The gym has over 14,000 square feet of space, surpassing the size of the location in San Luis Obispo. Credit: Katherine Ball / Noozhawk photo

The Pad Climbing Gym has arrived in the Magnolia Shopping Center.

The Pad, which opened this weekend, has been trying to launch a Santa Barbara County location for years. The CEO of the company, Kristin Horowitz, has a personal connection to the area.

“This is so much more than a gym—it’s a home for connection, challenge and growth,” Horowitz said. “We can’t wait for Santa Barbara to climb with us. My brother’s family lives here so I sort of grew up here. It means a lot to bring our community to one I have known and loved forever.”

The Pad’s location in the Eastern Goleta Valley, which joins its existing gyms in San Luis Obispo and Binghamton, New York, is located at 5160 Hollister Ave., near the company’s training facility, the BoardRoom.

The Pad will be open 24/7 to members and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. to the public. Anyone who buys a day pass at The Pad will also get access to the BoardRoom. 

The construction at The Pad does indeed seem like wizardry. Located next to United Family Association Thrift, the climbing gym occupies what is essentially one big room. The original roof remains in part of the gym, creating a second-story mezzanine. The second story will be a space for bouldering, which is climbing without a harness or rope, and will not be higher than 15 feet off the ground.

Madison Milton-Smith is part of the large team preparing the climbing gym for opening day. Credit: Katherine Ball / Noozhawk photo

“Raising the roof was especially long and tenuous because they had to keep the original roof,” said Madison Milton-Smith, the operations manager. “Construction has been going on for five years. They did some magic over there.”

The rest of the building is filled with 37-foot walls that can be climbed with ropes. A large arch divides the space, a huge fan spins overhead, and routes are mapped out on the walls with different-colored climbing holds. 

The climbing gym is not just for climbing. There is also workout equipment and a lounge room with tables, a coffee station, a couch, and a window to the rest of the gym.

“We have an entire kids’ area with rope [climbing],” added Milton-Smith. “On the panels, there are [going to] be narwhals and sea creatures.”

The climbing gym is expected to bring more traffic and attention to the Magnolia Shopping Center, which has had high turnover of tenants since well before COVID. Interest in the gym could also strengthen the South Coast’s tight-knit community of climbers. 

“In a lot of hobbies, you don’t have a community center like you do in climbing,” said Milton-Smith.

The gym’s walls are 37 feet tall, achieved by raising the height of the building’s roof. Credit: Katherine Ball / Noozhawk photo

Milton-Smith hails from Santa Cruz, where she worked on managing and setting—which is the process of creating routes up the climbing wall—at a different climbing gym.

“I was supposed to start a program down here for my master’s, and then deferred a year because I was so psyched about this job,” said Milton-Smith. “It’s a really good company to work for.”

The Pad has several awards for their environmentally friendly policies and work culture. Most recently, the business was recognized for its paid leave policy when it was named a 2025 National Leader on Leave by the National Partnership for Women & Families. 

No doubt there will be plenty of locals and college students interested in the new climbing gym. 

“I can’t wait to climb here,” said Milton-Smith. “I’m so excited for everybody to come and join the fam.”