Hayden Recreation Centre

What Hayden Recreation Centre does

The Josiah Willard Hayden Recreation Centre (J.W. Hayden Recreation Centre) is a privately endowed, nonprofit community recreation corporation established in 1937 and headquartered at 24 Lincoln Street in Lexington, Massachusetts. It operates two co-located facilities — a main Recreation Building (1958) and the John P. Chase Ice Facility (1965) — delivering physical, educational, and social programming for infants through seniors under a membership-based access model. Membership tiers (Youth, Adult, Senior; Resident and Non-Resident; annual and 30-day) gate facility access to the 25-yard pool, gymnasium, weight room, and ice rink, with separate tuition for licensed preschool and after-school childcare programs.

The Centre's product surface spans Aquatics (American Red Cross Levels 1-6 swim instruction and the Hayden Dolphins competitive swim team), Ice Skating (Learn to Skate USA curriculum and the Hayden Figure Skating Club with ~400 members), Dance, Gymnastics, Physical Education (team and individual sports), Enrichment (Art, Pottery, Culinary Arts, STEM), Childcare (Josiah Hayden Pre-School, Hayden After School, Schools Out), Summer Camps, Adult Programs (Aqua Fitness, Pickleball, Open Gym, Weight Room, Stick and Puck), and Birthday Parties. Programs run in 8-week seasonal sessions, with summer camp and seasonal ice programming layered on top. Operating technology is operationally focused, not AI-driven: Rec Trac / WebTrac for registration, Constant Contact for email outreach, CampDoc for camp health forms, and Microsoft Forms for test session and scholarship applications.

The Centre makes money through three primary streams: annual and 30-day membership subscriptions, session-based program registration fees (swim, skate, dance, gymnastics, enrichment, camps, adult fitness), and recurring monthly tuition for preschool and after-school childcare, supplemented by ancillary revenue such as Stick and Puck sessions for non-members. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer within a single Lexington, MA geography, relying on community outreach, school district partnerships (Lexington Public Schools provides transportation for after-school attendees), word-of-mouth, and resident-priority registration windows. The organization employs approximately 24 staff across program director, administrative, and front-desk roles, with Executive Director Lizabeth Festa leading operations.

Name

Hayden Recreation Centre

Legal name

Josiah Willard Hayden Recreation Centre

Website

https://jwhayden.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hayden Recreation Centre is a privately endowed, nonprofit community recreation facility in Lexington, MA, operating two co-located buildings that deliver membership-based swim, ice skate, gym, childcare, and enrichment programming for residents and non-residents from infancy through seniors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Recreation Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (7212)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Performing Arts Camps (Theater, Musical Theater, Dance) (EDAMALAI)

Keywords

• Community recreation
• Swim lessons
• Ice skating programs
• Youth sports
• Childcare services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual and 30-day membership fees provide recurring revenue. Membership grants access to designated pool, gymnasium, ice rink, and weight room hours. Membership is required for program participation.
2. Program Registration Fees: Fees for session-based programs including swim lessons, dance, gymnastics, skating, childcare, and summer camps. Programs are offered in seasonal sessions typically lasting 8 weeks. Additional fees may apply for specialized programs like Club Ice.
3. Preschool and Childcare Tuition: Monthly tuition for preschool (ages 2.9 to Pre-K) and after-school programs. Pricing varies by enrollment frequency (2-5 days per week) and whether half-day or full-day options are selected.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hayden Recreation Centre is a privately endowed nonprofit community recreation organization operating two facilities in Lexington, Massachusetts, offering aquatics, ice skating, dance, gymnastics, physical education, enrichment classes, preschool/after-school childcare, summer camps, and adult programs. The centre serves as a membership-based hub providing recreational, educational, and childcare services to families and individuals in the local community.

