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First Ascent Arlington Heights
4.9 ★★★★★ 525 Google reviews · Climbing gym in Arlington Heights, Illinois
Fitness center with numerous rock climbing routes, plus yoga classes and day passes.
Plan your visit
- Gear rental nearly every climbing gym rents shoes (~$5–8 typical) and chalk; harness rental is often bundled with a ropes pass
- Waiver always required at climbing gyms — sign it online before you go to skip the front-desk line
- First timer? bouldering needs zero experience — rent shoes and walk in; staff will point you at the easiest problems
- Kids programs classes, camps, or youth teams mentioned — check the current schedule
- Yoga & fitness mentioned alongside the climbing — ask about the class schedule and what a pass includes
- Memberships available — worth asking about if you'd climb more than a few times a month
- Today see hours ·
- Phone (224) 735-7150
- Website faclimbing.com
Hours
| Monday | 6 AM–10 PM |
| Tuesday | 6 AM–10 PM |
| Wednesday | 6 AM–10 PM |
| Thursday | 6 AM–10 PM |
| Friday | 6 AM–10 PM |
| Saturday | 10 AM–8 PM |
| Sunday | 10 AM–8 PM |
What's inside
“Unfortunately when I visited, 90% of the boulder wall and all the good holds were being used for a citizens comp.”
“As far as climbing goes, some walls have auto-belay systems, which means you can climb on their own without a partner.”
“One of my favorite things was watching people practice on the speed climbing.”
What climbers say again and again
“There are showers and lockers in the women's restroom; it is spacious and clean on a Thursday morning.”
“If you’re a beginner, no need to worry, as they rent all the gear you need, a training video before you begin, and even have people roaming the floor who can assist as needed.”
“As far as climbing goes, some walls have auto-belay systems, which means you can climb on their own without a partner.”
“Staff is helpful/knowlegable and auto-belay routes and bouldering are fun and challenging.”
“This is an amazing venue to host competitions and I hope they continue to host them for the community and the youth compeitive circuit - they do an AMAZING job on these events.”
From the reviews
Updated: to add that I appreciate they communicate well with the membership as to events happening in the gym! We get emails when large secions are being closed for comps or clinics.
Beautiful and spacious new gym with a decently sized bouldering area and some nice wall features. They have installed more autbelays (10 total now I think). Hopefully they will set a wider variety of climbs for autobelay and top rope, especially in the middle range (5.8 - 5.
This place is awesome! Clean, safe, and top notch! Go with your friends or by yourself, there is plenty to do. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Rental equipment is accessible and good quality. The building itself is very nice and modern feel. There is lifting equipment, treadmill, and much more to stay fit.
This place is remarkable. In a world with so many gimmicky venues for families and kids, this is an amazing location filled with “25,000 square feet” of climbing walls.
Birthday parties at First Ascent Arlington Heights
First Ascent Arlington Heights hosts birthday parties — confirmed on their own site. Climbing parties come with staff who handle the harnesses and belaying, so parents can mostly watch. One thing that's different here: every guest needs a signed waiver — send the gym's waiver link to the other parents when you send invites, or check-in day gets slow. Packages, party rooms, and pricing change often, so check the current options and book ahead — weekend slots go fast at popular gyms.
Kids classes & camps at First Ascent Arlington Heights
Reviews and the gym's own info mention kids programs at First Ascent Arlington Heights — climbing classes, school-break camps, or a youth team where kids learn technique from coaches instead of just scrambling around. Program schedules and age groups change each season, so check the current lineup before you plan around one.
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