21st Century Parks

What 21st Century Parks does

21st Century Parks, Inc. is a private nonprofit organization (founded 2004) operating The Parklands of Floyds Fork, a visitor-supported public park system headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. The organization manages over 4,000 acres across four major parks — Beckley Creek Park, Pope Lick Park, The Strand, Turkey Run Park, and Broad Run Park — making it one of the largest visitor-and-donor supported public park systems in the United States. The parks are free to enter and open to the public 365 days a year from sunrise to sunset, offering recreational activities including paddling, fishing, biking, walking, picnicking, playgrounds, spraygrounds, and environmental education through an Outdoor Classroom / field-trip program.

The business model is nonprofit and donation-dependent. Revenue is generated through voluntary individual donations and an annual membership program (processed via Blackbaud's hosted platform), venue and event rental fees across at least nine named facilities (including Gheens Foundation Lodge, Hockensmith Barn, PwC Pavilion, Pignic Barn, Moss Gibbs Woodland Garden, Ogle Foundation Woodland Pavilion, Ben Stout House, Redbud Shelter, and PNC Achievement Center Classrooms), and corporate sponsorship of named assets by PwC, PNC, Humana, Gheens Foundation, and Ogle Foundation. There is no proprietary technology product — the core "product" is physical park infrastructure and programmed experiences. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer for visitors and members, and direct-to-enterprise for venue rentals and corporate sponsorships. The organization holds BBB Wise Giving Alliance Charity Seal accreditation and serves the Louisville metro and broader Kentucky regional market as its primary geography.

Name

21st Century Parks

Legal name

21st Century Parks, Inc.

Website

https://theparklands.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

21st Century Parks is a Louisville, Kentucky nonprofit operating The Parklands of Floyds Fork, a free 4,000+ acre public park system across four parks, funded by donations, memberships, venue rentals, and corporate sponsorships serving regional visitors and event clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Park Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

National Parks & Protected Area Visitor Services (Concessions, Guided Access) (THAAAAAH)

Keywords

• Public park system
• Outdoor recreation services
• Event venue rentals
• Environmental education programs
• Donor-supported parks

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

21st Century Parks operates The Parklands of Floyds Fork, a visitor-and-donor supported public park system covering over 4,000 acres across four major parks (Beckley Creek, Pope Lick, The Strand, Turkey Run, and Broad Run) in Louisville, Kentucky. The parks offer free public access 365 days a year with amenities including playgrounds, spraygrounds, paddling, fishing, biking, walking trails, and event venues. Revenue is generated through donations, memberships, venue rentals, event permits, and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

21st Century Parks operates The Parklands of Floyds Fork, a unified public park system comprising four major parks (Beckley Creek Park, Pope Lick Park, The Strand, Turkey Run Park, and Broad Run Park) covering over 4,000 acres in Louisville, Kentucky. The organization offers recreational activities including paddling, fishing, biking, walking, playgrounds, and environmental education through its Outdoor Classroom program. The park system also provides event venues including lodges, barns, and pavilions for gatherings. Revenue is generated through visitor donations, memberships, and event permits. The system is free to enter and open 365 days a year.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Parklands of Floyds Fork A visitor-supported public park system covering over 4,000 acres across Beckley Creek Park, Pope Lick Park, The Strand, Turkey Run Park, and Broad Run Park in Louisville, Kentucky. Free to enter and open 365 days a year.
• Gheens Foundation Lodge

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• PricewaterhouseCoopers LLPminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPwC sponsors the PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Pavilion Venue at The Parklands, providing corporate event and meeting space. This partnership supports park funding through venue naming rights.
• PNC Financial ServicesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPNC sponsors the PNC Achievement Center Classrooms, supporting outdoor education and field trip programming at Beckley Creek Park.
• Gheens FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGheens Foundation supports the Gheens Foundation Lodge venue at The Parklands.
• HumanaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumana Grand Allee Wetlands is a named feature within the park system, suggesting a naming or sponsorship partnership supporting conservation efforts.
• Ogle FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOgle Foundation sponsors the Ogle Foundation Woodland Pavilion Venue at The Parklands.

Scale indicators4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Central Park Conservancy: Private nonprofit organization that maintains and operates Central Park in New York City, funded by donations, memberships, and corporate partnerships. The closest functional analogue to 21st Century Parks' model of a donor-supported nonprofit administering a major public park, with similarly diverse programming (events, education, recreation).
• Forest Park Forever: Private nonprofit conservancy supporting Forest Park in St. Louis — a similarly large (~1,300-acre) urban-edge park funded through memberships, donations, and corporate sponsorships. Comparable visitor-supported nonprofit park model with educational programming and event venues.
• Piedmont Park Conservancy: Nonprofit conservancy managing Atlanta's Piedmont Park, funded through memberships, donations, and event venue rentals. Directly comparable in operating model — donor-supported nonprofit administering a major urban park with recreation, events, and educational programming.
• Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy: Nonprofit that supports the Golden Gate National Parks in the San Francisco Bay Area through fundraising, volunteer engagement, and programming. Comparable as a donor-supported park conservancy operating at significant scale across multiple park sites.
• Friends of the High Line: Nonprofit that maintains and programs NYC's High Line elevated park, funded by donations, memberships, and corporate sponsors. Comparable as a nonprofit park operator with diverse programming, event venues, and member-supported funding model.
• Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Nonpark partner that supports Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio through fundraising, education programming, and volunteer engagement. Comparable nonprofit park-support model with educational focus and donor-driven operations.

Broad incumbents

• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit that creates and protects parks and green spaces across the U.S. Operates more broadly as a national-scale park creator and advocate, but the funding model (donor-supported, partnership-driven, public-benefit nonprofit) is structurally comparable to 21st Century Parks.
• The Conservation Fund: National nonprofit focused on land and water conservation, including park and protected-area acquisitions. Comparable nonprofit model managing large-scale natural assets, though broader in mission than 21st Century Parks' recreation-focused operations.
• National Park Trust: National nonprofit that works to preserve and expand national parks through land acquisition and youth engagement programs. Comparable nonprofit park-support model with donor funding, education programming, and protected-area stewardship.

Others

• City Parks Alliance: National membership organization that advocates for urban parks and convenes park operators. Not a direct operator but thematically adjacent — it represents the broader network of park conservancies and nonprofits similar to 21st Century Parks.

Market position

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theparklands
• Facebookfacebook.com/theparklandsoffloydsfork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/21st-century-parks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 21st Century Parks