GVRD organizes and manages sports programs, for both youth and adults, before and after-school programming, leisure classes, and a variety of special interest events like The Vallejo Sports Hall of Fame, Breakfast with Santa, Arts and Concerts in the Park, and Fishing in the City.

The Greater Vallejo Recreation District (GVRD) is an Independent Special Service District and is funded primarily by property taxes paid by residents of the district to provide recreational activities and leisure services to the citizens of Vallejo. The District is managed by a General Manager with oversight by a Five Member Board of Directors. We have been serving the residents of Vallejo since 1944. GVRD is independent and separate from the City of Vallejo.  GVRD currently operates: 20 Neighborhood Parks, 4 Community Parks, and 4 Special Purpose Parks, an Olympic-size swimming pool, 4 Community Centers, and manages over 1000 acres of public land.  GVRD manages most City-owned recreational properties and provides Parks & Recreational services for the residents of the City.
A frequently asked question is “Why is GVRD a Special District and not a department of the City of Vallejo?” In the late 1930s, members of the Vallejo Parent Teachers Association (PTA) decided they had a need for an individual to organize and manage recreational activities for local youth. The PTA hired Lyston Johnson, also known as “Mr. Recreation”, to do the job. In 1944 an election was held and voters elected to create the entity we now know as The Greater Vallejo Recreation District.
GVRD's primary source of funding is property taxes, but it also receives revenue from fees for services and programs, park entrance fees, and facility rentals.  Additional funding through grants and park dedication permit fees provide for new park development projects within the district.