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The Best Places for Kids to Go Indoor Rock Climbing In & Near NYC

The Best Places for Kids to Go Indoor Rock Climbing In & Near NYC

Safely introduce your kids to the extreme sport of rock climbing at one of these indoor rock climbing spots in and near New York City.


Rock climbing is great exercise for kids, and indoor rock climbing takes away some of the safety risks of the sport, making it a great activity for kids and families. Check out these great locations to go indoor rock climbing in and near NYC.

Indoor Rock Climbing in Manhattan
Indoor Rock Climbing in Brooklyn
Indoor Rock Climbing in Queens
Indoor Rock Climbing in Long Island
Indoor Rock Climbing in Westchester County
Indoor Rock Climbing in Bergen County, NJ

Indoor Rock Climbing in Manhattan

Steep Rock Bouldering

3225 Broadway, Upper West Side
1506 Lexington Ave., Upper East Side
212-410-7070
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8am-10pm; Saturday-Sunday, 10am-7:30pm
Admission: $22 for limited re-entry day pass, $15 for off-peak day pass (Monday-Friday, 10am-3pm), $6 rental climbing shoes. Extended passes: $140 for pre-paid access pass, $200 for 10-punch pass (expires two years from purchase date). Membership passes start at $85 per month.
With two Manhattan locations, Steep Rock reopened in September and has reworked the gym to ensure its layout is in accordance with New York’s state guidelines and CDC’s COVID-19 guidance, such as reduced occupancy, gym/fitness hygiene and cleanliness protocol and mandatory health screening for participants. Advanced booking is highly recommended for first visits. Children must be at least 5 years old to climb at Steep Rock East and 8 years old at Steep Rock West. Climbers younger than 13 have a climbing curfew of 6:30pm and require a youth to adult ratio of 3-to-1 at Steep Rock East and 2-to-1 at Steep Rock West.

Central Rock Gym

21 West End Ave., Upper West Side
212-265-7625
Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 8am-10pm; kids (12 and younger): 8am-6pm. Tuesday, Thursday: 10am-10pm; kids (12 and younger): 10am-6pm. Saturday-Sunday: 8am-8pm; kids (12 and younger): 8am-4pm
Admission: Standard day pass starts at $33; climbers ages 22 and under, NYC first responders, NYC Department of Education employees, and military personnel with ID start at $26. Day passes for kids 4 and younger start at $25. Rental gear bundle including harness, shoes, chalk, and belay device starts at $7 ($5 for members).
Central Rock Gym offers kids climbing hours on weekdays for kids younger than 13 until 6pm, and weekends until 4pm. Parental supervision is required, and children younger than 8 are not permitted to Boulder. Instead, Staff Belay is highly recommended. Youth climbing teams and after school kids classes are also offered.

Indoor Rock Climbing in Brooklyn

Aviator Sports and Events Center

Floyd Bennett Field, 3159 Flatbush Ave, Bergen Beach
718-758-7500
Hours: Friday, 5-9pm; Saturday, 11am-9pm; Sunday, 11am-6pm
Admission: For two climbs, rates start at $12 per person for non-members and $10.80 per person for members.
While Aviator Sports and Events Center is home to an arcade, ice bumper cars, indoor basketball, ice-skating, sky jump, and more, it also offers the tallest indoor rock climbing wall in Brooklyn at 35 feet high, with challenges for beginners, intermediate, and advanced climbers. Climbers are harnessed by staff and lowered to safety. All ages 5 and older are welcome, and sneakers are required.

GP81

81 Quay St., Greenpoint
347-689-3082
Hours: Monday-Friday, 7am-11pm; Saturday-Sunday, 8am-9:40pm
Admission: While day passes, guest passes, new punch cards, and monthly memberships are temporarily suspended, early bird monthly memberships are offered for check-in before 4pm. Pay extra $10 per visit to climb in the evening. Membership: $98 per month and $5 shoes.
This gym caters to more older children, as it is currently limiting climbers to ages 13 and older. Greenpoint81 Gym features 7,000 square feet of climbing terrain, including two Moon Boards, a 15 degree barrel wall, multiple hang boards, campus board set ups, and walls of 30, 45, and 60 degrees.

