I stopped in to check out the holiday market. While it wasn't quite what I was expecting, I did…read morefind a few things to purchase as gifts, an ornament and pastries and cookies from a Taste of Paris. Some of the proceeds went to support a charitable cause. I will check out the pickleball schedule -- my friend has taken classes here.

If you like heavy metal music blasting, rude and obnoxious male trainers, and management oblivious…read moreto the offensive behavior of this senior male trainer in particular, this is your place! It is no wonder that after a year, most people move to the Northwestern Hospital Fitness Center. Take a tour of it to see how a properly managed facility is run. And start supervising your employees!!

We came for the water slides today on a hot day. The prices are reasonable…read more This is a pleasant and safe environment. The outside of the water park has sprinklers for a tease. Once inside, there are slides for children, teens, and adults. I saw plenty of lifeguards and life jackets, ensuring everyone's safety. The bathrooms are reasonably clean, with private showers. There are plenty of chairs for everyone to lounge in after leaving the water. The facility is family friendly.

I took a little vacation from the city over 4th of July weekend and ended up spending a day in…read morebeautiful Gurnee! The original plan was to do Six Flags or maybe Key Lime Cover. However, once we got here, I just didn't want to deal with huge crowds. I used my Yelp app and found this hidden gem! It was not crowded at all. It was likely all local families. This was probably my favorite day of the vacation. We hung out for a few hours and this really nice aquatic center and then stopped at Jewel on the way back to the hotel and picked up some food -had a picnic back in the room. A really nice venue -I'm sure much nicer than crazy Key Lime Cove (who wants to be indoors on a beautiful summer day?) I felt like I was truly on vacation at a luxury resort. Funny what 35 miles out of the city can do for your spirit!

great rec center ,has everything you need at a great price for residents…read more Nice staff, its clean and the work out floor is being totally updated

Love this local rec center for Highland Park! Great small local place for sauna and swim.read more

Good facility- I have mainly gone here to use the track to walk around and it's good for parents…read morewhose kids are playing downstairs because they can see them and get their exercise in at the same time. It's a little cold...but after a few laps you warm up. The walking direction changes and it is hard to run when there is a lot of people because the track is not that wide. Good location though! There is basketball, indoor soccer, volleyball, and lacrosse. There's a separate area to do weights.

We love this place! Beautiful facility for basketball, indoor soccer, batting cages and track. Very…read morereasonable prices for residents and non residents.

Love Working out here in the a.m. when in the North Chicago Suburbs traveling for business!read more

Clean with adequate facilities. Staff is friendly and focused on keeping everyone safe as possible…read moredue Covid19. My new gym!

Just an update on my review since it's been awhile and I was able to have a wonderful conversation…read morewith Inna and Christi, who own and run this business every day! I came in on a late Saturday afternoon and it was perfect... there was only one other customer here. Except for the kids music playing over the speakers, it was "quiet" and calm. Everything was orderly and clean and my daughter was able to play with everything she wanted. Some notes for you who haven't been here: - No outside food or drinks. And this rule is serious. I found out from Christi that this is because due to their business designation, they are not allowed to have potential allergens (eg. peanuts, soy, sesame, etc) brought into the building. They are just following regulations and are not just trying to generate more revenue... though it's good to support local businesses! - Make sure everyone is wearing socks. This is one of the reasons it's so clean here! - It's $15 per child for the day, with no fee for adults. - Paying with card is 4% up charge (due to processing charges from the payment company), so bring cash or pay by Zelle. The owners are super nice as long as you are willing to ask questions and let them know what you need. They are kind to the kids and welcoming to the adults. One of the toys was out of batteries and Inna immediately replaced them so my daughter could have more fun! There's also an extensive menu of snacks and drinks for you and your child, so it's a good place to relax (as much as you can while having kids ) and have a nice coffee. Definitely come by and support this local business... especially when there's low traffic!

I've been taking my two toddlers here for awhile now. It's easy to watch my kids play since I can…read moresee the entire play area at once. The place is always very clean and staff is very nice! The food here (especially the waffles and coffee) is very good as well! I would recommend this place to anyone with younger kids!

always a blast a Kids Empire. Cassie and Anna were awesome hosts. kids don't want to leave!read more

Amazing experience both times we have gone. We recently had my son's birthday party there and Alexa…read more& her team were phenomenal. They had great communication, answered all of my questions, were very accommodating to the guests, etc. Everything was set up for us, they provide goodie bags for the kids that you can add to and the play time is very reasonable. Definitely try it out!

I love the Zumba here!…read more With no overhead cost for fancy studio decorations, the Zumba instructors at Highwood Rec Center can do their trade at a reasonable price attracting tons of members. Both Louis and Mercedes kick my butt every time! If you need to get in shape for your wedding come here five times a week; four after work and one early Sunday. The instructors take cash for walk ins but you can also do a punch card. Totally flexible! two thumbs up

So what makes me want to drive 13 miles and about 20 minutes from home on an early Saturday…read moremorning? Answer in one word: Zumba (with Kathy). OK that was 3 words. Words elude me when trying to convey my feelings for keeping the pounds off, finding the natural high that one may get from the endorphins that are produced, and getting the inspiration that is found here. If I told you that Zumba was the magic in all this well then that is sort of true. Yet Zumba here with Kathy is the real winner, and sums it up for me. My reasons for this change in lifestyle are many. I probably mentioned a few above, but being tired from bringing in the groceries, huffing and puffing walking up and down the stairs with laundry, and feeling aches and pains from carrying around my kids are some added reasons for positive change. This place houses the Saturday morning classes that Kathy offers to her Zumba participants. A group of people wanting to salsa, samba, hip hop, shake their bum, and shimmy to heart racing, blood pumping music is what you will find. Walk-ins encouraged and pay as you go $10/session or punch card 5 visits for $40. Feelings of elation and joy are how I feel and I am sure can be found in the other peeps who also come to get their groove on. The Rec Center sits across from the Metra tracks and next door to the Fire Department. Class time: Saturday 8AM Kathy has been introducing her equally talented crew (Mercedes, Aliza, and Rachel) and they are sweeping the Northshore with their Zumba stylings. More deets found on Kathy's website: http://www.zumbawithkathy.com/ I found my answer for the extra travel miles and time to come here. Do you need more reason to come and join? Try it out and I am sure you will not be disappointed.

Thank you message I…read morewould like to say a big thank you from me as a mom -- Viktoriia -- for the wonderful birthday celebration for my daughter Caroline. Everything was absolutely amazing. Angel, the administrator, was very kind and organized, and helped make everything smooth and easy. Our host David was fantastic. He did an excellent job leading the party -- very attentive, professional, and great with the children. He created such a fun and joyful atmosphere and made the celebration truly special. I also want to thank the lovely girl with pink hair (I'm sorry I forgot her name). She was so positive, cheerful, and full of energy -- the kids loved her. The entire staff was wonderful. Everyone was very attentive and friendly. I brought flowers, and the team arranged the tables beautifully -- everything looked great and the whole event felt very special. Thank you again for helping create such a magical birthday for Caroline. With gratitude, Viktoriia (Caroline's mom)

Angel and the team at Kids Empire Deerfield were excellent! Angel answered all of my many questions…read morebefore our kids' birthday party, was so calm and patient and helpful with me, and went out of his way to make sure my family had a great experience. Angel is a really special asset at the Deerfield location -- consider yourself lucky to get to work with him. It's such a delight to be in a location that is so specifically designed to make sure kids have a great time! Highly recommended!