Movement Hampden
Overview
Expert Summary
Detailed Insights
Movement Hampden stands out as a premier bouldering-focused gym with an exceptional diversity of creative routes, unique holds, and varied wall angles suitable for all skill levels. It's highly praised for its inclusive environment and friendly staff, offering a vibrant community for dedicated climbers and welcoming beginners. The convenience of extensive parking and a hub of neighboring businesses (coffee, ice cream, brewery) adds to its appeal as a comprehensive activity destination.
Key Highlights
- ✓Exceptional bouldering experience with super fun, creative, and consistently graded routes that cater to both technique and strength.
- ✓Great diversity of routes, unique holds (big, small, in-between), and walls with different angles and rounded shapes.
- ✓Features unique bouldering elements like a 'hanging island thing with a peg board, horizontal grip ladder, and half ball grips'.
- ✓Walls are reset biweekly, providing fresh challenges while still allowing weeks to work on projects due to the gym's large size.
- ✓Highly inclusive environment, explicitly described as 'queer friendly and non-binary inclusive'.
- ✓Staff are consistently described as 'friendly and helpful'.
- ✓Offers great yoga classes in addition to climbing.
- ✓Conveniently located with a coffee shop, ice cream place, and brewery with food right next door.
Standout Features
- ⭐Diverse bouldering routes and unique holds that accommodate all skill levels.
- ⭐Regular biweekly route resets ensure fresh challenges.
- ⭐Explicitly inclusive and welcoming atmosphere.
- ⭐Attached gym facility available.
- ⭐Comfortable places to sit and watch or shop.
- ⭐Good quality yoga classes.
- ⭐Plenty of parking available out front.
- ⭐Proximity to a coffee shop, ice cream place, and craft brewery with food.
Perfect For
Ideal For
💡Pro Tips from Reviews
- →If you're interested in rope climbing, this gym is not for you as it only offers bouldering.
- →Be prepared for a high membership cost; consider if a guest pass or a free day with a friend is an option if budget is a concern.
- →Bring your own water and snacks to avoid expensive on-site options like $8 shakes.
- →If you plan to fall, be aware the bouldering mats are described as 'rock hard'.
- →Avoid evenings if you prefer a less crowded climbing experience.
- →Explore the neighboring coffee shop, ice cream place, or brewery for food and drinks.
Things to Consider
- ⚠No rope climbing available, it is exclusively a bouldering gym.
- ⚠Membership fees are considered 'dramatically overpriced' at $90-100/month, especially compared to $70-90/month in other cities for comparable amenities.
- ⚠Advanced classes are expensive even for members, considered 'ridiculous considering the membership price'.
- ⚠Bouldering mats are described as 'rock hard'.
- ⚠Internal food/drink items, like 'core power shakes', are very expensive at $8.
- ⚠Can be 'very crowded in the evenings'.
- ⚠Saturday afternoons can be busy, though routes might still be available.
Price & Value
The membership is notably high at $90-100/month, described as 'dramatically overpriced' compared to other cities ($70-90/month). Advanced classes are an additional expensive cost even for members. On-site food/drinks, like 'core power shakes', are also expensive ($8). While the bouldering quality, route setting, and staff are highly praised, the overall value proposition is questioned due to the high costs, making it potentially cost-prohibitive for some.
♿Accessibility & Special Needs
- •Explicitly described as 'queer friendly and non-binary inclusive', suggesting a welcoming social environment.
- •No specific details regarding physical accessibility for wheelchairs or other special needs are mentioned in the reviews.
🍎Food & Drink Policy
- •No explicit policy on outside food is mentioned, but on-site 'core power shakes are $8' and considered a 'rip off'.
- •A coffee shop, ice cream place, and brewery with food are conveniently located next door, offering alternative dining options.
🚗Parking Info
- •Ample 'lots of parking out front' is available, indicating ease of access for drivers.
