Park Authority

CONTACT INFORMATION: Phone Hours: Monday - Friday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
703-222-4664 TTY 711
12055 Government Center Pkwy.
Fairfax, Virginia 22035
Call Center
Central Registration Unit

Department Resources

Related Resources

Parktakes FAQs

When creating an account, please fill out all the required and any optional information you wish to provide on the New Customer page. This includes information such as: name, date of birth, address, phone number and email. The system will automatically remind you to fill in the required fields. When you have completed the required fields, click Create Account, and your new account is created. You are now ready to get started!
Click to Create Account

Having trouble creating your account?
Click to Contact Us

Have you visited Parktakes Online in the past few years? You may already be in the system! To see if you already have an account with us, select the Log In button in the top right of the Parktakes Online website. Follow the on-screen link to Recover Your Account. Then, simply enter your email address in the field. If your email was on file, you will receive a message stating your password has been reset. An email will be sent to you with your randomly generated password.

You can then use your email address and password to log in to your account and verify your information and change your password. If your email is not on file, you will receive a message stating that ‘the email address you entered in the system is not found or is invalid’. Have another email address? Give it a try! If you are not able to reset your password and get an error that you already exist in the system, use the contact us button to have your email added to your profile.

Click to Login

  • Login to your account using your email address and password
  • Once you are logged in, click on the Your Account tab on the top of the screen
    • From the drop-down menu, hover mouse over Your Account
    • Click Your Dependents
    • Click Add Person
    • Enter the household member’s information, then click Add Person to add them to your household account.

Click to Login

  • Login to your account using your email address and password
  • Once you are logged in, click on the Your Account tab on the top of the screen
    • From the drop-down menu, hover mouse over Your Account
    • Click Your Profile
    • Enter your current password and update your account details as needed, then click Save Changes to save your updates.

Click to Login

  • Your account balance will automatically appear in the payment screen during the registration checkout process and can be applied against the amount due.

  • The tax ID number is 54-0787833. This number may be required for tax purposes and/or employer flexible spending reimbursements. Please check with your employer or tax advisor for qualifying programs.

  • For forgotten email addresses (please try all possible emails), call 703-222-4664, Monday - Friday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and staff will assist you.

  • Search for and view program enrollment information in real-time.
  • Purchase or renew FCPA memberships.
  • Add/update household and family member information, cancel program enrollment; and view recent transaction information.

  • Parktakes Online is fully compliant with the latest Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) and uses modern encryption technology to ensure your credit card transaction is secure.

  • Fairfax County is dedicated to preserving your privacy and security while viewing our Web sites. We strive to retrieve the minimum amount of information from our visitors necessary in order to provide a host of various services and resources. A Web Privacy Policy  page outlines practices and procedures affecting visitors of our site in accordance with the Virginia Department of Technology Planning's Internet Privacy Guidelines (COV ITRM Guideline SEC2001-02.1).
  • When visiting Parktakes Online, you have an option to indicate your preference for opting in or out of responses to requests made under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (VFOIA). For more information, visit Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

  • Yes. Please note that there may be additional fees for programs and memberships. The additional non-resident fee, when applicable, is automatically calculated during the registration process

  • Barcodes are the keychain tag(s) or wallet card(s) you may already have received at your local RECenter in order to check in to the facility. You will still use this same card to check in as you have in the past. If you purchase a new membership or lose your card, you can request one at the front desk of any RECenter facility.
  • Member Number and Pins are no longer needed for registration.
  • To register using Parktakes Online, you will need your email address and password associated with your household account.

  • Registration begins at 9 a.m. on the first days. The access for the Parktakes Online website is temporarily disabled beginning the night before at around 9 p.m. Please make sure that access to your account and account information is updated well before this time.

