Mark Wahlberg has announced the opening of Municipal Gym, a 32,000-square-foot fitness and longevity center outside Las Vegas that hopes to upend the premium wellness market by offering advanced diagnostics, recovery gear, and nutrition for a fraction of the cost charged by elite competitors. The actor, speaking at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco, called the venture the most exciting project of his career, describing it as a “health and wellness ecosystem” designed to bring affluent-level care to a broader audience. With blood work, epigenetic testing, compression therapy, cold plunges, and a protein-focused café included in memberships that start at $99, Municipal Gym is positioning itself as the affordable alternative to luxury longevity clubs that charge tens of thousands of dollars annually.
The $99 Blood Work: How Municipal Gym Attacks the Luxury Wellness Market
The cornerstone of Wahlberg’s pitch is a stark price comparison. He stated that for $99, members will receive three rounds of blood work plus a full hour with a doctor to identify predisposed health risks. This directly challenges the business model of established players like Fountain Life, co-founded by Tony Robbins, which charges $21,500 per year for a full subscription, and The Estate, which is planning $35,000 memberships. Equinox is also building a waitlist for a $36,000 longevity add-on to its traditional gym membership. Wahlberg’s strategy hinges on the idea that high-quality diagnostics and recovery should not require a six-figure income. “We have a better price point than our competitors, and we’re going to get far more results,” he said at Disrupt.
"We have a better price point than our competitors, and we're going to get far more results," he said at Disrupt.
What Services Are Included in a Municipal Gym Membership?
Membership goes beyond standard gym equipment. The 32,000-square-foot club will offer blood work, epigenetic testing, recovery gear, compression therapy, cold plunges, and a café serving protein muffins and other nutrition-focused items. Supplements and hormone therapy will also be available on-site. Wahlberg described this as “soup to nuts” — everything a person needs to train, eat, recover, and monitor their health under one roof. The goal is to create a destination where members spend hours, not just 45 minutes, reinforcing a community-driven approach to fitness that contrasts sharply with the “join up but don’t show up” model that Wahlberg says dominates the industry.
From Streetwear to Longevity: The Birth of a Health Ecosystem
Municipal Gym is the second phase of a vision that began seven years ago with a sportswear line called Municipal. Wahlberg launched the clothing brand during the COVID-19 pandemic, a timing he freely admitted was disastrous, as retailers like J.Crew and Brooks Brothers were filing for bankruptcy. But the clothing line was never the endgame. As a longtime celebrity fitness spokesperson, Wahlberg had collaborated with numerous brands and fielded endless offers to be a brand ambassador, but they all wanted the same thing: “sell T-shirts and sneakers.” He wanted a bigger impact on people’s lives — what they eat, what supplements they take, how they train, and how they recover. Clothing was just the entry point. “We figured, okay, we’ll start in the apparel space, and then we’ll build from there,” he said.
The gym serves as a physical storefront for the Municipal brand, giving customers the chance to “actually feel and touch the clothes” before they buy. But it is also the centerpiece of a product ecosystem that includes Wahlberg’s own supplement brand, Pi-Nutrition. When asked if the gyms will double as retail outlets for his other ventures, Wahlberg answered, “kind of,” clarifying that he is constructing a complete health ecosystem where every component is available in one place.
The F45 Cautionary Tale: What Wahlberg Learned From a $450 Million Bet
Wahlberg’s previous foray into the fitness industry ended painfully. He invested in F45, a chain known for 45-minute high-intensity classes, at a $450 million valuation. The company went public in 2021 and was delisted from the NYSE in 2023 after its stock collapsed. Reflecting on that failure during his Disrupt appearance, Wahlberg said the biggest lesson was “making sure that I’m involved with people that share the same approach that I do.” He also revealed that the F45 experience reinforced his belief that “big box” is the better model. F45 catered to people short on time, but Municipal Gym is designed for extended stays. He criticizes gyms that profit from members who sign up and never show up, calling that philosophy incomprehensible.
From Blacktop to Boardroom: The Personal Mission Behind Municipal
Wahlberg’s personal history is integral to the brand’s identity. He grew up poor in Boston, one of nine children, playing on public basketball courts and golf courses. “You learn a lot on the blacktop,” he said. “You learn to win, to lose, to compete, and hopefully to get back up and do it again.” He has never hidden his rough youth, which included a two-year sentence for assaults as a teenager (he served 45 days). He credits two people with turning his life around, including Father Jim Flavin, a Boston-area parish priest who has been a mentor since Wahlberg was 13. The name “Municipal” is deliberately chosen to evoke public, accessible spaces — a direct counter to the exclusive, high-price tag luxury clubs that dominate the longevity space. Wahlberg wants the gyms to carry that same spirit of community and second chances. “It’s a place to work, but have fun and support each other and create community and really challenge people to be better versions of themselves,” he said.
At 55, Wahlberg said his personal health goals have shifted from looking good to feeling good. “I just want to feel good when I wake up in the morning,” he said. “I want to be able to conquer all the things that I have planned for the day.” This philosophy underpins the gym’s focus on long-term wellness rather than quick transformation.
What Is the Growth Plan for Municipal Gym?
Wahlberg declined to give a specific number of planned locations but described the growth strategy as “aggressive.” He told TechCrunch that landlords and developers who toured the Las Vegas site have already offered “AAA locations at very favorable terms, with great TI” — tenant-improvement allowances that help offset build-out costs. The first club opens in December, and the company is clearly aiming for rapid expansion. Wahlberg’s current schedule is packed: he is starring in a film role as Pete Rose, managing his daughter’s equestrian career, and overseeing the gym’s construction, which he likened to “literally watching paint dry.” Despite that, he left the door open for new ventures. “I’m not out there hunting, looking for the next thing for sure,” he said, “but if something amazing were to come along, obviously I wouldn’t turn it down.”
How Does Municipal Gym Compare to Other Longevity Clubs?
The longevity and wellness space has become a magnet for venture capital, with startups raising millions to cater to wealthy clients seeking to extend healthspan. Municipal Gym is the first major attempt to serve the same diagnostic and recovery needs at a consumer-friendly price. Where Fountain Life charges roughly $21,500 per year and Equinox’s Optimize program aims for $36,000 on top of a gym membership, Wahlberg’s entry-level blood work package is just $99. While the full pricing structure of Municipal Gym has not been fully disclosed, the value proposition is clear: high-end diagnostics, recovery technology, and personalized health coaching at a fraction of the cost. If Wahlberg can deliver on the promise of comparable results, Municipal Gym could force the entire luxury wellness industry to rethink its pricing model.
The Bigger Picture: Can an Affordable Longevity Ecosystem Work?
The success of Municipal Gym will depend on execution. Offering advanced diagnostics like epigenetic testing and hormone therapy requires partnerships with medical providers and regulatory compliance. The promise of a “health and wellness ecosystem” also means coordinating supplements, apparel, and nutrition in a seamless retail environment. Wahlberg’s track record with F45 shows that celebrity endorsement and aggressive growth are not enough to guarantee sustainability. But his willingness to learn from that failure, combined with a clear vision for a more inclusive model, gives the venture a distinct edge. The December opening will be a pivotal test — not just for Wahlberg, but for the broader question of whether affordable longevity is a viable business, or just a good headline.
- What services are included in a Municipal Gym membership?Membership includes blood work, epigenetic testing, compression therapy, cold plunges, a protein-focused café, and on-site supplements and hormone therapy.
- How does Municipal Gym's pricing compare to competitors?Municipal Gym starts at $99, while Fountain Life charges $21,500 per year and Equinox's Optimize program costs $36,000 on top of a gym membership.
