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The Best Climbing Gyms in Philadelphia of 2024

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Philadelphia truly offers some of the most unique, new, and upcoming indoor climbing gyms available on the market. Since we are aware that there is such an array of gyms in Philadelphia, we are going to select our overall favorite, a top pick, then a runner up, and finally a value pick. Our value pick gym is meant to be a location that prices almost seem like you’re getting more than you’re paying for. On that note, the best climbing gyms in Philadelphia obviously differ from person to person. But we can assure you that no matter who you are, there’s a gym out there for you.

After you’re done here, if you’re still looking for another city, check out our reviews of other cities’ climbing gyms here.

Our Favorite for the Best Overall Indoor Climbing Gym in PhiladelphiaOur Favorite for the Best Overall Indoor Climbing Gym in Philadelphia

East Falls

Overview:

Being a 14,000 square foot facility with over 90 routes is no easy task, but also having friendly staff, membership perks, and a rocking community makes it all the more impressive – say hello to East Falls. This facility has so much content it’s almost overwhelming at first. For example, they have rooms dedicated to a retail shop, changing, fitness, private rental, training, and much more. You can really make East Falls you’re permanent indoor climbing gym as the owners are proud of what they’ve created and plan to keep it open for as long as possible.

 

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A post shared by Philadelphia Rock Gyms (@philarockgym) on Aug 21, 2018 at 12:51pm PDT 

What Makes East Falls Unique:

  • Luckily, the love we have for East Falls is shared with the majority of the climbing community out here in Philadelphia. Just take a look for yourself, “Awesome coaches, great rock walls spanning a huge range of difficulties, some are great for those who have never rock climbed before (like myself) and some could challenge those who have very high levels of experience climbing. I went here on a school trip and my experience was awesome. The instructors did a very good job explaining everything and finding the walls that worked for everyone’s skill level.”

Why Choose East Falls:

  • On a very interesting note, they even have outdoor guidance if you need help or practice learning how to handle climbing in the actual outdoors – indoor climbing isn’t enough for some people after all. They also offer a $169 10 day punch pass, for those interested in getting a taste of the gym whenever you choose to stop by.

Additional Services:

You’re in luck if you live for variety because there’s simply a little bit of everything here at East Falls in Philadelphia. They’ve got a climbing school for the kiddos that are sure to teach them everything newcomers need to know and refine the skills of already established climbers. While their private events are fully customizable, you get to rent out the entire facility for as much time as you have selected what could be better? Teambuilding packages are also an option for those who want to go into climbing together and accomplish your hopes and of course dreams.

Pricing:

East Fall’s monthly annual membership is quite a deal that you should jump on simply because it’s only $55 a month. However, if you don’t like the commitment and don’t want an annual membership you can get monthly memberships individually for only $60. You may be wondering what exact perks and benefits you’ll be getting for this membership, and oh is it a long list of things. Specifically, you’ll get access to member-only discounts, unlimited use of the gym, and freebie services. As for gear, you can easily get it for free or for very cheap depending if you are a member or not.

Our Top Pick for the Best Philadelphia Bouldering GymOur Top Pick for the Best Philadelphia Bouldering Gym

Tufas Boulder Lounge

Overview:

This facility is an over 12,500 square foot location, that’s owned and operated by experts that have been climbing for well over 15 years. One of their marketing phrases “not just a rock climbing gym” is quite apparent with their 1,500 square foot area in the gym dedicated to training for youth and adults alike. Furthermore, they even contain multiple lounge areas that are perfect for an after climb rest. Their social media presence found on Facebook, Instagram, and those alike really emits some positive vibes and professionalism. The Tufas Boulder Lounge brand is one that’s top-notch and should be looked into if you ever need a multi-purpose climbing gym location.

 

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A post shared by Tufas Boulder Lounge (@tufas_boulder_lounge) on Dec 16, 2018 at 7:40am PST 

What Makes Tufas Boulder Lounge Unique:

  • The guys at Tufas Boulder Lounge love community values and forming new climbers out of people never exposed to the sport before. So with that in mind, it makes a lot of sense why they have these special group rates. These come with a day pass, equipment rental, and a valuable 1 hour of instruction. If you have 1-4 members for this group service, it cost only $30 per person. But, the more people you tag along the cheaper it becomes – meaning if you have over 10 people it’s only $20 per person.

