Nearly a decade after the search for real estate began — and two years after construction crews literally raised the roof — The Pad Climbing has finally opened its Santa Barbara doors.
Located inside the Magnolia Shopping Center, the facility’s walls tower above — highlighted with bright oranges and blues. Scattered throughout the building are pale wood cubbies and wide seating areas. It’s multi-dimensional, with the top rope wall to the left and the multi-story open platform bouldering areas to the right. Unlike most gyms, there is enough natural light to make it feel less like a cave and more like a community hub. A massive ceiling fan whirs overhead, keeping the space breathable and refreshing.
“This is so much more than a gym — it’s a home for connection, challenge, and growth,” CEO Kristin Horowitz said in the lead-up to the opening. Her family roots in Santa Barbara, she explained, made the area a natural choice for expansion after The Pad’s success in San Luis Obispo.
The 14,500-square-foot gym features 5,000 square feet of bouldering walls, 9,500 square feet of rope terrain, a 45-foot Rooflifter installation, a speed wall, and a dedicated kids’ zone. Members also get 24/7 access, coworking spaces, showers, and free Wi-Fi and coffee.
For Madison Milton-Smith, the gym’s Santa Barbara operations manager, what sets The Pad apart is scale and spirit. “I feel like The Pad does a really good job of blending the best parts of a big facility with the personality of a smaller gym,” she said. “There’s a lot of personality that shines through here — from our team to even our social media. It’s not sterile. It feels alive.”
That energy was obvious over the opening weekend. Climbers were stoked to be testing the new routes, flashing V0s through V3s, and swapping around chalk bags. There were folks doing bat hangs, dangling upside down from bouldering holds, while others moved quickly through early routes to see how they stacked up.
Route setters intentionally designed the gym’s easier climbs to be accessible. “We wanted V0 through V5 to feel pretty attainable,” one explained. “After that, the routes start reflecting more outdoor climbing — and that means harder.”
The Pad also joins the Santa Barbara Rock Gym (SBRG), which has served the city’s climbing community since 2012. When news of the new facility broke earlier this summer, SBRG’s owner, Will Russ, told the Independent he worried the town couldn’t support two gyms. But The Pad’s team is betting otherwise, pointing to the national growth of climbing — now an Olympic sport — and Santa Barbara’s already devoted base.
For Milton-Smith, she points to community. “We want this to be a place where people can climb, but also work, connect, and feel supported,” she said. “It’s not just training; it’s about belonging.”
With the grand opening behind them, the challenge shifts from raising the roof to filling it with climbers. Judging by the buzz and the sheer amount of chalk floatin’ around there, Santa Barbara is already on board.
