Gafney Sports Arena (right) is on Broadfoot Road. It has three basketball courts, two squash courts, three racquetball courts, sauna room, weight room, workout rooms, a 23-station Nautilus center (with Lifecycles, Stairmaster, treadmill, jazzercise and aerobics), 25-meter swimming pool (with water aerobics) and separate locker room facilities for 150 women and 350 men. The facility reopened Nov. 13, 1997 after extensive renovation. Call (301) 677-3716 for hours of operation.

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Burba Park is located between Roberts and Llewellyn avenues and Wilson Street. Unit picnics and other special celebrations are sometimes held on the grounds. Five picnic pavilions and a cottage are available on a reservation basis for a nominal fee. There is also a playground with swings and other equipment, as well as a lake that runs through the park. The playground is open every day from dawn until dusk. For information, contact the Leisure Travel Office at (301) 677- 7354.

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McGill Recreation Center, located in Building 8452 on Zimborski Ave., is a newly renovated facility which includes the Sports Zone, an eatery featuring multiple TVs, video games, and a dance floor. The Recreation Center also offers a large community room, computer rooms for patron use, and much more. For information, call (301) 677-7670.

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The Arts and Crafts Center is in Building 6530B, on Gordon Street and York Avenue. It offers the following facilities to members of the Fort Meade community.

• The Woodshop is open Thursday and Friday, 1 to 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the Engraving/T-shirt Shop is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• The Black-And-White Photo Lab is open Thursday and Friday, 1 to 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• The Custom Framing Shop is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A Beginners Framing Class is also offered. Call (301) 677-7809 to register.
• Ceramics is open Wednesday through Friday, 1 to 9 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about the Arts and Crafts Center, call (301) 677-7809.

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The Automotive Crafts Center is located in the Thomas W. Jenkins Arts & Crafts Center, Building 6530, on Gordon Street and York Avenue. It contains state-of-the-art equipment for front-end alignment, engine analysis, as well as hydraulic lifts and 24 open bays for patrons' auto repair and preventive maintenance. Tools and equipment are available for use on all domestic and foreign vehicles. A mandatory safety orientation video (approximately 30 minutes in length) is available for viewing during regular hours of operation. The Automotive Crafts Center is open Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, from 1 to 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Murphy Field House is Building 8451 on Zimborski Avenue. Currently Murphy Field House is used for indoor physical training and intramural sports activities. Days and hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. For more information, call (301) 677-3042.

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The Youth Services Program was established at Fort Meade to provide meaningful organized leisure-time activities. These activities are designed to meet inherent recreational interests and needs of youth, and to assist in preparing them for responsible citizenship. YS has the additional mission of developing coordinated programs of sports, social, educational and recreational activities for children first through 12th grades. Programs include a year-round sports program, dances, holiday activities, art classes, piano lessons, a before- and after-school day program for school-age youth, summer day-camp program, and many special events. The family members of active and retired military personnel and of civilian personnel assigned to or working at Fort Meade, including all members of NSA and other tenant units, are eligible to participate in programs sponsored by YS. Detailed information pertaining to YS can be obtained from the Youth Center (above), Building 909 (Reece Road) or phone (301) 677-1437/1847. Events or special events are published in the Post Weekly Bulletin and Soundoff!.

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Check-it-out, in Building 2724 on Ernie Pyle Street, has camping equipment, boats, canoes, snow skis, recreational trailers and a variety of other outdoor recreational equipment for a nominal service charge. Items are available to active-duty, reservists, and retired military personnel and their family members. DoD civilians working on Fort Meade or at NSA are authorized use of this equipment on a limited basis. For additional information, call (301) 677-3825. Checkitout is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

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Swimming Pools: An outdoor swimming pool is located on Rock Avenue, is located off Cooper Avenue behind the AAFES Gas Station, and a third is located adjacent to the Officers' Club. The swimming pools are open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. In addition, an indoor pool is located at Gaffney Sports Arena.

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Golf Courses: Applewood and Floyd L. Parks are the two 18-hole courses comprised by the Fort Meade Golf Course Complex. To compliment these two fine courses, a new clubhouse facility (right) features a lounge, pro-shop and snack bar. Club storage, locker rooms, golf lessons, club and cart rental and a driving range are available to club members or casual golfers. Drop by the pro shop for particulars on fees and a copy of the rules and regulations, call (301) 677-5326.

