One of our favorite places to keep active indoors is at the Austin Bouldering Project! Their separate kid section makes it a safe and fun place for the whole family to play.
You can wear your own shoes or rent theirs. You don’t need the special shoes, but make sure you have appropriate sneakers on!
The kids’ section is in the back left side of the building. There is a separate room for birthday parties, a smaller wall for younger climbers, and a larger play area for kids of all ages. Children are allowed in the larger part of the climbing gym as long as they are accompanied by an adult.
The kids’ section has walls they can climb over the top of and a tunnel they can go through. To get down from the top of the walls, kids can climb back down or go down a slide. Our 7- and 10-year-olds had no trouble getting over the walls, and even our 2-year-old could do it with some assistance. The mats that you walk on throughout the gym and soft and cushy, so even though there are no ropes here, if you fall if shouldn’t really hurt.
The larger part of the gym is for serious climbing adults, so please make sure you watch your kids in this area and be mindful that people come here to get a legit workout! Our boys are natural climbers, so once they mastered the kids’ area, they were ready for a bigger challenge. I wish I shared their fearless spirit and boundless energy! I was happy to keep both of my feet on the ground and take all the pictures, and chase after the toddler. My husband joined the older boys for a climb in the big section and said it was much harder than it looks! The advanced climbers are fun to watch and the whole experience is incredibly entertaining.
Austin Active Kids Opinion
We love this place! It can be a little pricey for a family of five, so we don’t go as often as we’d like. But, if you really want to get into climbing, there are memberships available that would lower the cost per climb. It makes a great rainy day activity!
Outing Time
We go for about an hour. Of course, the longer you stay, the more bang you get for your buck!
Reminders
Wear sneakers or rent climbing shoes. Bring water and a towel. Austin Bouldering Project offers beverages for sale.
What else should I know?
Before going, you will need to sign a waiver and make a climbing reservation.
While there, keep track of your kids! We learned this the hard way. Kids are not allowed to climb in the adult section without an adult accompanying them.
Hours
7 a.m. – 10 p.m. daily.
Climbing reservations are currently required, with certain hours reserved for members.
Location
979 Springdale Rd #150, Austin, TX 78702