Why Choose Tufas Boulder Lounge:

  • The gratification expressed by customers who attend Tufas Boulder Lounge on Facebook, Google, and other locations are just ecstatic, “Best vibe in a climbing gym. Period. The setting is 5 stars – thoughtful and aesthetic. The wall angles give you an incredibly well-rounded experience, a hold selection that would make a gym two times larger blush, and more than enough to keep you busy. The training area has all that you need, including two hydraulic walls (kilter & tension). You will not be disappointed.”

Additional Services:

Starting with the youth, they are really supported and have a plethora of classes that are sure to make any youth member an expert in no time. The service levels come in at junior recreational club, recreational, and lastly teen. As for the more adult-themed courses, they contain an intro to bouldering which is exactly what it sounds like. It not only teaches you the basics and safety of bouldering but ensures and sets you up for the more advanced techniques and forms. Some smaller services include yoga/fitness which really just focuses on the broad topic of fitness and exercise in general.

Pricing:

Quite surprisingly, knowing that Tufas Boulder Lounge has these grand services and quality climbing routes, you would expect the prices to be fairly high except it’s the opposite. Their day passes are a measly $18 and offer access to an all-day experience while they even have a $3 cheaper day pass for youth, military, and seniors. While their monthly membership that’s recurring is $70 per month and comes packed with 2 free friend passes per month. Oh, and minorly, shoe rentals clock in at $5 for those who just don’t happen to have their own gear.

Our Runner Up for the Best Climbing Gym in PhiladelphiaOur Runner Up for the Best Climbing Gym in Philadelphia

Go Vertical

Overview:

As for our runner up, Go Vertical offers a 13,500 square foot facility with an impressive 250 routes that are changed on the regular. There is always something fresh to lay your eyes on upon entry here at this facility, with a whole 20 routes being changed or added each week. They even have a separate area for kids so that they can feel home in their own area without having to worry about the potential clutter with other adult climbers. You’ll be expertly accepted into the gym with a warm-up and safety procedure to make sure each and every one of their climbers maintains a high standard of safety.

What Makes Go Vertical Unique:

  • It’s hard to just pick a singular aspect about Go Vertical that makes it unique, so for more context – we have several points to elaborate upon. On one side of the gym, they have a warm-up bouldering traverse that goes almost 200 feet around the gym. While the material of the gym is entirely made up of hi-tech shock-absorbing form that’s designed to help ease the pain if you ever fall to the ground. On a final note, they have sections tailed to both men and female including a shower, locker, and bathroom.

Why Choose Go Vertical:

  • Taking a look at reviews for a given product or location can help get a better view and opinion of the actual quality of a location. So we went and took a good look at what people wrote about Go Vertical, “This is my favorite rock climbing gym! We were members for years, and the staff really takes the time to get to know you. Even going back years later I felt just as welcomed even though I wasn’t a regular anymore. This old warehouse turned rock gym offers an amazing assortment of top rope, lead rope, and bouldering options. There’s something for every skill level.”

Additional Services:

Instead of offering a big mess of services, Go Vertical contains several condensed services that are intended to be a plentiful package all for a small price tag. Some of their services include a climbing school for the kids to learn all about climbing and even big-budget parties that are a riot even for the adults. Another useful service just so happens to be their climbing clinic which is a perfect relaxing location after your workout on the walls.

Pricing:

Go Vertical’s pricing hits the nail on the head for affordability, with their normal day passes coming in at $19 for adults. On the other hand, they also quite interestingly feature a day pass for bouldering that’s $17. If you want to build a more intimate relationship with this gym after attempting a day pass and forming a love for the gym, their memberships come in at $65 per month. Moving on, they even contain a $12 gear pass that includes shoes, harness, two carabiners, and even a belay device. If Go Vertical has caught your eye as it has us, we highly recommend checking out their other pricing options as they really do have a lot more that fits for those young and old.

