Positive Sensory opens for inclusive play in Sturgeon Bay

Rachel Kroeger

Staff

August 24, 2026

STURGEON BAY – Though Co-owner Dallas Nichols said Positive Sensory’s grand opening was relatively atypical, the gym and wellness center built intentionally to be sensory-friendly is now open for play in Sturgeon Bay (1009 Egg Harbor Road, Suite 111).

“We’ve definitely had our ups and downs…, [but] it’s been a blast,” he said. “This is my and my mother’s first venture [with a] physical operation… We have our own LLC called Positive Journeys that we partner in together as well…, so this is kind of an extension of that.”

Describing the journey from finding the location to opening the doors “very fulfilling,” Nichols said he and his business partner and mother, Kathy, officially cut the ribbon July 28 on Positive Sensory – originally featured by The Business News in its May 18, 2026 issue.

“The day was not your ‘common’ day, believe it or not,” he said. “We were not planning on opening that day.”

After both their “professional open house and public open house” events, Nichols said he teamed up with Let’s Go Door County to do a media tour of the freshly renovated space.

“We got thousands of views [and] positive feedback from that,” he said. “Then, we talked to Destination [Sturgeon Bay]… [because] they do ribbon cuttings. So, they came over, took pictures for us, did a ribbon cutting and they ended up posting it probably an hour later.”

Nichols said the post, similarly to Let’s Go Door County’s, “blew up.”

“Somebody stopped in 20 minutes after that, and we [thought], ‘Well, I guess we’re open today,’” he said. “So, it wasn’t your typical opening, but it was absolutely amazing – I couldn’t have drawn it up any better.”

Small-town support

Since their inaugural customer in July, Nichols said business has “been very good” for Positive Sensory.

“We’ve had quite a few people sign up for memberships,” he said. “Now, we do day passes and ‘stop-in,’ appointment-type of play and regulation where parents can come in with their kids and just pay $10 for an hour or $20 for two hours.”

This model, Nichols said, allows families to trial run Positive Sensory and determine if they want to pursue a membership.

For those who don’t want to sign up for a membership, he said the pricing is designed to keep the space accessible for family-friendly entertainment. 

“I think what surprised me the most about opening was seeing how many families… [came in to] check it out [and] see what it’s all about, then seeing their reaction,” he said. “It’s just amazing to watch their children’s faces light up when they walk through the door, and see what we have to offer.”

Nichols said Positive Sensory welcomes everyone, regardless of ability, to play, relax and regulate.

“It’s [amazing] how much the space means to them and for their kids to have somewhere to go that’s not the [YMCA or] a park,” he said. “It’s somewhere where they can learn, regulate and grow. Even some of the parents have sat on the swings when it’s not busy in here, and they [say], ‘Man, I needed this.’”

With spaces and activities arranged specifically for various sensory needs, Nichols said he and Kathy are only getting started.

“It’s really coming together,” he said. “You did not want to see the renovation when we first started. It was a mess.”

Transforming the former hair salon into Positive Sensory, Nichols said, was no small task.

“We had to remove all the support walls of the individual stalls…, they had different desks and different shelving units we had to take down… So, we had mounds and mounds of wood, plaster, support beams and different things [to clean out].”

The result, however, Nichols said, is a colorful, lively and safe play space for everyone to enjoy – something he said is especially meaningful to him as a Door County native.

“I’ve gone out in the community – I’m very active, so I go on runs, bike rides, I’ll go to the YMCA and work out – and people will recognize me,” he said. “They’re [saying things] like, ‘Oh, my goodness! I’ve known you forever, and it’s been 10-12 years since I’ve seen you. How amazing is that?’ It’s unspeakable… how much support you feel from the community of Door County when you aren’t even at work.”

More information about Positive Sensory is available on its Facebook page and website, which Nichols said is being developed by his friend and fellow small business owner Spencer Evenson of Evensonlabs.

“Our website is more of a landing page at the moment,” he said. “[Spencer and] I went to school together. [He’s] a great buddy of mine…, and ever since we were little, he’s just been a wizard with computers. So, he’s been helping me out… whenever I get his free time.”

Regardless of how potential members discover Positive Sensory, Nichols said he’s simply excited to “keep growing” the breadth of services he and his mom aim to offer.

“We’re going to expand our classes and events pretty soon here – just creating additional community partnerships we never would have thought would have been possible, and providing more support and opportunities for families around here,” he said. “[We want to] continue making this a spot where everyone feels welcome – the entire community – because we’re here for them, and we’d love for them to be here for us. That’s what it’s all about in a small town like this.”

For more, visit Positive Sensory’s Facebook page or positivesensory.com.