The basic steps to follow are:

  • Search for a program you want.
    Click to Search Activities
  • You may need to expand the session options Show 4 sessions availablefor a specific program title to see more detail. The details of the program, including real-time enrollment and class length will display.
  • Select a session by clicking on the Sign up button button.
    • If there are no seats available, the sign up button will not appear. Please call the Registration Unit at 703-222-4664, Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. to be placed on the waitlist.
    • If there is no button displayed, if the class has not opened for registration. You can find the date the class opens for registration under the “Sign Up” column.
  • If you have not already logged in, you will be directed to the Account Log In page.
  • Enter your email address and password where prompted.
  • Under “Customer Information”, select a participant for the program, then click “Continue”.
  • Your Shopping Cart will display with all selections you have made to this point. You can continue choosing additional programs by clicking on the Continue Shopping button.
  • If you have no more selections to make, click the Go to Checkout button from your Shopping Cart.
  • On the Check Out screen, select your payment option and enter your payment information, then click Complete.
  • If you are paying with a House Account or Gift Card, you will receive a Success! message when your transaction is complete. If paying with a credit card, you will be directed to a confirmation screen before completing the transaction.
  • You will receive an email confirmation, you can keep this as proof of your purchase.

Click to Search Activities

  • Even if you don’t use the internet to register, you can still browse the catalog and use the results to register by other means: by live operator: 703-222-4664, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Mon-Fri; by faxing a registration form to 703-631-2004 or mailing a registration form to FCPA/Parktakes, PO Box 4606, Fairfax, VA 22038-4606. Mail/fax registrations are processed between 9am-4pm Mon-Fri.

  • To use Parktakes Online you need an email address and a Visa, MasterCard or Discover. The name and date of birth for each household member you wish to register must be on your household account. You can change the details of your household members in your account at any time.

  • Yes. Follow the link to the Camp Forms page, where you can choose from a list of forms to download for printing.

  • With your email address and password, you can log into your account and access this information through the Your Account dropdown function.

Click to Login

  • Cancellations and registrations require separate transactions in Parktakes Online, so you would have to cancel from a program in one transaction and register in your desired program in a separate transaction. Some cancellations will incur a processing fee. The cancellation fee may be waived for transferring directly into another Park Authority class if the class the customer is leaving has been held no more than one time and the class being registered into has not yet started. Transfers will not be granted for programs when a class has been held more than one time. To transfer from a class and avoid applicable processing fees, call 703-222-4664 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday thru Friday. Transfers can only be made from class to class, transfers from class to camp and from one person to another or are not permitted. For the CAMP specific transfer policy, see the Camp FAQs.

  • You do not need to know the course code to search for classes. Our class offerings can be searched by Keyword or Catalog ID, Activity Category, Place, Date and Age Range.

  • There are several one-day workshop and event programs that are published in the Parktakes magazine but are not available via Parktakes Online. These programs will be published in the Parktakes magazine with separate registration details.

  • Parktakes Online will only allow you to register those household members on your account. Each Parktakes Online session is tied to the one email address/account you logged in with. Every household requires its own email address and account. Only immediate family members living in the same household should be on your record.
  • Some program listings such as scouts or events will allow online group registration. This will allow one household to register for a quantity of people regardless of their household.
  • If you would like to purchase a class or pass as a gift, consider purchasing a Gift Card, or calling the Registration Unit Monday – Friday 9am – 4pm for assistance.

  • You will be contacted by our staff if an opening becomes available. Please make sure all your contact information in your account is updated.

  • Parktakes Online contains up-to-the-minute program and schedule information, whereas information in the magazine was submitted a few months ago for publication. The Parktakes Online information is the accurate information.

  • If you register via Parktakes Online, a confirmation of your enrollment and payment will be received via e-mail at the e-mail address you provided.

  • Fairfax County and Fairfax City residents who are age 65 or older get a 35 percent discount. This applies to all programs available for registration via Parktakes Online except trips and tours, Pilates lessons, GRAVITY Group lessons, INOVA programs, per family fees, and any class priced $45 or less.

  • Yes. Scholarships are available to Fairfax County residents who meet the gross family income requirements and receive certain forms of public assistance. For more information, visit Scholarships

  • The Early Registration Discount is an $8 discount deducted from the class fee. This discount applies to classes purchased within the first 10 days of open registration for each term. Although summer camps are available in the spring term, summer camp discounts end 10 days after the summer class registration period. Early registration discounts do not apply to programs without catalog IDs, tours, per family fees, or classes priced $45 or less.

  • Login to your account using your email address and password
  • Once you are logged in, click on the Your Account tab on the top of the screen
    • Click Your Sign Ups
    • Click the Cancel icon next to the appropriate class, and follow the prompts to complete the transaction.
  • Only classes paid for by credit card can be cancelled via the web. To cancel a registration paid by another method, please call 703-222-4664 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday thru Friday.
  • Please note the cancellation policies within the FAQ to determine whether you are eligible for a full or partial refund.