👥Crowd Levels
- •Described as 'always very crowded in the evenings'.
- •Saturday afternoons can have 'a lot of people', but climbers generally reported 'barely any trouble finding a bunch of open routes'.
🛡️Safety Features
- •Bouldering mats are mentioned, but described as 'rock hard', which could be a concern for comfort and impact absorption during falls.
- •No other specific safety features like active staff monitoring of climbing areas, first aid stations, or entry/exit protocols are explicitly detailed in the reviews, beyond generally helpful and friendly staff.
⏰When to Avoid
- • Families or individuals specifically looking for rope climbing.
- • Those on a strict budget for gym memberships, classes, or on-site refreshments.
- • Anyone sensitive to hard landing surfaces, due to 'rock hard' bouldering mats.
- • Evenings, if you dislike crowded climbing environments.
- • Families with very young children, as no specific toddler or kids' play areas are mentioned.
Pricing/Package/Events
Pricing & Packages
Monthly Membership
Starting at $95Duration: Monthly
Unlimited access to climbing, yoga, and fitness at all Movement locations, plus member benefits.
Includes:
- •Unlimited climbing, yoga, and fitness
- •Free Intro to Ropes or Bouldering climbing classes
- •Unlimited yoga and fitness classes
- •12 guest passes per year (1 per calendar month, includes gear rental)
- •Two first-time guest passes per day (includes gear rental)
- •$25 credit for referring a new monthly member
- •Free member clinics and events
- •10% discount on gear and apparel in the Movement gear shop (20% off first purchase)
- •Discounts on climbing classes and workshops
- •Nationwide access to all Movement gyms
- •Exclusive perks from brands and guiding services
- •Free WiFi
7-Visit Pass
$175Duration: 7 visits
Transferable pass for 7 visits to the gym, never expires.
30-Day Membership
$115Duration: 30 days
Short-term membership with 30 days of access.
Day Pass
$28Duration: 1 day
Full access to climbing routes, training areas, fitness and yoga classes, weight rooms, and community events for one day. Can be applied to membership cost if purchased same day.
Includes:
- •Full access to climbing routes
- •Climbing-specific training areas
- •Fitness and yoga classes
- •Full-service weight rooms
- •Community events
Child Day Pass
$19Duration: 1 day
Day pass for children under 13 years of age.
Includes:
- •Full access to climbing routes
- •Climbing-specific training areas
- •Fitness and yoga classes
- •Full-service weight rooms
- •Community events
Student Day Pass
$23Duration: 1 day
Discounted day pass for students, valid M-F before 5 pm with current student ID.
Includes:
- •Full access to climbing routes
- •Climbing-specific training areas
- •Fitness and yoga classes
- •Full-service weight rooms
- •Community events
Events & Schedule
Special Events(Last 2 months - Next 6 months)
Summer Smackdown Semi-Finals
Saturday, August 2
Not specified, but includes free beer + kombucha for attendees.
Competition-style climbing event with unique routes set for the comp. Spectators can enjoy free beer + kombucha.
Bring a Friend Day
First Friday of every month
Free for guest, included with member's benefits
Members can bring a guest for free, which does not count against their yearly guest pass total. Gear rental for the guest is included.
🛡️Safety Policy
- • All participants and observers must complete an online Participant Agreement. Parents or legal guardians must sign for anyone under 18 years of age.
- • Individuals planning to lead climb or lead belay must complete a Lead Climbing Assumption of Risk form.
- • All climbers and observers must check-in at the front desk before entering the gym.
- • Climbing is inherently dangerous, and participants and observers must assume the risks associated with climbing and entering the facility.
- • Before every climb, ensure to double-check your partner’s safety system (knots/harness/carabiners/belay device). Staff reserves the right to check safety systems at any time.