Brooklyn Boulders Gowanus

575 Degraw St., Gowanus
347-834-9066
Hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 12-9pm; Tuesday and Thursday, 9am-10pm; Saturday-Sunday, 9am-6pm
Admission: Day passes start at $36, while membership rates start at $95 per a month. Current winter sale offers bundles of 10 visits starting at $230
Brooklyn Boulders Gowanus offers 10,000 square feet of bouldering, auto-belay, top rope, and lead climbing. It also provides fitness equipment and kids programming that runs seven days a week in 2-hour sessions with belay instructors who offer climbing exercises and games.

Indoor Rock Climbing in Queens

The Cliffs at LIC

11-11 44th Drive, Long Island City
718-729-7625
Hours: Monday-Friday, 6am-10pm; Saturday-Sunday, 9am-10pm
Admission: Climbing passes start at $32, $44 for climbing shoes and harness included, $49 for intro to climbing class. Additional pricing includes one month class starts at $160 while a ten visit pass starts at $288
The Cliffs at LIC offers individualized climb-based learning for kids with a low climber-to-coach ratio with exceptional coaches who have elite-level competitive climbing experience as well as early childhood education and professional fitness instruction. Scholarship programs and financial assistance are also offered for all youth programs. For further inquiries, email [email protected]

Brooklyn Boulders Queensbridge

23-10 41st Ave, Long Island City
718-482-7078
Hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 12-9pm; Tuesday and Thursday, 9am-10pm; Saturday-Sunday, 9am-6pm
Admission: Packages include kids academy starting at $39 for ages 5-11, including 2-hour after-school and weekend sessions with built-in gear rental and day pass; teen academy starting at $49 for ages 11-14, including 2-hour after-school and weekend sessions with built-in gear rental and day pass; and adventure day sessions starting at $675 for ages 5-14, with full-day program and one adventure pod for five sessions, plus 10 percent off siblings by requesting sibling discount promo code on youth contact form.
Brooklyn Boulders Queensbridge has a facility strategically situated on lower floors of a residential high-rise building. It is 25,000 square feet and uses live-work-play in a new way, providing for family fun and fitness.



Indoor Rock Climbing on Long Island

The Gravity Vault

40 Melville Park Road, Melville
516-777-9255
Hours: Monday-Friday, 9am-10pm; Saturday-Sunday, 9am-8pm
Admission: $55 for one or two climbers, $75 for three climbers, $95 for four climbers. Walk-in climbing for introduction to rock climbing starts at $27 per participant. Annual memberships for youth 20 and under start at $69.50 per month, $170 per month for family of three plus $55 for additional family members.
The Gravity Vault offers a variety of climbing options for kids, from 1-hour private sessions with staff belay to walk-in climbing, private climbing pods, day passes, memberships, and a technique class for Boy Scouts to earn their Climbing Merit Badges or Girl Scouts to earn their Climbing Fun Patches. Amenities include more than 14,000 square feet of climbing, 40-foot and higher climbing walls, 45-60 top rope stations, and extensive bouldering with dynamic lead climbing.

Island Rock Plainview

60 Skyline Drive, Plainview
516-822-ROCK (7625)
Hours: Monday, 12-10pm; Tuesday, 11am-10pm; Wednesday, 12-11pm; Thursday, 11am-10pm; Friday, 12-10pm; Saturday-Sunday, 9am-6pm. Early morning hours offered to members on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:30-11am.
Admission: Crimpers (ages 6-8) starting at $30 for trial day and $325 on Saturdays from 10am-11am for one day per week. Grippers (ages 8-12) trial day rates start at $45 and $510 for one day per week or $920 for two days per week. Crushers (ages 13-18) start at $40 for trial days and $475 for one day per week. Email youth director [email protected] for further inquiries.
Island Rock’s facility includes more than 14,000 square feet of climbing area, 30-foot climbing walls and bouldering up to 15 feet, a 25-foot rappel tower, two crack climbs, more than 100 top rope routes, 100 boulder problems, 40 lead routes set by a full-time team of professional routesetters, and more.

