What Gurnee Park District does

Gurnee Park District is a special purpose unit of local government organized under Illinois law (70 ILCS 1205/) that provides parks, recreation facilities, and programming to the residents of Gurnee, Illinois and surrounding communities. Founded in 1968 and employing 101-250 staff, the district maintains 28 parks across Gurnee and operates two community centers (Hunt Club Park Community Center and Viking Park Community Center) as primary registration and program venues. Its portfolio spans FitNation fitness centers at two locations (Nations Drive and Hunt Club Road) offering 50+ weekly group exercise classes, personal training, pickleball, indoor pool, sauna/steam amenities, and KidNation childcare; the seasonal Hunt Club Park Aquatic Center providing swim lessons, day passes, and season passes; Growing Tree Preschool for early childhood education; summer camps; youth athletics covering ten sport disciplines from archery to volleyball; performing arts including dance and youth theatre; before- and after-school CARE; and inclusive recreation delivered through the Warren Special Recreation Association (WSRA) partnership covering four park districts plus Warren Township.

The core technology stack consists of standard municipal recreation management systems, with registration executed through the web2.myvscloud.com online portal (also surfaced under ilgurneeweb.myvscloud.com) and weather communications via Rainout Line. The district does not offer a mobile app, public API, SDK, or proprietary AI/ML components; its service delivery is built on physical infrastructure and a multi-channel marketing footprint spanning its website, Instagram, Facebook, email newsletters, printed seasonal program guides, and community events with corporate sponsorship (e.g., Old National Bancorp underwriting the Sounds of Summer concert series).

The revenue model is hybrid. A property tax base underwrites operations as a unit of local government, while user fees and recurring charges layer on top through FitNation memberships (with subscription add-ons such as $15/month group exercise and locker rentals at $15-$25/month), personal training packages (e.g., $35 per 30-minute private session, $420 for a 14-session bundle), aquatic center season and day passes, preschool tuition at discounted resident rates for School District 50 and 56 families, summer camp enrollment, facility rentals, and financial assistance scholarships. Customer segments are horizontal and primarily persona-based: Youth and Families, Adults and Seniors, and Individuals with Disabilities (served via the WSRA cooperative). Distribution is direct-to-consumer through owned facilities, in-person registration desks, and the online registration portal, with no third-party reseller or franchise model.

Name

Gurnee Park District

Legal name

Gurnee Park District

Website

https://gurneeparkdistrict.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Gurnee Park District is a municipal park district serving Gurnee, Illinois, operating 28 parks, two FitNation fitness centers, an aquatic center, preschool, youth athletics, performing arts, summer camps, and inclusive recreation via the WSRA partnership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Parks and Recreation Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Aquatic Family Entertainment Centers (Splash Pads, Aquatic Playgrounds, Swim Parks) (THAJAEAL), Outdoor Water Parks (Wave Pools, Lazy Rivers, Slides) (THAAABAA)

Keywords

• Municipal park services
• Recreation programs
• Community fitness centers
• Youth athletics programs
• Aquatic facilities

Headquarters

HQ city

Gurnee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fitness Memberships: FitNation gym memberships providing access to fitness facilities, pool, and group exercise classes with various tier options.
2. Program Registration Fees: Fees for youth athletics, summer camps, preschool, performing arts, swim lessons, and other recreational programs.
3. Aquatic Center Passes: Season passes and day passes for aquatic center access including Hunt Club Park Aquatic Center.
4. Personal Training: Individual and group personal training sessions at FitNation locations with package pricing options.
5. Facility Rentals: Rental income from hosting events, parties, and facility usage at parks and community centers.
6. Day Passes: Single-visit passes for fitness facilities and aquatic center for non-members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gurnee Park District operates and maintains 28 parks, two community centers, the seasonal Hunt Club Park Aquatic Center, and two FitNation fitness centers within Gurnee, Illinois. It sells recreation programming to residents including youth athletics, swim lessons, preschool, summer camp, performing arts, before/after school CARE, personal training, group exercise, pickleball, facility rentals, and community events. Revenue is generated through program registration fees, FitNation memberships, aquatic center passes, facility rentals, and personal training packages, supplemented by property tax funding.

Product overview

Gurnee Park District operates a multi-faceted parks and recreation system offering a unified portfolio of programs and facilities. The core offering includes 28 parks and two community centers (Hunt Club Park Community Center and Viking Park Community Center). The primary sub-brand is FitNation, a two-location fitness center offering equipment, group exercise (50+ weekly classes), personal training, and amenities including pool, pickleball, TRX, and childcare. Seasonal offerings center on the Hunt Club Park Aquatic Center (outdoor pool with swim lessons and day/season passes) and Summer Camp. Early childhood services include Growing Tree Preschool and before/after school CARE. Youth development encompasses athletics (archery through volleyball), performing arts (dance and theatre), and special recreation via the WSRA partnership. Community programming includes the GO Gurnee events series and open gym access. The portfolio is managed through online registration and the Rainout Line weather notification system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FitNation: Fitness and wellness brand offering gym facilities, group exercise classes, personal training, pickleball, and aquatic programs at two locations (Nations Drive and Hunt Club Road).
• Growing Tree Preschool
• GO Gurnee
• KidNation

