The grand-darlings have attended gymnastics classes here for years and have always thoroughly enjoyed them. About 4 years ago, they also attended a dance class, but I noticed on my recent last visit to watch them, that the dance studios have all been removed, some remodeling done, and the whole facility is now oriented to gymnastics only. Attached are some recent photos of the remodeled sections. I don't really know anything about the administration of their programs, but the daughter is pretty happy about their program, the cost, and the girls' progress and enjoyment. Most sessions are filled months in advance, and there are waitlists for every level as their whole program is very popular. One complaint I have heard though is that when a kiddo gets promoted to the next level, they may still have to wait a few weeks or months to move up as there are no openings at the next level. They have a ton of staffers and if you want to be a junior gymnastics instructor, this place sure seems to draw a lot of them for what that's worth. read more

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We love Viking! Such a great gymnastics school. My daughter has grown and gained confidence.

This used to be a great school, but the management has gone downhill. Schedules change without notice, communication is poor, and long-time students are placed on waitlists with no explanation. When we raised concerns, we were met with a dismissive attitude. It's clear they no longer value loyal families. Disappointed and would not recommend read more

We had a chance to attend the 'Bright Lights Bigger Dreams' Recital 2023, held at the Niles West High School Auditorium, to see our two nieces perform. Once we got there, we realized how big this event is. The entire Sunday is filled with shows, each with a different audience. There a total of 7 shows, with each show having 9 - 12 acts, each act having 1 - 15 girls. WE saw the Tiny Tot Ballet class performing to the music of Mary Poppins: "Let's go Fly a Kite" and the Kinder Jazz class performing to the music of "You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile" from Annie. So we are talking about a lot of coordination here, and from the small sample size we viewed early in the day, it seemed to go off without a hitch. The purchased tickets have a QR code that can be used to view the program on your phone during the performance. And Niles West's auditorium is big enough to have all parent/relatives/friends have a very close view of the children's performance without fighting for seats. And the energy in the room was great, giving the performers a real nice bump while dancing. It's a great showcase, not only for the students, but also the teachers in how well they organized and executed this event. read more

Wasted too many years of paying their crazy prices without my child progressing. Save your money and find another place. They will keep raising the prices which exceed neighboring places. Do your research. read more

Yikes! I'm as flexible as a steel pole, but after an hour in there I was practically tumbling out the door. Where to even start. Management is a mess, so unorganized and do not seem to have their priorities straight. They just keep adding more classes but there are barely any coaches. I feel bad, the coaches seem so overwhelmed. The kids are all crammed together, it is absolutely unsafe. Don't waste your money or time on this place!! read more

We love this place! Not sure how there are negative reviews. I find their customer service great. My daughter is almost 2 years old and we've gone to weekly classes about 10 times and also participate in the open gym Time for Tots, the last few months. Since she is young, we haven't had to deal with competitive scheduling/waitlist issues. We really appreciate the sick/makeup policy, since this age has routine illness. The Coaches are incredible!! I can't say enough good things Coach Olivia and Coach Audrey. They are so good with Toddlers! I also love how each week Viking has set up different "obstacle courses" and different activities for the kids. The facility is incredible and super clean and the price is very fair. I really couldn't ask for a better place. We referred a friend who is now an active member with their toddler (and we were referred to here by another Toddler family). Lots of love for this place! Thank you so much Viking! read more

Viking Gymnastics Club - Gyms Near Me - Niles, Illinois

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We LOVE Viking gymnastics. We live out of state and attend when we visit . When I tell my kids we have a trip planned to Chicago, the first thing they ask is if we can go to Viking. We have a lovely time in the gym every time. The coaches and front desk staff are so nice, and it's so big and so clean. read more

Amazing staff and classes for my kids. It's fun to watch the bigger kids too. Great atmosphere!

Horrible experiences there. I would not recommend to my worst enemy. They are money grabbing. It fells like a ponzi scheme. They wont advance your kids in levels because they want the money. It is horrible and you cannot get anywhere with leadership. You will go in circles and then you will blink your eyes and prices go up. Save your money; you will get more out of youtube. read more

Very good, friendly place with coaches that enjoy what they do. Highly recommended. For kids of different ages .

