What DeKalb Park District does

DeKalb Park District is a municipal park district established in 1935 under Illinois law as a special-purpose local government entity serving DeKalb, Illinois, and surrounding areas. The district operates 40+ parks totaling over 700 acres and 45 facility locations, anchored by three core facilities: the Hopkins Community Center (administrative headquarters at 1403 Sycamore Rd), the Sports & Recreation Center (opened 2000 with two gymnasiums and activity rooms), and the historic Haish Gymnasium (built 1903). Service geography extends to DeKalb, Kendall, and Ogle Counties through the Kishwaukee Special Recreation Association cooperative with five neighboring park districts.

The district delivers a broad portfolio of recreational programs organized across youth, adult, family, and adaptive-recreation segments, including summer day camps (Camp Discover, Summer-Long Minis, Specialty Camps), adult and youth athletics leagues, swim lessons, dance, theater, fitness classes, golf, and family programming. Underlying technology consists of standard SaaS platforms: ActiveNet for online registration, membership, and facility reservations; ePACT Network for camp participant health and safety data; RainOut Line for weather notifications; and Constant Contact for email newsletters. ADA compliance is maintained across facilities, with inclusive recreation services delivered through the KSRA cooperative for individuals with disabilities.

The revenue model combines property tax levies (recurring public funding), program registration fees (summer camps, swim lessons, athletics), annual and punch-pass memberships for Haish Gym and the Sports & Recreation Center, and facility/shelter rental fees. Capital projects are funded through bond issuance — most recently $9.5 million in alternate bonds for the $14-16 million Hopkins Pool renovation reopening Summer 2026 — supplemented by state grants including a $600,000 OSLAD award from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Programs are marketed through the district website, social media, email newsletters, printed seasonal program guides, and direct facility engagement; registration is direct-to-consumer via the ActiveNet platform, in-person at facilities, and phone support.

Name

DeKalb Park District

Legal name

DeKalb Park District

Website

https://dekalbparkdistrict.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DeKalb Park District is a municipal park district in DeKalb, Illinois, operating 40+ parks across 700+ acres and delivering year-round recreation programs — including summer camps, athletics, aquatics, dance, and fitness — to community residents of all ages and abilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Parks and Recreation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services (BPAIACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH), Youth Multi-Sport Camps (General Athletics, Summer Camps) (MPAKAJAA)

Keywords

• Parks and recreation
• Municipal recreation services
• Community recreation programs
• Youth and adult sports
• Public golf operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Dekalb

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: Registration fees for summer camps, athletic leagues, swim lessons, dance classes, theater programs, fitness classes, and specialty camps. Fees vary by program type and residency status.
2. Membership Passes: Annual and punch-pass memberships for fitness center, open gym, indoor walking, and pickleball access at Haish Gym and Sports & Recreation Center.
3. Facility & Shelter Rentals: Rental revenue from park shelters, banquet halls, outdoor fields, gymnasiums, and birthday party packages.
4. Tax Levy Revenue: Public park district funded through property tax levies as a municipal government entity. Capital projects funded through bond issuance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DeKalb Park District is a municipal park district that provides public parks, recreation facilities, and community programming to residents of DeKalb, Illinois. Core offerings include youth and adult sports leagues, aquatics lessons and swim team operations, a 9-hole public golf course (Buena Vista), special community events, adaptive/special recreation, senior excursions, fitness programming, and facility rentals. Operations are funded primarily through property tax levies with supplemental user fees for programs, memberships, and rentals.