- • Individuals desiring to top rope belay, lead belay, or lead climb must be at least 13 years of age and pass the corresponding Belay Check. Proper credentials must be displayed via provided harness tag. Individuals who fail a Belay Check must wait a minimum of 24 hours before re-taking it. Limited exceptions to age requirements are made for climbing team members.
- • Belay Check requirements include: putting on a harness and tying a Figure Eight Retrace Knot (or carabiner clip-in system for DFW region) with at least six inches of tail, putting the rope 'on belay' using an approved device, demonstrating pre-climbing checks, belaying with a brake hand maintained at all times, catching simulated falls, and demonstrating proper lowering technique.
- • Weight differences between the climber and the belayer can significantly impact safety.
- • All persons using the facility are expected to be respectful and conduct themselves in good order. Persons behaving unsafely or disorderly will be asked to leave.
📅Booking Policy
- • Online Participant Agreement can be filled out in advance to speed up check-in. An email with a validation link must be clicked (expires in two hours).
🚗Parking Information
- • Located in the Union Collective, a vibrant retail and community space (may imply shared parking, specific details not provided).
What People Say
What's Great
- Friendly and helpful staff (mentioned in 11 reviews)
- Fun and entertaining activities (mentioned in 2 reviews)
- Spacious play areas (mentioned in 3 reviews)
Areas for Improvement
- Pricing can be high (mentioned in 4 reviews)
- Parking can be challenging (mentioned in 2 reviews)
Recent Reviews
Noah Patton
3 months agoOkay gym with a lot of great bouldering, but no rope climbing and dramatically overpriced for the value (currently 90-100/month). Even in Chicago, climbing gym memberships for comparable or superior amenities are only 70-90/month. Classes are nice, but similarly limited. Anything beyond intro is expensive even for members which is ridiculous considering the membership price. It's also always very crowded in the evenings due to being the only climbing gym in the Baltimore City area.
Gin S
7 months agoMy favorite Movement gym out of the many I've been to. Bouldering routes are super fun and creative, appropriately and consistently graded. Balanced setting between technique and strength so even short climbers like myself can have fun and make progress on projects. Walls are reset biweekly but the gym is large enough that you have weeks to work on a project if needed. Yoga classes are great too and staff are always friendly and helpful. Lots of parking out front and there is a coffee shop, ice cream place, and brewery with food next door. Love this gym so much that I travel from out of state regularly to climb here, my home gym in Philly is notches below.
Trey Andrew
6 years agoIt’s a damn nice place for bouldering. I’ve been to other rock gyms and they were fun but this one has a great diversity of routes and holds. It’s not just like a few walls with some small cheap holds, there’s a bunch of walls with a ton of unique holds big, small, and in between. the walls are also all different angles and rounded so their much better then just straight 90° walls or whatever. There’s this hanging island thing with a peg board, horizontal grip ladder, and those half ball grips which is fun to try and climb as well. There’s routes for all skill sets and even if you don’t want to climb there’s a gym attached and nice places to sit and watch or shop; and right next door a nice ice cream shop and craft brewery. Even though there were a lot of people kind of on the Saturday afternoon I went we still had barely any trouble finding a bunch of open routes and most climbers are like most Canadians, polite and helpful. Staff, walls, amenities, and all are enough for a solid rounded up 5 star review.
Lenna Mack
7 months agoIncredible experience. Loved climbing for the first time and the low level routes were really good at introducing me to the sport. I loved how inclusive the gym is. They are queer friendly and non-binary inclusive, which matters to me a lot. I don't often have good experiences at gyms that arent explicitly queer friendly. I left feeling great, winded and more than anything incredibly happy and joyful to be working out. Unfortunately I don't get paid enough to be able to fit their membership fee into my budget, so I'll just have to wait until a friend can bring me along for a free day or with a guest pass or something. It's disappointing, but that's the way life goes.
Kevin Crittenden
3 months agoReally great facility, but the bouldering mats are rock hard and their core power shakes are $8! We don’t even pay those kinds of prices in LA lol total rip off.