Although this location is smaller compared to other CRG gyms in Boston, the climbs are more…read morechallenging and still kept us busy for almost 2 hours. My group isn't made up of serious climbers, but we had a lot of fun and felt like there were definitely enough climbs to try and of all levels. The staff when we went were chill and friendly. The facility was clean, and the chalk was well-stocked. Overall was a better climbing experience, and it would be my preferred gym if I lived closer!

Visited this gym while traveling through Boston. My partner and I anticipated getting to utiltize…read morethe gym as a spot to climb, shower and waste some time while we explored Boston waiting on our next flight. The gym itself was much smaller than anticipated. Staff was helpful but part of the wall was closed making access even more limited. The climbing wall was rather small even if that section was open. The gym area had enough equipment to lift and improvise other work outs. They only had one of two showers operable, as one shower was filled with storage. When I went to use the operable shower I was told not to take a hot shower or not to be longer than 10 minutes because it would set off the fire alarm and sprinklers in the whole building. I found it strange but there was a fire alarm/detector in the bathroom so I set a timer. The bathroom was absolutely disgusting. More than one days worth of hair in the shower. Grime on the walls and floors. The bathroom area outside of the shower was also dirty. Before I showered staff went into the bathroom to fill his mop bucket and mopped the entire floor in the main climbing area but didn't touch the bathroom itself. I would not recommend this gym if you are passing through and looking for a space to climb and hang out like we were.

I really like this gym! I came in pretty new to climbing and have enjoyed the bouldering and belay…read moreroutes a lot once I got certified. It's a pretty good deal to have a climbing, gym, and class membership all in one. I've taken one yoga class - I really enjoyed it and plan to do more classes in the future. The people that work here as well as the other climbers are generally super nice and helpful. Adding - I had to get surgery recently and they were very kind about freezing my membership (and then extending the freeze) till I'm cleared to climb. Thank you!

Came in for the first time to see if I wanted a membership here. Brandon was very nice and helpful…read moreand gave me a tour. Another female employee came up unprompted and decided to mansplain climbing to us and told me I was not allowed to ask my friends for a spot while bouldering. Just coming back after recovering from ACL and meniscus reconstruction and felt I might land awkwardly on my bad leg. Still not sure why it was not allowed for them to make sure I landed straight down vs sideways on one leg (exact situation that tore my ACL). Regardless, not worth getting a membership somewhere with an employee like that.

Great low key + good vibe facility…read more I've been climbing here for two months now. Ngan was my top rope instructor and she was excellent, very thorough and made me confident for my first couple weeks of climbing. I really enjoy the atmosphere, absolutely zero pretentiousness & a really welcoming place. Huge compared to a lot of the other gyms in Boston and a great value for the monthly membership.

We had a birthday party here for my 8-year old son and it was fantastic! The staff were all…read moreincredibly helpful and attentive. I highly recommend this place for older children to learn how to climb safely.

Central Rock Gym is the place to go if you're looking for a rock climbing place in the area!…read more I've only visited once but I had such a fun time. I had no idea they had a fitness room with machines + good amount of equipment needed to get a good workout in. They have one side that is geared towards beginner rock climbers & more difficult climbs on the other side for more advanced climbers. Workers are super kind and are helpful. Would definitely come back again!

A friendly and welcoming Rock Climbing Gym for any level of experience!…read moreI only rock climbed once and recently wanted to try it again for fun. This spot was not crowded at all and had a lot of open area to try new things. There is a video that they have you watch to get an understanding of the gym, and what sections are for what type of climb. The staff was also very nice in answering questions and making sure you are safe. For beginner climbers, you can climb on short rocks without gear and you can climb tall rocks with gear. There is a large section of the gym where you need a certificate to climb so those were off limits to me. Overall I spent about an hour and a half trying each climb. A very good spot to check out if you are a beginner or just need an open space to climb.

I was here on a Sunday evening using ClassPass. It was fairly easy to book. It was very hard to…read morefind the gym on brattle street, it's an apartment like building that does require a code to get in. As the ClassPass confirmation did not come with instructions, I had a wait until someone who had access could let me in. There is the option to ring the door bell, but no one responded despite pressing the bell many times. While I waited a couple of people gave up and left. Thankfully someone who has access let me through. You then have to go upstairs. As soon as you enter you're hit with humidity and stuffiness. The gym definitely requires better ventilation. It was very busy. There was no one at the front desk to check me in. This was my first time at this location, but I'd been to another branch before so I knew someone is supposed to check me in, sign waivers, get shoes. While I navigated to the shoe area, I finally found someone that worked there. Got my waiver cleared. I was not given any intro or orientation, thankfully I was climbing with someone who knew what they were doing. Overall, neat to have a climbing gym in Harvard square. However horrible customer service, especially the lack of instructions. They do have a lot more area to climb than I expected and have communal chalk, some weights and a few cardio machines. I also heard from another member that they offer yoga classes.

Phenomenal bouldering, Location large number of problems of varying difficulty from beginner to…read moreexpert. Free chalk to use, gym, equipment, and cardio equipment. Parking is difficult to find but aside from that great location.

My daughter had her birthday here and it was the best time! A lot of the kids had never been…read moreclimbing before, and everyone was so encouraging. The staff did everything for us and made everything so easy! You really made the best day for my daughter and this group of 7 year olds LOVED the experience. Thank you! We will come back for more climbing soon.

Fantastic climbing gym. Boulders. Top rope. Lead. Auto-belays. Large fitness area. Pretty much…read moreanything you'd want in a climbing gym. Oh and a speed wall too. Went with a buddy. I've now been to several CRGs and I like this the best. It's by far the largest. And remarkably clean for a chalk-filled gym. I guess the HVAC system works very well. And one cool feature which I've pictured. A ramp. Go to the bottom and climb up. Side routes are softer, while the overhung routes are much more difficult. I've never seen anything like this in a gym. Very nice. Hoping to come back here again next time I'm in town.

