First Ascent Peoria — Attraction in Peoria

After our first unsuccessful attempt at zip lining, I was advised to bring my son to a place like this to help him build confidence in both the equipment and the environment. I am so glad we took that advice. From the moment we arrived, the staff demonstrated incredible patience and understanding, creating a welcoming atmosphere that immediately put both of us at ease. My son gave it his best shot, but as soon as he sensed any danger, he wanted to stop. While I tried to encourage him to push through his fears, I realize now that I may have pushed him a bit too hard. The staff noticed this right away and stepped in with gentle, supportive intervention that was exactly what we needed in that moment. Their encouragement was genuine and never felt forced. They validated my son’s feelings, reassured him about the safety of the activity, and gave him the time and space he needed to process his emotions. I truly appreciated that they prioritized his comfort and emotional well-being over simply getting him to participate. As a parent, it can be difficult to know when to push and when to pause, and the staff’s expertise and empathy made all the difference. I can’t express enough how much I appreciated their approach and support-not just for my son, but for me as well. This experience has given us both a positive stepping stone towards building more confidence for future adventures. I highly recommend this place to any parent looking for a supportive, understanding environment for their kids to try something new. We will be back...

Just finished my son's first climbing class and am extremely pleased! Top notch climbing facility that also sports a variety of fitness equipment typical of a normal gym (cycling, free weights, rowing, etc.) I'm now extremely interested in signing up for myself, since I would be able to climb alone, at any time, either by using the walls equipped with Auto-belay or climbing in the bouldering area. The instructor also said I could hit-up the staff on the floor if I needed assistance, and that they were usually pretty quick to help with belay if the place wasn't too busy.

The facility appears to be very new and modern, but retains much of the character of the original building. You can still see the old industrial doors for loading out the back, the huge structural timbers holding up the enormous steel H-Beams, and even the ivy vines that were growing in what was once the back of the building.

COVID-19 policies require all staff and visitors to wear masks, and I did not see a single person breaking this rule (First place I've been in awhile that strictly enforces the mandate.) They also wipe down their walls and other equipment with sanitizer, which an athletic facility should be doing anyway to prevent spreading around the nastys, but again I've found this commitment to disease prevention to be rare as of late.

(UPDATE) In line with CDC Guidelines, masks are no longer required; however, highly visible placards are placed at the entrance strongly recommending them.

Overall...

I have nothing but praises for the friendly and helpful staff and the wonderful facilities, but they will cheat you out of your money if you let them. I canceled my membership a week before the end of July when I was moving to Texas. Their system did not process the cancelation. I saw I was charged for August after I had already moved to Texas. I emailed them to let them know that and ask for a refund since I no longer lived in Illinois. I thought 3+ years of being a loyal customer would buy me a little grace. It did not. They responded there was nothing they could do. Companies always have the ability to refund their customers. They just chose not to. I highly recommend this climbing gym, but keep an eye on how and when they charge you. Happy climbing and take care of each other.

UPDATE (response to FA's reponse to my review): Thank you for the "smooth experience" of you essentially stealing $77 from me. You get back what you put out into the world. Try remembering that with the...