Vikings is a horrible place for customer service. I am not sure if because they have a waitlist gives them the authority to be disrespectful and condescending. I registered my daughter in Feb of 2021 for a beginners class and I was told to keep on calling to check status on waitlist. I did several calls and every call they told me something different. The last call they told me she might be able to start in December of 2022. I asked, but I called 2 weeks ago and they told me this month? The person just responded, oh well they gave you the wrong information. She was not at all apologetic, she was condescending. I asked, so you are telling me that there is about a 1 year waitlist? The response was uhm, yea! The attitude was so horrible that I just said thank you for clarifying the information. I could not believe this place! The level of disrespect was beyond anything I have ever experienced. I do not recommend this place based on the management team! There are other options and that is where I am taking my business. Just very disturbed by the lack of professionalism from Viking, just rude! read more

My kid really loves this place. Honestly she hasn't made major strides and I am unsure of what to expect. I am not sure what to compare it too either but she seems to enjoy it. I usually tend to use gymnastics for behavior modification too not gonna lie. She usually tends to eat more or better when i threaten her with gymnastics. She likes it that much. Anyway the coaches are young and they seem engaged. I appreciate that the prices are not bad either. Will keep coming in as long as we can. Lets see how great of a gymnast she can be read more

Great, big, bright facility with friendly, welcoming staff. Large parking lot . They have many different classes in gymnastics & dance. Reasonably priced too. read more

Both of my daughters enjoyed going here. Coaches were really interactive and engaging. It looked like a blast. Parking was easy. Would definitely return again. read more

My daughter has been attending Viking Gymnastics since it was operating out of the nearby high school gym. We moved over to the new facility as soon as it was opened. Due to zoning restrictions, it had to be in a fairly industrial area. You forget that as soon as you walk through the door, though. There's vibrant, inspirational artwork throughout the facility. The equipment is all brand new and in fun colors. Enrollment increased exponentially when the new facility opened, but Charlie has managed to staff the gym with great coaches to meet the demand. It can be a bit crowded on the floor, especially during Sunday night open gym, but it's a very organized sort of chaos. I never worry about my daughter's safety. My daughter has never been in a class with more than 5 other students and communication about scheduling has been fantastic. The coaches can be hard to pin down sometimes, but that's because they're spending so much time with the kids...which is exactly where I want them. We've been to other gyms, but have found that Viking is a great balance between the fun my daughter wants and the butt-kicking I want her to get so she can improve. They do real skills and work really hard, but my daughter loves it. read more

Viking Gymnastics Club - Gyms Near Me - Niles, Illinois

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I'm very happy with this gymnastics studio. It's huge, clean, and bright and airy. Instructors are very attentive and work in small groups of children. My daughter's skills and confidence has really increased since she started 2 months ago. She feels comfortable with the instructors spotting her to do various moves, even though she is a bit hesitant. read more

Amazing facility where my and other kids can practice more sophisticated moves that those on the monkey bars in the park. The trainers and the front desk are very friendly they talk to kids with age difference in mind, meaning they calibrate make us always feel welcome. The facility was smaller before, now they expanded along with the waiting area for the parents. In a few years we are coming here, nothing bad has really happened. read more

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I love this place!!! My daughter is a toddler so she goes to tiny tots. The coaches are very nice, always smiling, understanding of children's fears, but very convincing and supportive. The facility is so clean, large, updated. The restroom is clean, the changing room is clean (although there could be more and just one..), and i like the waiting area for parents. The glass allows the parents to see their kid no matter where they are in the gym. I know they have dance studios but i haven't had the chance to check them out yet. read more