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The Post Movie Theater is located at Llewellyn and Roberts avenues. Movie schedules are published weekly in the post newspaper, Soundoff! Movie information can be obtained anytime by calling (301) 677-5324.

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The Equestrian Center (Riding Stable) includes 56 boarding stalls, 55 paddocks, five turnout arenas, two lounges and two lighted riding arenas. Horses are boarded on a self- care basis for $125 per month.  $25 per month towards boarding fees can be earned by volunteering 3 hours per month at the center.   Each boarder is designated a 12 x 12 box stall, paddock, tack area, grain area and hay storage area for each horse they board.  The Riding Stable is located south of Route 32. To reach the stables, exit Fort Meade on Route 198 and turn left into Patuxent Environmental Science Center at Bald Eagle Drive. All visitors must check in at the PESC Visitors Center prior to visiting the stables. For more information, call (301) 677-7101.

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The Leisure Travel Office, located in McGill Recreation Center, Building 8452 on Zimborski Avenue, is a centralized point where the total community can obtain information concerning activities available, not only on post, but also in the nearby civilian communities. Pick up a Conference Connection package and let LTO help you plan your next conference, workshop or symposium at Fort Meade. LTO is a distribution point for discount tickets to all types of entertainment and sports events. Discount tickets are available for amusement parks in Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey Pennsylvania and Florida. The staff will assist in planning vacation trips with information on discount hotel accommodations across the country when traveling by either car or camper-trailer. Airline tickets and reservations, cruise reservations, and total tour package accommodations can also be obtained with a visit to the Carlson Wagonlit Travel Office, which is located at the LTO, or by calling (410) 674-1325. Facsimile service is also available for a nominal fee. Burba Park reservations may also be made at LTO. The LTO staff welcomes active-duty and retired military, including family members, DoD civilians as well as their families. The Leisure Travel Office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call the LTO at (301) 677-7354.

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The Patchwork Porch offers a sales outlet for members' handcrafted items and a return to the community in the form of profits donated to the Officers Wives' Club Welfare Fund. All ID card holders are eligible for full membership (purchasing only) for one year. The Patchwork Porch is located next to the Thrift Shop at Llewellyn Avenue and Ernie Pyle Street. Shop hours are Mondays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., for consigning only, and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for purchasing only. Stop by and browse; you'll be amazed at the talent displayed in the shop! For more information, call (410) 674-2718.

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Mullins Stadium Track is available for daily use from dawn to dusk, year-round. The track was resurfaced in the fall of 1997. The main entrance to the quarter-mile track is located on York Street, near Broadfoot Road. Field event facilities are also available.

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The Fort Meade Bowling Center (left) is a renovated 36-lane house. Co-located with the post office, commissary, PX and bank, the center features synthetic pin decks, new rest rooms, new entrance, the new Brunswick Command Network computerized automatic scoring program, audio-visual lesson programming and a full-service dining area. The bowling program caters to active-duty military personnel, reserve personnel, retirees, DoD civilians and their family members by offering open league bowling, bumper bowling for youngsters, individual and group instruction and a new full-service Pro Shop. The Bowling Center is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday 11 a.m. to midnight; and Saturday, 9 a.m. to midnight. Stop by or call (301) 677-5541.

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The Medal of Honor Library is located at 4418 Llewellyn Avenue. The library contains 35,000 volumes, including CLEP and DANTES study materials, technical and reference books, an extensive military science collection, and fiction for leisure reading. Public Internet access is available for research and reference. A Young People's Room includes reading materials for children of pre-school through junior high school age. Additional materials include more than 100 current magazines and newspapers, books on tape, video cassettes, compact discs and microfiche. The library also houses the MOS collection of regulations, manuals, and more. Active duty/retired military and their family members as well as civilians employed on post may borrow materials from the Post Library by presenting a military or appropriate civilian identification card. The library is open Tuesday throughThursday from 11 AM until 6:00 PM and Friday and Saturday from 11 AM until 5:00 PM. It is closed on Sundays, Mondays and holidays.  For more information, call (301) 677-4509.

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Welcome to Fort George G. Meade, a community committed to excellence and dedicated to providing world class services and to the soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, civilian employees, retirees and family members who live and work here.