Indoor Rock Climbing in Westchester County

The Cliffs at Valhalla

1 Commerce St., Valhalla
914-328-7625
Hours: Monday-Friday, 10am-10pm; Saturday, 9am-8pm; Sunday, 9am-6pm. Booking required after 4 pm on weekdays and all day on weekends to ensure social distancing. No booking necessary 10am-4pm on weekdays.
Admission: Climbing passes start at $20, $30 for climbing shoes and harness, $39 for intro to climbing 2-hour instruction, and $59 for learning to climb package, which includes unlimited climbing for a month.
The Cliffs at Valhalla staff believes climbing is not just an activity, but a shared experience, aiming to challenge one another physically and mentally, support one another, and forge friendships. It offers youth afterschool programs for beginners, intermediates, and competitive climbers, as well as private coaching and a socially distanced study hall.

The Rock Club

130 Rhodes St., New Rochelle
914-633-7625
Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:30am-9:30pm; Saturday-Sunday, 9:30am-7:30pm
Admission: first visit: $85 for one month climbing membership which includes climbing 101 class and free rental gear. Day passes start at $17 for students and $12 for children 12 and under, not including rental gear. Gear costs: $5.25 shoes, $5 harness, $2.25 belay device and carabiner, $2.25 chalk bag
The Rock Club offers climbing reservations and is running at 50-percent capacity, with a main wall over 40 feet high and options for beginners and experts. Safety of staff and customers are the highest priority. It offers winter junior programs, holiday climbing camp, and even an adult climbing league if you’re looking to take a class while your child does.

Indoor Rock Climbing in Bergen County, NJ

The Gravity Vault Indoor Rock Gyms

107 Pleasant Ave., Upper Saddle River
201-934-7625
Hours: Monday-Friday, 9am-10pm; Saturday-Sunday, 9am-8pm
Admission: Day passes for youth (20 and younger), start at $18. Walk-in climbing offers two climbs for $20, 1-hour private session with instructor starts at $55 for one or two climbers, $75 for three climbers, $95 for four. Introduction to rock climbing class starts at $27 per participant (groups of 5 or more), P.E. class starts at $50 a session.
With more than 14,000 square feet of climbing, 40 foot climbing walls, and 45-60 rope stations, The Gravity Vault’s mission is to make everyone’s rock climbing experience positive and memorable. It offers options that cater to every age and all experience levels, with memberships and day passes, private climbing sessions, and group classes.

High Exposure Rock Climb, Ninja Warrior Obstacles, NERF Zone, and Family Fun Center

266 Union St., Northvale
201-769-8600
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 12-10pm; Friday, 12-8pm; Saturday-Sunday, 10am-6pm
Admission: Standard day passes are $25 and include action adventure staff belays, harness, ninja and parkour room access, and access to nerf area with an additional $10. For bouldering and traditional climbing, little ninja classes (3-5 year olds) and ninja monkey classes (5-7 year olds) start at $95 per month or a $135 membership for one weekly class.There are aso climbing warrior 1 and 2 options for older kids.
Not only is this place home to a nerf gun arena and a ninja warrior space, but they also have a rock climbing wall your child is sure to love. High Exposure claims rock climbing develops mental focus, improves self-esteem, and requires a healthy dose of self discipline. Youth programs start at 3 years old.

Related | New York Family: The Best Indoor Rock Climbing Gyms for Kids in NYC

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Laura D'Angelo

Author: Laura D’Angelo is a freelance writer for NYMetroParents and is currently getting her master's in English from Binghamton University. When she’s not writing features on all the best spots to bring your kids to in New York, you can often find her playing guitar or lounging at the beach. See More

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