend iconParkland
  • Water legend iconWater
Fossil Park Campus Map