Products and services

• FitNation Fitness Centers Two-location fitness center brand (Nations Drive and Hunt Club) offering strength and cardio equipment, indoor pool with lap swim, over 50 weekly group exercise classes, personal training, pickleball, indoor track, TRX zone, sauna/steam rooms, hot tub, and KidNation childcare, targeted at Gurnee-area adults, seniors, and families.
• Hunt Club Park Aquatic Center Seasonal outdoor aquatic facility at 900 N Hunt Club Rd featuring water slides, pool, and splash areas, offering swim lessons, season passes, daily admission rates, and pool party rentals for residents and visitors.
• Growing Tree Preschool Early childhood education preschool program for young children in Gurnee, with resident rates for School District 50 and 56 families.
• Summer Camp Seasonal summer day camp for youth with multiple session offerings during summer 2026, including limited-space sessions.
• Before & After School CARE Before and after school childcare program at Hunt Club Park Community Center for families needing supervision outside school hours.
• Youth Athletics Programs Comprehensive youth sports programs including archery, baseball and T-ball, basketball, flag football, gymnastics, hockey, martial arts, multi-sport classes, soccer, tennis, and volleyball.
• Swim Lessons Learn-to-swim instruction offered at the Hunt Club Park Aquatic Center with multiple sessions throughout the summer season.
• Performing Arts (Dance & Theatre) Dance classes and youth theatre programs including dance camps (Dancing Through Disney, Pop Star Dance) and theatre productions for children and youth.
• GO Gurnee Community Events Community events series including the GO Gurnee StoryWalk with Warren-Newport Public Library, Sounds of Summer concert series, Neighborhood Nights, and the America 250 Celebration.
• Open Gym Drop-in gymnasium access for basketball and open play at Hunt Club Park Community Center, with separate adult (19+) hours for FitNation members.
• Parks and Facilities (with Facility Rentals) Maintenance and operation of 28 parks across Gurnee, including Hunt Club Park Community Center and Viking Park Community Center, plus facility rentals for events and parties.
• WSRA (Warren Special Recreation Association) Inclusive Programs Partnership program with Gurnee, Grandwood Park, Lindenhurst, and Wildwood Park Districts plus Warren Township providing recreational opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including Special Olympics, cultural arts, social clubs, fitness programs, summer day camp, and adult day services.
• Personal Training Individual and group personal training sessions at FitNation locations with per-session and 14-session package pricing, plus a youth fitness orientation for ages 14-15.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Warren-Newport Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Partnership with Warren-Newport Public Library for the GO Gurnee StoryWalk program, which invites families to read stories while enjoying a leisurely walk around Hunt Club Park pond.
• Warren Special Recreation Association (WSRA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWSRA is a partnership of Gurnee, Grandwood Park, Lindenhurst, and Wildwood Park Districts as well as Warren Township. The association provides recreational opportunities for individuals of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities, offering programs such as Special Olympics, Cultural Arts Programs, Social Clubs, Fitness Programs, Summer Day Camp, Adult Day Services, and more.
• Old National BancorpminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for summer concert events at Viking Park and Hunt Club Park, supporting community entertainment programming.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Park District of Highland Park: North-suburban Chicago park district offering parks, recreation, fitness, and aquatics in a similar demographic — comparable service mix and municipal structure.
• Mundelein Park & Recreation District: Nearby Lake County, IL park district providing parks, recreation programs, fitness center, preschool, and aquatics to a similar suburban demographic — directly comparable operating model and scale.
• Round Lake Area Park District: Lake County, IL park district offering parks, fitness, aquatics, preschool, and youth programming to a comparable suburban community — same operating model and regulatory framework.
• Waukegan Park District: Larger Lake County, IL park district operating a broader portfolio of parks, recreation centers, fitness, and aquatics — comparable scope and municipal structure, with greater scale.
• Buffalo Grove Park District: Suburban Chicago-area Illinois park district operating parks, fitness, aquatics, preschool, and youth programming — directly comparable municipal operating model and suburban community focus.
• Libertyville Park District: Adjacent Lake County, IL municipal park district offering a comparable portfolio of parks, recreation programming, fitness center, and aquatic facilities to a similar suburban community — making it the closest like-for-like peer.

Broad incumbents

• Arlington Heights Park District: Established suburban Chicago-area park district offering parks, recreation programming, fitness centers, and aquatics — comparable municipal structure with a more mature facility footprint.
• Lake County Forest Preserves: County-level public agency managing parks, preserves, trails, and recreation facilities across Lake County, IL — broader geographic mandate and natural-resource focus, useful as an adjacent public-sector comparator.
• Naperville Park District: Much larger Illinois municipal park district operating parks, recreation centers, fitness (Fort Hill Activity Center), and aquatics — same business model at substantially greater scale, useful as an upper-bound benchmark.

Others

• Warren Special Recreation Association (WSRA): Special recreation association partnered with Gurnee (and three other districts plus Warren Township) to deliver disability-inclusive programming such as Special Olympics, social clubs, and summer day camp.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/gurneeparkdist
• Instagraminstagram.com/gurneeparkdistrict
• Xx.com/GurneeParkDist

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 records

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 Gurnee Park District