Our Value Pick for the Best Climbing Gym in PhiladelphiaOur Value Pick for the Best Climbing Gym in Philadelphia

Reach Indoor Climbing & Fitness

Overview:

Excellence & safety – these two words are the core values each and every single worker at Reach Indoor Climbing & Fitness aims to achieve. While some of their climbing walls are designed to be climbed by newcomers or those in the youth section, other walls are treacherous and rickety which are sure to even give the toughest climbers a run for their money. These walls in question go up to 55 feet and are regularly updated with new problems and even the customer’s feedback is valued in every way possible.

 

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A post shared by Reach Climbing + Fitness (@reachclimbingphilly) on Jul 7, 2019 at 7:50am PDT 

What Makes Reach Climbing Unique:

  • Their staff are very much praised quite often and for good reason to. Anytime any of their customers are facing an issue the staff are quick and happy to assist whether you’re in need of gear assistance or just want to learn a technique for climbing. They truly are proud and have a lot of gratitude to offer a gym that meets all of their customer’s needs, wants, and services.

Why Choose Reach Climbing:

  • Reviews by the community are truly a very crucial way to gauge what the general public actually thinks about a location opposed to the company itself telling you how great they are. With that in mind Reach Climbing is well-loved put simply, “Reach Climbing is a wonderful addition for all Sport Climbers in the greater Philadelphia area. They have high walls, good setting, 5 different auto belays with multiple climbs, and a ton of nice people willing to give you a catch. They have a beautiful weight room with a Peloton bike. The hours of operation will work well with all schedules, and beautiful bathrooms with showers to make climbing before work doable.  You might think the monthly is steep, but it is worth every penny. PS their AC unit works perfectly even on the 100% humidity days.”

Additional Services:

Lessons and classes galore! Private belay, bouldering basics, adult technique, lead, and private classes are just a few options of what they offer to their customers. You can expect top of the line trainers, packed with lots of time and services offered for very low prices depending on what you have in mind. On the flip side, they have a goofy and fun personality to them as well as their birthday parties are sure to show you. Youth climbing members are just as important as adult ones, so you can also expect a summer camp and a dedicated youth climbing team that’s great for newcomers.

Pricing:

Getting straight to the goods, Reach Climbing’s day passes come in at a solid and all-around price of $22 – which is perfect for those out of state visitors. You can get the day pass for an even cheaper price if you work with one of their staff members to bundle it with something or use one of the readily available coupons they pump out throughout the year. You can even get a 10 visit punch pass for an overall cheaper price of $198 which is valid all throughout the year for those needing a flexible plan. Now, for the memberships, the youth can get them for $70 while adults clock in at just a bit more for $85. One thing to note is that the guys at Reach Climbing constantly expressing the following, “Our number one priority is customer satisfaction and we work to ensure that all of your climbing and fitness needs are met.” They really do consider their prices making a profit and their customers being happy with reasonable prices at an equal level which is quite refreshing to see if you ask us.

Summary of the Best Climbing Gyms in Philadelphia

Our overall favorite simply has to have been the gym that reigns triumphant over them all. East Falls is the gym we are obviously referring to here, there 14,000 square foot location and additional services should be plentiful for anyone.

Tufas Boulder Lounge became our top pick simply because of the essence and community this gym contains. The crowd is always booming here and is a great spot to come and have fun.

Next up, we had to pick Go Vertical for our runner up simply because of the originality in the way they run the gym. Make sure to keep watch of this one for many years to come.

Lastly, Reach Indoor Climbing & Fitness clocks in for our value pick because of a large number of offerings present here for a price that will more than make up for it in what you get in return.

At long last, we are proud to say that the gyms found within Philadelphia really are something to pay attention to. Just with the vast amount of variety and always constant upcoming gyms, you’ll find something to love. The best climbing gyms in Philadelphia are ready to be enjoyed by you!

Did you enjoy this guide on the best climbing gyms in Philadelphia? Check out our reviews of other cities’ climbing gyms here.

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