Product overview

DeKalb Park District operates as a municipal parks and recreation agency offering a diverse portfolio of recreational programs and facilities. The core offering consists of youth and adult programming across multiple categories including summer camps (Camp Discover, Summer-Long Mini Programs, Specialty Camps), athletics (Adult Athletics, Youth Athletics), aquatics, fitness, dance, theater, and family programs. The district manages several facilities including Haish Gymnasium, Sports & Recreation Center, Hopkins Park (with community center and pool under renovation), and 45+ park locations. Revenue-generating services include membership passes (Combo, Fitness, Open Gym), facility/shelter rentals, birthday party packages, and program registrations via ActiveNet platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth and Adult Sports Leagues Organized seasonal leagues and instructional programs including basketball, soccer, baseball, t-ball, softball, and volleyball, offered to youth and adult participants in the DeKalb community.
• Aquatics Programs Swim lessons, swim team participation, and open/lap swim available to community members of all ages, supervised by the Aquatics Supervisor.
• Buena Vista Golf Course Public golf operations including green fees, league play, and related programming operated out of the Golf Operations building at 1701 Gustafson Road under the Golf Operations Manager.
• Special Community Events Ticketed and free community events such as the Daddy Daughter Dance, Mother Son Event, Breakfast with Santa, Bunny Brunch, and similar seasonal family gatherings.
• Adaptive and Special Recreation Programs Special Recreation programs designed to serve individuals with disabilities, providing inclusive recreational opportunities in coordination with regional special recreation associations.
• Senior Services and Excursions Recreation programs, trips, and excursions targeted at older adult residents of the DeKalb community.
• Adult Programs and Trips Recreation programs, classes, and group trips designed for adult participants in the DeKalb community.
• Park and Facility Rentals Rental of shelters, gymnasiums, and other District facilities to community members and groups for private events, picnics, and gatherings.
• Public Parks and Nature Preserves Publicly accessible parkland and natural areas maintained by the District, including Hopkins Park, Katz Park, and other neighborhood parks and nature preserves, used for unstructured recreation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves DeKalb, Kendall, and Ogle Counties through KSRA programs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kishwaukee Special Recreation Association (KSRA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative organization serving DeKalb, Flagg-Rochelle, Genoa Township, Sandwich, and Sycamore Park Districts. Provides year-round Recreation Therapy opportunities for individuals with special needs, facilitating inclusion into Park District sponsored recreation programs.
• Northern Illinois Food BankminorOthersProvides meals and snacks for Summer-Long Mini Programs including lunch for Lil Lunchers program and afternoon snacks for Afternoon Adventurers.
• El Jimador and The Grove TavernminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal DeKalb restaurants offering exclusive date-night discounts (10% off) when parents enroll in Parent's Night Out programs.
• Larson & Darby Group with Counsilman-HunsakerminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture and aquatic design firms commissioned in 2020 for pool feasibility study and renovation planning.
• DeKalb Municipal BandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for free summer concert series at Hopkins Park and Music at the Mansion events.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Naperville Park District: Larger Illinois municipal park district operating extensive parks, recreation centers, and programming. Comparable in statutory framework, tax-levy funding, and program categories, though at significantly greater scale than DeKalb.
• Aurora Parks and Recreation: City-operated parks and recreation department in Illinois serving a large municipal population. Comparable in providing municipal recreation services, facility rentals, and aquatics under a similar governance model.
• Sycamore Park District: Adjacent Illinois municipal park district and KSRA cooperative partner. Operates a similar portfolio of parks, recreation programs, and facilities for a comparable DeKalb County community, making it the closest like-for-like peer.
• Genoa Township Park District: KSRA cooperative partner offering municipal parks, recreation programs, and special recreation services in DeKalb County. Directly comparable in scale, mission, and service model.
• Flagg-Rochelle Park District: KSRA cooperative partner and small Illinois municipal park district. Operates parks, programs, and special recreation services in Ogle County under the same statutory framework as DeKalb.
• Sandwich Park District: KSRA cooperative partner providing municipal parks and recreation in DeKalb County. Highly comparable in tax-base funding model, programming mix, and small-municipality scale.

Others

• ActiveNet / Active Communities (by Active Network): Technology vendor providing the registration and facility-management platform used by DeKalb Park District. An ecosystem/technology partner rather than a competitor, but relevant to understand the district's digital operating backbone.

Broad incumbents

• Forest Preserve District of DuPage County: Regional conservation and recreation district in northeastern Illinois managing 60+ forest preserves and 26,000+ acres. Comparable in tax-levy funding and outdoor recreation focus, though with a conservation-led rather than programming-led mandate.
• Rockford Park District: Large Illinois municipal park district operating Magic Waters, golf courses, sports complexes, and extensive programming. Comparable statutory framework and full-service recreation model, but at significantly larger scale.
• Chicago Park District: Largest municipal park district in the United States, operating 600+ parks, 31 miles of lakefront, and extensive recreation programming. Same statutory structure and mission, but at vastly greater scale and budget.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dekalbparkdist
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCCehhSdb500p57LQQEdkkRQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/dekalbparkdistrict
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dekalb-park-district
• Instagraminstagram.com/dekalbparkdist

Compliance1 record

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 DeKalb Park District