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Johnson Student Recreation Center
4.6 ★★★★★ 204 Google reviews · Climbing gym in Lexington, Kentucky
Health club featuring a pool, rock-climbing wall, basketball courts and racquetball.
Plan your visit
- Day pass around $30 — check current rates; most gyms price gear rental separately and discount off-peak
- 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
- Belaying ropes gyms teach belaying or check your certification at the desk; bouldering and auto-belays need no partner and no belay test
- First timer? bouldering needs zero experience — rent shoes and walk in; staff will point you at the easiest problems
- 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 (859) 257-3928
- Website uky.edu
Hours
| Monday | 6 AM–12 AM |
| Tuesday | 6 AM–12 AM |
| Wednesday | 6 AM–12 AM |
| Thursday | 6 AM–12 AM |
| Friday | 6 AM–12 AM |
| Saturday | 9 AM–9 PM |
| Sunday | 11 AM–12 AM |
What's inside
“The wall is kind of small for top rope at only 26 feet, but the route setting is very fun and creative as the routes get more difficult.”
“There's two floors filled with all kinds of weight machines, benches, and cardio equipment, as well as mats if you're just looking to get in a quick core workout.”
What climbers say again and again
“A criticism I could provide would be that, at least in my experience, the bathrooms don’t always look/smell very clean, but I may be speaking from just one bad experience.”
“Private yoga/miscellaneous workout rooms, a rock climbing wall, indoor basketball courts, and a running track are all also provided, among a few other amenities.”
“The wall is kind of small for top rope at only 26 feet, but the route setting is very fun and creative as the routes get more difficult.”
From the reviews
The Johnson Center is one of the best perks of being a UK student since it's completely free to use and has everything you could need for a workout. The space is huge and very well maintained.
Johnson center is one of the best spaces on campus. When I first came to the University of Kentucky, the first thing I asked was if they had a gym and I wanted to go and check it out.
The Johnson Center “JC” is my favorite place to get a good workout in. The staff here are all super welcoming and passionate about their jobs. The equipment as I've seen is always clean, well kept, and orderly allowing for a quick and efficient workout.
This gym is really well equipped and easy to use. Loads of machines available, and you can check online first to see how busy it is. Always clean and a good temperature. There are other facilities and classes available too that you can find out about at the front desk.
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