Chicago Rock Climbing Gyms
Chicago rock climbing opportunities have roughly tripled in the last ten years, with upwards of ten new modern climbing gyms opening in or nearby the city since 2014. If you haven't explored the Chicago climbing gym scene already, use this guide to figure out where to introduce yourself to climbing or stay in shape when you can't make it to your favorite natural outdoor climbing area.
CLIMBING GYMS IN CHICAGO
First Ascent Avondale
Full-Service Climbing and Bouldering Gym | $25/day | Map
Opened in 2015, First Ascent gyms are modern and enticing. FA Avondale boasts 26,000 square feet of climbing terrain, with over 30 top ropes and routes up to 60' tall. A second tier balcony hosts 5,000 square feet of stand-alone bouldering, as well as a free-weight gym and climbing-specific training room. With more locations than any other gym, FA offers enough options in Chicago to never climb the same route twice. A rarity in the city, FA avondale is one of few gyms with its own parking lot.
First Ascent Uptown
Bouldering Gym | $25/day | Map
FA’s second Chicago location, Uptown offers 9,000 square feet of bouldering-only terrain, plus dedicated yoga and fitness facilities.
First Ascent HUmbolt Park
Bouldering Gym | $25/day | Map
First Ascent Humbolt Park is a bouldering-only gym, featuring 11,000 square feet of climbing terrain, plus two yoga studios, a fitness area, and shared workspace.
First Ascent Block 37
Bouldering Gym | $25/day | Map
This First Ascent location inside the Loop’s Block 37 is a prime spot for the nine-to-five crowd. Like FA’s other locations, you’ll have access to 10,000+ square feet of climbing, plus yoga and fitness facilities.
Movement Lincoln Park
Full-Service Climbing and Bouldering Gym | $25/day | Map
Movement Climbing & Fitness opened their much anticipated Chicago locations 2021, but they’ve been operating gyms throughout the country, on both coasts, for years. This makes Movement the biggest gym chain to make its mark on Chicago so far. Movement seems keen on catering to adult climbers, which makes it a great option for those seeking a less hectic place to climb. Their Lincoln Park location has roughly 200 ropes to climb and features walls that top out at 56 feet. They offer a myriad of classes in climbing, yoga, and fitness.
Movement Wrigleyville
Bouldering Gym | $25/day | Map
Movement Wrigleyville joined the growing list of bouldering facilities in Chicago in 2021, with over 11,000 square feet of climbing. The building itself is huge, over 43,000 square feet. In addition to climbing, they offer dedicated yoga and fitness areas and a variety of class and training options.
Brooklyn Boulders (BKB) West Loop
Full-Service Climbing and Bouldering Gym | $25/day | Map
BKB established the first large, modern gym within Chicago city limits in late 2014. Custom-built by New York-based Brooklyn Boulders, the gym features traditional molded holds with frictionless varnished plywood walls, an interesting climbing surface I haven't seen before. Some climbers may not like the smooth walls, but they look really sharp and definitely cut down on chalk dust accumulation. This is a really polished and fully-featured gym, offering key amenities like dedicated auto-belay balcony with easier top roping, as well as a separate "mini gym" where birthday parties and belay testing can happen away from mainstream climbing activities. BKB also has a free-weight gym, climbing training room, private event room and an open study lounge.
Maggie Daley Park
Outdoor Rock Climbing and Bouldering | $15/day | Map
Opened in summer 2015, MDP introduced a fantastic outdoor climbing option for Chicagoans. Featuring two enormous, 40-foot-tall outcroppings of climbing enclosed by the weaving, all-seasons "skating ribbon," the MDP climbing park helps climbers get outside even while stuck in the city and also brings climbing to a general public audience in a way most gyms cannot.
Maggie Daley Climbing Park offers bouldering, top roping, and lead climbing. Capacity is listed at "25 to 100 climbers" at one time, depending on route density. Climbing season dates are not currently listed anywhere I can find.
Though day passes are only $15, climbers new to the park must either take a 45-minute belay class ($29) or pass a "climbing test" ($15) to earn the right to climb. This certification lasts an entire season, but must be renewed the following year.
Hidden Peak
Bouldering Gym with Short Climbs | $10/day | Map
Primarily a bouldering gym, dark and tiny Hidden Peak has a reputation for a welcoming atmosphere, a great community of climbers and a great selection of creative problems. Housed within Lakeshore Academy of Artistic Gymnastics, Hidden Peak offer open climbing to adults only (ages 16+) but does have an excellent structured youth climbing program. Limited hours include 12 - 2 PM (lunch) and 5 - 9 PM (evening) hours, with Saturday hours going noon - 5 PM.
Note: There are a bunch of gyms with "climbing walls" in the Chicago area, but these generally don't meet modern standards for staff knowledge and route quality, variety, and difficulty range.
CLIMBING GYMS IN THE CHIGAGOLAND SUBURBS
Vertical Endeavors Glendale Heights
Full-Service Climbing and Bouldering Gym | $22/day | Map
40 minutes from downtown, find 45,000 square feet of climbing with 30' walls at Vertical Endeavors' sprawling Glendale Heights location. VE long offered the best climbing in Chicagoland at its Warrenville location, but unfortunately LifeTime Fitness refused to renew its lease at the end of 2014, leaving only Glendale Heights under VE management.
First Ascent Arlington Heights
Full-Service Climbing and Bouldering Gym | $25/Day | Map
First Ascent continues their conquest of Midwest indoor climbing with a new location in Arlington Heights, just 40 minutes from downtown Chicago. This location is FA’s biggest yet, featuring over 25,000 square feet of climbing terrain, with roped walls up to 50 ft tall and dedicated bouldering areas.
North Wall
Full-Service Climbing and Bouldering Gym | $17/Day | Map
Northwest of the city in Crystal Lake, IL, the North Wall offers 20 ropes and over 8,000 square feet of climbing.