Product overview

Hayden Recreation Centre is a membership-based recreation facility offering diverse programs through its two physical locations: the main Recreation Building at 24 Lincoln Street and the John P. Chase Ice Facility at 10 Lincoln Street. The product portfolio consists of membership access (encompassing pool, gymnasium, weight room, and ice rink) paired with structured programs including Aquatics (swim lessons and Hayden Dolphins Swim Team), Ice Skating (Learn to Skate and Hayden Figure Skating Club), Dance, Gymnastics, Physical Education, Enrichment (Art, Pottery, Culinary Arts, STEM), Childcare (Josiah Hayden Pre-School, Hayden After-School, Schools Out), and Summer Camps (Traditional Day Camps and Specialty Camps). The Centre also offers Adult Programs (Aqua Fitness, Pickleball, Open Gym, Weight Room, Stick and Puck) and Birthday Parties. Additional services include College Scholarships and Volunteer Programs (Hayden Helpers and CIT). The organization operates on a membership model with programs running in seasonal sessions (Fall, Winter, Spring) and summer camp offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Josiah Hayden Pre-School: A licensed preschool program serving children ages 2.9 to Pre-Kindergarten in a mixed-age setting that emphasizes creativity, exploration, and social-emotional growth.
• Hayden After School
• John P. Chase Ice Facility
• Hayden Figure Skating Club
• Hayden Dolphins Swim Program

Products and services

• Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• ~400 youth participate in the Figure Skating Club
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CampDoccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for third year to manage camper health information and documentation. Families receive email from CampDoc with instructions to create accounts and provide medical history, physical examinations, and emergency contact information. Required health forms must be completed no later than two weeks prior to first day of camp.
• U.S. Figure SkatingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial affiliation for Learn to Skate USA curriculum and figure skating programs. Skaters must be current members of U.S. Figure Skating ($85 first family member, $45 additional members) to participate in Club Ice. Hayden hosts official USFS Test Sessions for Moves in the Field, Freestyle, and Ice Dance testing.
• American Red CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLevel Swim Lessons (Levels 1-6) follow American Red Cross curriculum providing nationally recognized framework for water safety, confidence-building, and progressive skill development. Swim instructors teach youth members based on American Red Cross level lesson plans.
• Learn to Skate USAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Learn to Skate USA provider for skating lessons. SnowPlow Sam program for youngest skaters and Basic Badges program introduce fundamental skating skills following the USFS Learn to Skate curriculum.
• Lexington Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for transportation of after-school program participants from Lexington Public Schools to the recreation center. School's Out Childcare aligns with school calendar including professional development days and vacation weeks. The After School program is only available to families with Lexington addresses.
• Massachusetts Department of Public HealthcoreOthersSummer camp must comply with regulations of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and be licensed by the local Board of Health. CampDoc health forms must comply with Massachusetts state regulations including physical examinations valid for 18 months.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• YMCA of Greater Boston: Operates membership-based recreation facilities with pools, gyms, swim lessons, youth programs, and childcare across Greater Boston — directly overlapping Hayden's core offerings to families in the same region.
• The Skating Club of Boston: U.S. Figure Skating-affiliated club offering Learn to Skate, figure skating, and ice programs — the most direct peer to the Hayden Figure Skating Club and Chase Ice Facility.
• JCC Greater Boston (Leventhal-Sidman): Jewish Community Center operating a full recreation campus with pool, ice rink, fitness, youth programs, and summer camps — a structurally similar nonprofit community recreation model.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Middlesex County: Nonprofit youth-development organization offering after-school programs, sports, and summer camps for families in the same Middlesex County footprint as Hayden.
• Camp Pinewood (and comparable private day camps): Privately operated summer day camps offering multi-activity programming for school-age children — directly comparable to Hayden's Traditional and Specialty Day Camps.
• Suburban Athletic Club: Private suburban athletic club offering membership-based access to pools, courts, fitness, and youth programming — a directly comparable private-club model serving Greater Boston families.

Emerging players

• Goldfish Swim School: National franchised swim school targeting children — overlapping with Hayden's Water Tots, Splashers, and Level Swim programs in the same metro.
• British Swim School (Greater Boston franchisees): Specialized swim-lesson provider with neighborhood locations in Greater Boston — competing for the same swim-lesson families that drive Hayden's aquatics program.

Broad incumbents

• Boston Sports Clubs (now Fitness Together / Town Sports): Larger chain fitness operator with pools, group classes, and youth programming across the Boston metro — broader incumbent competing for adult fitness share.

Regional players

• Lexington Recreation Department (Town of Lexington): Municipal provider of recreation programming, sports leagues, and summer camps in the same Lexington market — competing for the same resident families, often at subsidized pricing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hayden-recreation-centre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Hayden Recreation Centre