I had a terrible experience with my daughter at Viking... so much that it left me in tears. First, let me say that my daughter is a very energetic 5-year old who loves gymnastics. With this being said, we decided to leave another gym to go to Viking because it was way bigger and cleaner: but the coaches and staff were great and worked with everyone very closely despite the ratio. My first visit, we registered my daughter and the front desk staff was very nice which gave me the impression that this would be across the board. One of the front desk staff, very polite woman introduced us to the coach who by all appearances seemed to be a very nice older coach; I was very excited for my child and it seems like my decision to change gyms was a good one. During my child's practice, she was with 3 other young girls who needed just as much direction as my child. When the practice was over, I was approached by the coach (who will remain nameless) and she started to suggest to put my 5 year-old with the 2-3 year old class; I was in shock! I ask why she felt the need to demote my child, Her response was she did not want to take away from other children; I said "you weren't directing my child any more than the other 3 girls." After that exchange, I wanted to curse her the F out for suggesting that my 5 year-old who has no issues anywhere else or in school, be placed with toddlers not her age. I walked with the coach still in shock and my eyes were welling up with tears to the front desk to make the adjustment to the different class... I couldn't speak and I was completely caught off guard with this. We were told that there was no availability in the 2-3 year-old classes, and the coach looked at me and told me "well...I'll try it out for another session." The look of deranged mother was showing throughout my entire face... I didn't say anything because I was afraid whatever came out would not be nice and I had to be mindful that other children were around. After leaving, on the way home I balled my eyes out; to be told that someone had an issue and can't work with my child. I called my mom and sister, who informed me not to come back. My daughter even stated that she wanted to go back to the old gym... which tells me she got a bad vibe from the coach. It was on my mind all week, contemplating if I'd come back the following Friday. So I called and spoke with an owner who does recreational PT/OT therapy mixed with gymnastics individually and she was shocked by this story. She wanted to meet my daughter and work with her on the Friday that was originally scheduled. I ended up working with another person which was a godsend... The moment we walked up, the receptionist said... "okay the coach is willing to try your daughter out one more time." I said... "oh don't worry, I'm withdrawing from Viking anyway. Make a long story short, I would not in a million years send my child here for coaching and gymnastics. I don't know if all the coaches are the same, but it left a really bad taste in my mouth. If it weren't for me speaking to this woman and my child working with their staff, I'd be lost. They ensured that everything will be okay and my daughter loves her new coach, and my coach loves my daughter and it shows... she definitely did not ask to go back to her old gym. So, if you have a child who loves gymnastics.... I would not recommend this place after the way my daughter was treated. read more

My daughter started taking gymnastics here a few months ago at 3 years old. She is now 4 and moved up to the tumble tots class that doesn't require an adult to participate with the child. She and I have both been very happy with her classes, the facility, and the instructors. She looks forward to coming every week and it's great to see her getting stronger and improving at the skills over time. This place is rather large, so I enjoy being able to watch some of the more advanced classes taking place at the same time. This place seems like a legit gymnastics facility! read more

Viking Gymnastics Club - My 3 year old in the tiny tots class - Gyms Near Me - Niles, Illinois

My daughter has been enrolled with Viking for a month now in parent-tots and we couldn't be happier. Each week she is showing progress and her coach (Trina) takes time to work with all of her students at their individual level. Trina is very patient with all her students and gives all of her students individual goals to meet each class. We are so happy she is our coach. At first I thought parking might be an issue, but everytime we have arrived, we have never had an issue with parking. The parking lot is shared, but is pretty big. Also the office staff is very friendly. When I originally came in to check out Viking a few months ago, someone at the front desk offered me a tour on the spot! I wish I remembered her name, but after the tour, my daughter didn't want to leave the gym. We will definitely be referring other families to this fine establishment. Thank you Viking for making my daughters experience a great one! read more

Great new spacious gym! Its a pretty busy location but love the cleanliness and my daughter enjoys going to class here. read more

Horrible horrible horrible! Customer service is awful! They do not care about their customers. They are not accommodating to you, especially during this global pandemic! They are stealing money from customers! I had to tell them my child was ready to move because they don't pay attention! They are only getting one star because I have to but they don't deserve it! read more

My kids have done viking on and off for the last 10 years and it's never disappointed us. At other gymnastics places kids spend more time waiting in line to use the equipment than they do actually practicing technique and at Viking it's well organized so even when there are a lot of classes going on at the same time, that doesn't happen and the kids still learn, are active, and have fun. I've been impressed with the teachers and my kids have loved it. read more

After they doubled the facility the choice of classes increased and the availability of those increased. It was easier to transfer between the classes also. read more

Viking Gymnastics Club - Gyms Near Me - Niles, Illinois

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I wanted to like this place, but was very disappointed... They took an annual registration fee from us, and enrolled our 5 yr old daughter, mid session. After a month, they told us there was no room for her in the next enrollment and she would be placed on a waiting list. We continued to get emails for their weekend babysitting sessions, but it was 6 months before another spot opened for her. By that time, we had already found another gym that trained her beyond what skills Viking promised in the class they offered. read more

Its a bit pricey for what it is. There is no air conditioning and the parking is a nightmare. Walking to and from the gym with children is very difficult as you have to be careful not to get hit by a car. The teachers don't seem especially thrilled to be working there and in just a few months, my daughter had three different teachers. The front desk ladies are not very welcoming or nice. My daughter does not like to go there anymore, and today is her last day and she's happy that is so. read more

Been bringing my kiddo here for several months for purple group. She's waiting for entire week for a class, so much fun she has here. Although it's just general stuff they're doing, the trainers know how to make it interesting. I think we'll stick with them for a few years. read more

