Castle Climbing Club
Seattle, Washington
Specs: Castle Climbing Club, an adult-focused bouldering gym founded by “a crew of adventure-loving friends,” General Manager Harrison Neel said, opened on January 1st, 2026, in West Seattle. According to Neel, the original vision for Castle extended beyond climbing and centered around creating a “third space for the community” that would involve wellness, education and creativity. Specifically, the founders hoped to combine fitness with social connections and opportunities for primarily adults to learn new skills and hobbies, and the gym’s programming and atmosphere was largely designed with that clientele in mind. For example, Castle has pole-fitness classes, billiards tables and a co-ed sauna and hosts films and events all geared toward adults. Youth climbers and families are still welcome at the gym though and are encouraged to visit Castle until 8pm, when the gym switches to more of that “adult vibe,” said Neel.
The site where Castle is located comes with a rich history, filled with stories of Pacific Northwest punk rock bands. According to Neel, the 27,000-square-foot building dates back to the early 1980s and was originally constructed for wine storage due to its climate-friendly architecture and proximity to Seattle’s port. Before becoming Castle, the building housed art studios, including woodworking businesses and Neel’s glassblowing studio. The building also previously housed NAF Studios, “a music production company that did a lot of the sound and production for big grunge bands that came out of Seattle in the 90s,” Neel detailed. “So Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Nirvana…they all had rehearsal spaces in the building, and it was their hub when they weren’t on tour.”
In addition to being a spot where members of those bands “would hang out and record a lot of music,” Neel said “the owner of NAF Studios would throw rave parties almost every weekend as well,” and Soundgarden even held an impromptu concert on the gym’s roof. “There are all these little tidbits of history from that grunge movement that was centered around here in Seattle,” he said. “This was the place where all those guys hung out. A lot of it culminated right here.”
With time, the building transitioned into one large community-oriented space, rather than separate rentals. After the woodworking business moved out about a year ago, Neel said, “It opened up this opportunity for another project that could potentially fill the entire building, which is really what we wanted to be able to do. Rather than managing a bunch of small businesses,” he added, “we wanted a business that would be able to support the entire property.” The team then designed a gym that was focused on “serious climbing, recovery, and adult community,” states the website, which lists some “youth access guidelines” for younger gym goers.
A large part of the Castle design and vision is the wood-fired sauna, accessible by climbers 18 and older. Inspired by Finnish designs, the sauna was made by local artisans out of cedar in an upcycled shipping container. After spending time in the sauna, Castle visitors can relax in the cold-water garden, or shift gears and use fitness equipment, such as racks, cardio machines and free weights. In the future, Castle has plans to launch Pleiades, pole fitness and movement/fitness classes, in addition to their yoga offerings. The ownership team envisions the gym becoming a continuing education and creative space for adults, with somatic therapy and myofascial release workshops, arts and crafts, survival and outdoor skill education, and film screenings, as well as other community offerings. For example, every Sunday the gym hosts a “Soup and Sauna” night where members collectively make and share vegan soup, Neel added.
Castle features about 10,000 square feet of climbing wall surface on walls reaching 14 feet, including a climbable spinning rolling pin. Zagy Goldman Yassen, Castle’s Head Routesetter, had been developing the idea behind the rolling pin for many years. “When he first started climbing 18 years ago, he saw the Treadwalls and wished they had more horizontal movement,” Neel explained. “Over the past eight years, he developed the idea for the Rolling Pin, and then as a group we made it a reality.” This feature was included because the team “knew it would be eye-catching and a great training tool,” Yassen stated, adding that the goal of the rolling pin is to climb as statically as possible, “because the more it moves, the harder it gets.” To routeset, the rolling pin is anchored in place, with starts varying between sets. “We have had all the climbs start on the same plane or have the climbs all linked together or make you rotate the pin to find your start holds,” Yassen added. The problems are graded with circuit ratings, as are boulders in the rest of the facility.
Walls: Owner/contractor
Flooring: Owner/contractor
CRM Software: Redpoint
Website: www.castleclimbingclub.com
Instagram: @CastleClimbingClub
In Their Words: “The gym itself really has been a concept for several years. Some of the founders have been friends for a long time. We’ve worked together in a lot of different capacities, different projects, and this one really is a passion project for all of us, in that it combines not only a wonderful, awesome building and space but also the idea of community and building a space that can be shared for everyone’s benefit.” – Harrison Neel, General Manager at Castle Climbing Club