Click to Login

  • Cancellations performed on the Parktakes Online website, after the start date, incur a 100% cancellation fee. To cancel classes after start date without incurring the 100% cancellation fee, please fill out the refund form and submit it to the location of your class or call 703-222-4664 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday - Friday. The cancellation fees will still apply.

  • There is no transfer feature available on the web. You may cancel classes on the web and then re-register for a new class. However, any applicable processing fee will be deducted from your cancellation refund.
  • To transfer to another program without incurring any applicable cancellation fee, please call 703-222-4664 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday - Friday.
  • Transfers will not be granted for programs when a class has been held more than one time.

  • FCPA will issue a full refund when a class or program is cancelled by FCPA.
  • FCPA will issue a full refund when a class or program is changed by FCPA, and the change makes it impossible for the customer to continue with the class.

When a customer cancels a registration, the following fees apply per registration:

Classes

  • Request received 14 or more days prior to the start date - full refund.
  • Request received 13 or fewer days prior to the start date - $15 processing fee applied
  • Request received on or after start date - $15 processing fee applied, and refund amount is prorated based on the number of classes that have passed as of the date the request is received.
  • Requests for refunds must be submitted prior to the end of the session.
  • Refunds or class credits are not issued for missed individual meetings of a class due to personal schedule conflicts or illness.

Camps

  • Request received 14 or more days prior to the start date - full refund, less a $25 processing fee per session.
  • Request received 13 or fewer days prior to the start date - no refund.

Day Trips & Tours

  • Request received 14 or more days prior to the trip date - full refund.
  • Request received 13 or fewer days prior to the trip date - no refund.

  • Refunds for cancelled programs usually occur prior to the start of the program. Refunds for missed classes will not be processed until the end of the class term, when all possible make-up dates have been exhausted.

  • Yes, on Parktakes Online, registrations that were paid by credit card will be automatically refunded back to the same credit card.
  • If you are requesting a refund by filling out the refund form or in person, your refund will go back to your house account if your credit card is not provided. You can always have credits placed back on your credit card, please contact the Registration Unit Monday – Friday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
  • To cancel registrations paid by alternate forms of payment, please contact the Registration Unit Monday – Friday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

  • Yes. You may use a Visa, MasterCard or Discover to purchase memberships online.
  • Login to your account using your email address and password
  • Once you are logged in, click on the Memberships tab on the top of the screen
    • From the drop-down menu, select the appropriate household member
    • Select the type of Membership, classification, duration and start date of the membership
    • Click Add to Cart
      • If the selected membership is for multiple household members, a pop-up window will appear so you may select additional household members. Select the additional household members, then click Continue.
    • Review your purchase information, then select Go to Checkout or Continue Shopping.
    • After you have made all of your selections, complete the required payment information in the Shopping Cart to purchase.

Click to Login

  • Yes. You may use your gift card(s) to pay for purchases online. The online payment section includes Gift Card payments.

  • On the payment page, the Balance Due amount will reflect the total price of all your purchases. To pay the balance partially or fully with a Gift Card, enter your Gift Card account number (the 12 digit number printed on the back of the Gift Card, underneath the barcode) in the Gift Card Number field. Next, enter amount that you would like to deduct from your Gift Card in the Gift Card Amount field, then click Process. The system will deduct the amount you entered and adjust the Balance Due on the web page accordingly, or provide you with a registration confirmation if the entire cost of the cart was covered by the Gift Card.

  • Yes, you can now check your gift card balance by visiting the Parktakes Online Gift Card page, and clicking on ‘Check Gift Card Balance’.

  • You will also see your remaining balance upon redemption of your gift card. Once you enter a Gift Card number and amount for payment and click the Process button, the amount used for this payment, and the Ending Balance of the Gift Card after this payment are all displayed on the screen. The confirmation e-mail will contain the beginning and ending balances as well as the amount used.

  • If you still have a Balance Due after making a Gift Card payment, you may pay the remaining balance with another Gift Card or by using a credit card.

  • Yes, you may now purchase an E-Gift Card on the Parktakes Online Website. For more details, visit our gift card web page. To purchase an e-gift card, click here.
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