Viking Gymnastics Club - Main floor - Gyms Near Me - Niles, Illinois

Even one star is not too much for this place. Customer service is beyond horrible. Nobody follows waiting list, so if you put your child's name on the waiting list don't expect to be called and notified about openings. I addressed the issue with waiting list, when I realized they enrolled kids who weren't even on the waiting list , I called to ask why nobody let me know that there is opening for the class, they responded system is currently down we will call you back once it is back up and look into it. Never received a phone call back, so I decided to email them and express my frustration, my email was totally ignored. Please, don't waist your money and time on this place. I wish somebody warned me about it and I didn't have to waist my time coming in puting my child on the waiting list, calling multiple times to find out if anything opened up and get this in the end. read more

We're relatively new to Viking, but my daughter loves going to her gymnastics classes, and comes home eager to show me her newest skills. Viking's new facility is beautiful and spacious, full of state of the art equipment, and the coaches seem to genuinely care about their athletes. As a parent, I appreciate how friendly and welcoming everyone has been. The rec-level classes focus on building upon foundational skills, conditioning, and training the kids in proper form, but most importantly, they make sure that the kids are having a good time. Sunday night open gym is a great opportunity for kids to practice their skills or just have fun. read more

Charlie is wonderful and the facility is beautiful. My daughter has been on their team for more than three years, and we love it!

I don't know what that other reviewer is talking about... we were at 3 different gyms last school year (because we kept getting bumped out by residents during re-enrollment) and not only were the classes longer at Viking, but Viking is on par or less expensive than other places. I also have to say that my daughter made more progress in her few months at Viking than she did in 6 months at other gyms. OK, I will give you that the parking lot is kind of crowded. But it's not like people are driving fast or crazy. It's a parking lot, there are cars. The facilities are outstanding. The class sizes are small, and everyone does a pre-test before they are placed into a level, so everyone in the class is supposed to be in that level class. Every single aspect about this place is clean. The people are helpful. If you let them know you're going to miss a class you can get a make-up in another class at the same level or a free pass to free gym on Sundays. The way they do registration and billing makes my life easier. NO RE-REGISTRATION SEPT-MAY!!! You are billed monthly until you tell them that you aren't going to participate anymore. The only re-registration is for the summer. If you level up, they work with you to move you to another class. The teachers are serious. Sometimes my daughter comes home tired, or feels like the teacher was tough on her. They probably were, because she's worked for and reached a level of achievement where it's not all gumdrops and rainbows. But for the recreational classes (purple, silver, gold) the teachers are patient, knowledgable, and encouraging, and they really stress safety. Those kids are having a good time -- you can see it on their faces. I am really happy that someone told me about Viking. My daughter loves it so much that she asked if she could go twice a week this year. We've had nothing but great experiences there. read more

This place is amazing! The coaches are intentive, professional and friendly. The front desk is super helpful. My kids enjoy coming here.

My daughter started gymnastics here and definitely loves it! Looking forward for every class! :)

Viking has been our gym for a few years, and I love them. Classes are small, coaches care and the entire staff works with the family to make it a positive experience, even on tedious tasks like scheduling. If you want a gymnastics program, I highly recommend this one! read more

We joined Viking 7 months ago and couldn't be happier. It is a very professionally run organisation which focuses on providing the best for its gymnasts. Coaches are kind, engaging and very knowledgable. The venue is spacious and clean, providing excellent equipment for their gymnasts, but also providing ample and pleasant seating options for parents (including rooms which are quieter where you can work/read). I have two girls at Viking, one doing recreational gymnastics team (Gijo) and the other being on USAG. Both my girls are treated equally well and are given the same level of opportunities. They have both improved immensely since joining Viking. Generally, I get the feeling that every gymnast is as important as the next, no matter the age, level, or time invested. There seem to be a large number of boys' groups/teams too - which isn't always the case at other gymnastics organisations. If you're looking for a well rounded gymnastics experience, Viking is the gym for you. Children not only learn gymnastics but are made to feel good about themselves and build confidence. read more

Viking provides a very positive, empowering and instructive gymnastics experience for our daughter (on the USAG team). We have had good experiences with other gymnastics operations, but appreciate the Viking coaches and operations team all the more. Strongly endorse the gym and the experience for both the gymnast and the parents. read more

My children enjoyed the toddler and kindergarten gymnastics classes. The coaches are great and we recommend the gym to anyone in the area!

Beautiful facility, small class sizes, great coaches. No long term commitment required.