Climbing Gyms Open
Climb So iLL at the Steel Shop
4.8(258)4.8 out of 5 stars, 258 reviews St. Louis, MO
About Climb So iLL at the Steel Shop
Climb So iLL at the Steel Shop offers a unique climbing experience in a cool, converted powerplant building. It stands out with phenomenal routesetting catering to all skill levels (beginner to V8+), a dedicated 'Gravity Lab' section for kids, and a welcoming community. Parents will appreciate the availability of 6 auto-belay systems, a wide variety of 40+ climbing routes, and patient staff who can help nervous children. For families considering regular visits, memberships provide significant value, including access to a full workout gym and discounted classes.
What parents should know
Summarized from real visitor reviews.
Best for: Families with children (6+) looking to try climbing, especially with auto-belays.Parents seeking a venue that caters to both kids and adults, with dedicated children's areas and a full fitness gym.Birthday parties for active children, though with a note to verify staffing.Families with mixed climbing skill levels, from beginners to advanced, due to varied routesetting.Climbers looking for excellent routesetting and a strong, respectful community.
Why families love it
- Dedicated kids' section called 'Gravity Lab' available.
- Staff are friendly, patient, and good with nervous children (e.g., Alex helped a 6-year-old overcome initial hesitation).
- 6 auto-belay systems and 40+ diverse climbing routes are available, offering plenty of options for all levels.
- Routesetting is 'phenomenal' with a good mix of holds, textures, and problems for beginners to advanced climbers.
- The gym fosters a respectful community where climbers observe common courtesy and can find belay partners easily.
- Bathrooms are consistently reported as very clean.
Insider tips
- If planning to visit the kids' 'Gravity Lab' area, **make a reservation in advance** to avoid being turned away due to capacity limits. Also, check current access rules for non-members (extra fee, specific days).
- For first-time or nervous young climbers, be aware that patient staff are often available to help them get started and overcome initial hesitation.
- Consider a membership if you plan multiple visits, as it includes free rental gear for the first month and significant discounts (e.g., 40% off shoes after completing a 'passport booklet').
- Be prepared that classes to learn climbing incur an additional cost, even with a membership discount.
- Parents organizing birthday parties should confirm staff-to-guest ratios or supervision in specific climbing areas, as a past review noted a lack of staff when auto-belays malfunctioned.
- The holds are very grippy; experienced climbers suggest this can be tough on skin, so perhaps bring chalk or hand balm.
Good to know before you go
- Arriving at the 'Gravity Lab' without a prior reservation, particularly during peak times, as you risk being turned away.
- Expecting constant staff supervision in all climbing areas, especially during busy periods like birthday parties, if you are relying on staff to resolve equipment issues.
- Bringing very young children who are not yet able to engage with auto-belay systems or bouldering, as the primary focus is on active climbing activities.
- The dedicated kids' area ('Gravity Lab') may require an extra fee or only be accessible to members on specific days (e.g., Tuesdays).
- Reservations are required for the 'Gravity Lab,' and families risk being turned away if the area is at capacity.
- Crowds
- The 'Gravity Lab' (kids' area) has capacity limits and requires reservations, implying it can get crowded and turn away visitors if full. No other specific crowd level details for the main gym were mentioned.
- Value
- A day pass costs $20. Membership offers substantial value by including access to bouldering, main climbing walls, a full workout area with classes (fitness/yoga), free rental gear for the first month, and a 40% discount on a single item (like climbing shoes) upon completing a 'passport booklet' within 90 days. The kids' 'Gravity Lab' may be an additional cost for non-members or non-specific days, and climbing classes are extra (though discounted for members). This indicates potential hidden costs for certain activities if not a member.
- Accessibility
- No specific accommodations for special needs are mentioned in the reviews.
- Safety
- 6 auto-belay systems are present for individual climbing.
What parents say
"It was our first time visiting today. We only did the auto belay section. My six year old daughter loved it. She's been climbing before but only once so she was super nervous at first and refused to do anything the first hour we were there. Luckily she snapped out of it and Alex was so good with her and patient. She wanted him to show her how to do things and get started."
4 months ago
"Staff is super friendly, and everyone at the gym seems respectful of all other climbers and seems to observe common courtesy. With a membership, not only do you get access to the bouldering wall and main climbing walls, but you get access to their workout area with ample pull-up bar esque play-space, and free fitness classes as well as yoga classes! If you want to experience the front area geared mostly towards kids (called the gravity lab i think), you either need to come on a Tuesday(I believe it is open to members then) or pay extra I believe. If you want to use this area, I believe you mu"
2 months ago
"My nephew went to this place for a birthday party, and it was a fun experience overall. However, there were no staff around our area, so when two of the auto-belay systems (the things that buckle you to the wall) went up, we couldn’t use those climbing walls. That was a bit disappointing since it limited what we could do. Other than that, it was a good time!"
3 weeks ago
Reviews sourced from public Google data.
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