An Era Comes to an End: Nautilus Fitness Center Bows Out

SPARTANBURG, S.C.

The fitness hub at the heart of the Spartanburg community, the Nautilus Fitness Center, announced it will soon close its doors permanently. After serving the local community since the era of Jimmy Carter’s Presidency, news of the fitness center’s closure on September 30, 2024, has sparked a wave of nostalgia among its patrons.

Had to Surrender

For the past two years, the owner of the Nautilus Fitness Center, John Lankford, had been negotiating with the City of Spartanburg, as the building his gymhood housed was marked for future sewage lines placement in the city’s new joint city-government complex project. Lankford confessed, “It’s pretty much like, we’ve been forced out.“

The Legacy of Nautilus

Like an old friend always there, Nautilus first opened its doors in 1978 and had been located at 160 S Church Street since 1987. A witness to countless health journeys, the gym has touched numerous lives, like that of retired Spartanburg County School District 2 teacher Diane Pepper, a regular gym-goer for the past two years.

“Nautilus feels so much like a family,” says Diane Pepper, “you walk away from your workout feeling connected to the local people that live here.”

Transition to a New Arena

As one door closes, another opens. With the closure of Nautilus, many patrons may have felt a personal loss. However, with encouragement from Lankford, many Nautilus members, including Pepper and her husband, plan to continue their fitness journey at another nearby gym.

Last Goodbye

Owner John Lankford has been selling all of the gym equipment prior to vacating the building by October 31. To the members of Nautilus, Lankford penned a heartfelt message, which in part said, “To all members past and present, it is with great sadness that I write these words to you. At Nautilus, you have been more than members. You have been family.”

The meeting of health and camaraderie, a place where people sweated, laughed, and nurtured their fitness goals, will no longer be part of downtown Spartanburg. Despite the city’s decision to close Nautilus Fitness Center, Lankford graces his farewell with acceptance and positivity, “I’m looking at it like God’s got a plan and I’ve just got to go forward.”