Visiting Holland, Michigan in summer? What to do when the beach doesn't work

Most people come to Holland in summer for the lake, and most of the time the lake delivers. Then a storm rolls in off Lake Michigan at 1 PM, or the heat index hits 95 and the kids are done with sand. This is the plan for those days, from a crew who lives here year-round and runs an air-conditioned climbing gym about ten minutes from downtown.

Two hours to fill

Bouldering is climbing on short walls over thick padding, with no ropes or harnesses, so a family or a couple can walk in with no experience and be climbing inside ten minutes. Adult day passes are $24 and kids 12 and under are $19, and shoes and chalk are included, so there's no rental line on the receipt. We keep between 25 and 30 climbs on the wall in our first three circuit colors, which are our most approachable colors, so everyone has something they can finish on day one. An hour on the wall is plenty for a first visit, and the cafe handles the second hour with coffee, kombucha, snacks and a view of the mats.

Half a day

Climb first while everyone is fresh, then head out. Downtown 8th Street is about ten minutes south of us for lunch and shopping, and the north side along Ottawa Beach Road has the state park and the Mt. Pisgah dune boardwalk for when the weather clears. If the rain holds, your day pass is good all day, so you can come back after lunch and pick up where you left off.

Tulip Time week

During Tulip Time in May we keep our normal hours, and we're far enough from the parade routes that parking is easy. When downtown gets packed, or when the classic cold May drizzle shows up, an hour on the wall is a good way to let the crowds thin out before you head back in.

Kids under 8

There's no minimum age to climb here. Younger kids climb our easiest colors with a parent or guardian actively on the floor with them, and climbers under 14 always have an adult with them for the whole visit. Anyone under 18 needs a waiver signed by a parent or guardian, which takes two minutes online. Kids tend to leave tired in the good way. If your kids are 7 or older and you're in town for more than a week, ask about our summer camps, which run Monday through Thursday in half-day sessions.

Heat and rain

The whole building is air conditioned, all summer. A rained-out beach afternoon converts to a climbing afternoon in about twenty minutes, and so does a 95-degree one.

Directions from the state park and downtown

We're at 12345 James Street in Holland, at US-31 behind Burlington. From Holland State Park it's about fifteen minutes east, and from downtown it's about ten minutes north. There's a large lot at the door and no reservation is needed. We're open Monday 10 AM to 10 PM, Tuesday 6 AM to 10 PM, Wednesday noon to 10 PM, Thursday 6 AM to 10 PM, Friday 10 AM to 10 PM, Saturday 8 AM to 8 PM, and Sunday 10 AM to 6 PM.

Whatever the lake is doing, come say hi. Everything you need for a first visit is here.