Made rsvp... lost group... Frank downgraded my site and then added meal package and refunded me…read moredifference a DAY BEFORE I HAD TO BE THERE. Awesome people. Very very nice.

AMC has outstanding outdoor rock climbing and ice climbing programs…read more I first started climbing in the gym with friends in Sydney, Australia. "When the route is so clearly marked in the nice, warm gym," I thought, "why would I ever want to climb outdoors?" Luckily, I worked with climbing legend Will Crowther who put up some of the first routes in New Hampshire and he and his wife Nancy convinced me I wanted to do the AMC outdoor climbing class. Nancy even took me shoe and harness shopping so I could be safe, yet comfortable all day. The rock climbing course is wonderfully comprehensive, covering what one needs to know, as well as good "worst case scenario" techniques. The instruction happens on four mandatory weekends and often one optional weekend, depending where Easter falls. The first weekend covers climbing basics with rope, harness, and belay safety. In addition to the practice, practice, practice of tying the knots, belaying, and communicating, climbers can also learn the old fashioned ways of climbing safely in case one loses their harness or belay device. These bowline-on-a-coil and body-belay techniques are then useful if one goes on to the ice climbing course. The second weekend covers getting down the rock with three different techniques for rappelling, including body-rappel, in case you lose your belay device. The third weekend covers getting up a rope, if you're stuck. The fourth weekend is a chance to test all the previous three weekends of knowledge, including practicing catching a simulated leader fall. This last weekend is also a way for the experienced climbers to see how well the newbies have learned the ropes, i.e., are they ready for New Seconds Weekend climbing at The Gunks. And then for those who love being outdoors in the winter as well, AMC has a comprehensive ice climbing program. Again, instruction covers multiple weekends so one can practice self-arrest (stopping one sliding down the mountain), setting up snow anchors, climbing with two, one, or zero ice picks (use the feet and balance), and get out on a real climb with a leader. AMC - outstanding in the field? Out CLIMBING in the mountains. :-)

The staff and culture here is great. Wonderful experience for a first time climber. It could've…read morebeen a very intimidating experience, but they made it super accessible and pleasant. Will definitely be back.

Sorry for the length, just wanted to give a decently detailed review of the location and my…read morethoughts. Got back into climbing after about two years off. I am a 5.10 and V3 climber. I have experienced most gyms in the Boston area and other gyms in a few different states just to give my review context.. CRG Stoneham is a friendly gym with knowledgeable staff. I notice some of the staff came from a different gym that closed down which is great to see them in my local gym and able to ask them questions knowing they have experience. I don't feel any awkwardness if I talk to them or ask them some questions. They have always been willing to answer my questions or help me if needed. The space is modern and clean. I never feel like this place is dirty and gross despite it being a climbing gym which is nice. They sell small amounts of gear chalk, shirts, shoes and even ropes (which one colleague told me just have not been put out yet). This is great if you like buying stuff from a gym ( I personally don't but I did buy some swag like a hoodie and a T-Shirt). The gym itself is pretty large with two floors. The first floor mixed between top rope and lead climbing, which has roots for all levels and experience from straight vertical routes to overhang for lead. The variety of skill levels is nice for people who are not avid climbers or getting back to it. Do not let that fool you though there are plenty of experience routes that will be a good workout for the avid climbers searching for the indoor challenge. The bouldering area on the second floor has a good wall selection with plenty of space. Everything from slab and V0 to overhang V7 and up. I really like the variety that this whole space offers. Also there is a tension board training wall, and a hang board ladder system that provides a great training section and nice variety to just climbing routes. Again something for every skill level including a warm up/kids wall that is nice. They have a modest workout area, couple treadmills and cardio machines, two squat racks, dumbbells, hang-boards and other training equipment. I never have a problem using what I need in here because they have enough equipment for everyone. I can do a complete workout here that is not climbing related with all the equipment they have. The membership has some decent perks, free classes that are put on by the gym, a progression training from coaches (not sure if you pay extra for that or not but it is offered). One of my favorite parts is the employee belay. They are there a few days a week and will belay you if you do not have a partner. It does not cost money, granted you can not take up your entire session with this employee but the fact they offer this is amazing. Also you can pay 30 per hour and have an employee belay you if you would like. They also offer a adult team for the more competitive climbers for 85 monthly plus membership. With good come a few bad things. One being the website. I know not gym related specifically but I find some of the programs they offer hard to find on the site and I actually needed to email management to get the information (management got back to me within 24 hours which was great). As other reviewers have commented climbers with shoes walking around the bathroom. There is a sign on the bathroom door but it didn't seem to stop the people I have seen in there on a few different occasions so this is an issue and not a one time problem. The weekends are usually a little chaotic with some form of birthday party, which lead to kids sort of running around wild at times. I was doing some overhang work last week, when i feel off the wall I almost took out some little kid just running around the boulder area. My concerns is the kid will get hurt because I fall on them from any height. This does seem to happen quite a bit as other reviewers have commented and I tend to only notice this on weekends when there is a birthday or something. Not the worst thing but for me I would feel awful falling on some kid zooming around and hurt him or something. Closing thoughts: Definitely check this gym out if you are into climbing, plenty of gyms included in the membership including the Cambridge location which is bouldering only and geared toward more experience climbers but still awesome. Friendly staff and clean location. For 100 a month I feel like I get my money worth. Keep up the great work. If anyone read this far thanks. I do not write reviews often but really like this gym and the company so I wanted to give a shout out with an honest review. Keep up the good work CRG!!!