Hangar 18 Indoor Climbing Gym - Long Beach

Name: Hangar 18 Indoor Climbing Gym - Long Beach
Address: 2599 E Willow St, Signal Hill, CA 90755, USA, Los Angeles, CA, US
Telephone: (562) 981-3200
Rating: 4.4

4.4(308) Los Angeles, CA

Directions Website

About Hangar 18 Indoor Climbing Gym - Long Beach

Hangar 18 Long Beach stands out as a less crowded alternative to its Orange location, offering a welcoming, community-focused atmosphere that is particularly 'extremely kid friendly'. Parents consistently praise the helpful staff, the availability of beginner-friendly climbing routes (especially on auto belays), and frequent bouldering route resets. It's an excellent choice for families seeking a positive and supportive environment for their children to learn and enjoy climbing.

What parents should know

Summarized from real visitor reviews.

Best for: Families with beginner to intermediate climbers, especially those with children aged 9 and up.Parents seeking a less crowded climbing gym experience, particularly on weekends.Solo climbers benefiting from auto belays and a welcoming atmosphere.Families looking for a supportive and community-oriented climbing environment.Learning or improving climbing skills with helpful staff and diverse routes.

Why families love it

Consistently described as less crowded than other Hangar 18 locations, even on Saturday mornings and weekends.
Routesetters create unique and engaging climbs, with bouldering routes updated weekly every Tuesday.
Extremely kid-friendly environment with many kids climbing; ages 9 and 13 explicitly love it.
Staff is repeatedly noted as super friendly, nice, welcoming, and helpful (e.g., offering top rope refreshers).
Strong sense of community where climbers and staff are supportive and helpful.
Ample auto belays (five in total) with beginner-friendly routes (5.9 or lower) suitable for kids and solo climbers.

Insider tips

Visit on weekends for a less crowded experience, especially if other Hangar 18 locations are typically packed.
Don't hesitate to ask front desk staff for refreshers if you're rusty on top rope technique.
Utilize the auto belays for solo climbing, warm-ups, or cardio reps.
Be aware that bouldering routes are reset weekly on Tuesdays, so plan accordingly if you want to try new bouldering challenges.
If you prefer a quieter music experience, be aware that loud rock music may occasionally be played.

Good to know before you go

If a very large climbing gym space is a top priority (though gym size reports are conflicting).
If sensitive to potential odors or an inconsistent A/C experience (reviewers had mixed opinions).
If unpleasant restrooms are a deal-breaker.
Conflicting reports on gym size: some describe it as smaller, others as large/bigger than Orange.
One review noted a lack of A/C and a 'smell like feet,' while another specifically praised the 'cool temperature' and working A/C.

Crowds: Consistently described as significantly less crowded than the Orange location.
Value: While no specific prices are mentioned, reviewers note 'you really can’t beat it for the atmosphere and price.' The value is enhanced by a friendly staff, community vibe, less crowding, and the ability to use a membership across multiple Hangar 18 locations.
Food: No specific food or drink policies were mentioned in the reviews.
Accessibility: No specific accessibility accommodations for physical or sensory needs were mentioned in the reviews.
Safety: Staff offers refreshers on top rope technique, indicating a focus on safe climbing practices.

What parents say

David Nguyen

5.0

"I've been to the Long Beach Hangar twice now, and the second time around, the routes were super interesting. Each wall offers fairly unique climbs like a lot of gyms try to offer, but I feel Long Beach routesetters know what they're doing. There were a few climbs that offered dynamic approaches to them that were super fun, and you feel cool swinging from one hold to a mid-air hang between two holds. Super stellar stuff. The gym isn't as big as the Orange location, but parking is plenty, and it doesn't get nearly as crowded as Orange either. I came here Saturday morning and never once felt like"

9 months ago

Hannah

5.0

"The gym staff were really nice and welcoming, making me immediately feel at home. The gym itself is on the smaller side with two top rope walls, two auto belay walls and an average sized bouldering area. For solo climbers, there are a total of five auto belays, all of which had a 5.9 or lower set on them. The setting was a little stiffer than I’m used to but my gym is known for soft setting (Touchstone). All in all you really can’t beat it for the atmosphere and price."

4 months ago

Sabrina Kroeber

5.0

"This is my go to gym when I need to workout and climb. The bouldering walls are updated in sections and done every Tuesday so there’s always new routes once a week in different sections! The staff is super friendly and it’s usually great music (sometimes there is loud rock which I’m not a fan of but eh what can you do 🤷🏻‍♀️). The top rope section is small but that’s okay there are two areas to do it. The autobelay is nice when you want to do reps of climbs to get your cardio. The only drawback of this place is the lack of A/C and it definitely smells like feet 😂 but for the price I can’t "

2 months ago

Reviews sourced from public Google data.