The Boulder Garden, a new bouldering gym in downtown Durham, held its grand opening on Dec. 21, 2024. 

The gym resides in the historic Durham Brazing and Welding Works building at 328 Roney St. 

The grand opening was held on the winter solstice, which the owner, Johnny Davis, had dreamed of doing. After six and half months of construction, Davis and his employees worked quickly to hold a soft opening and officially open a week later. 

Originally, Davis had planned for up to 500 people to attend the grand opening. By the end of the day, 1,066 people, more than double the estimated number, had come to visit The Boulder Garden. 

While it required quick thinking to accommodate the large number of people, Davis said it felt “awesome and so supportive.”  He said he felt loved to know that people care about him, his project, and the community he has built at the Boulder Garden. 

Davis, a Raleigh native, graduated from North Carolina State University in 2020 and worked various jobs around North Carolina and Atlanta, G.A. afterward. He returned to The Triangle to pursue his dream of establishing a bouldering gym. 

After finding the building and having a reliable support system to fall back on, Davis was able to start his project.  

“This project, is at this point, hundreds of people’s help and support and it’s everything,” Davis said.

Since its opening, the Boulder Garden has seen community members visit consistently. Visitors can utilize the bouldering gym, yoga studio, physical therapy or small gym. 

“This is a completely new entity, like Johnny’s running it. This is his thing. And it’s very, very cool to start something entirely new. Set the culture, set the foundation like this has not been done before. We can do with it whatever we want,” Cameron Thomas, a host and instructor at the Boulder Garden, said. 

Thomas thinks the gym’s uniqueness is emphasized by its small space, which allows for a greater sense of community, as well as its “commitment to environmentalism.” The Boulder Garden is committed to producing as little waste as possible, through initiatives like reusable towels and air dryers.

“I think being able to be a part of that founding team, to be able to establish the brand new culture, create a community where everyone can feel welcome and happy and relaxed while they climb, is incredible. It’s very, very fun to be a part of a small business like that,” Thomas said.

The Boulder Garden offers day passes or monthly memberships, which allow access to all of the amenities. University students can also buy a university membership at a reduced rate. 

“You have this third home that we’re trying to create for people, and that’s really what all this is about. And creating that membership structure just helps kind of reaffirm a community being established,” Davis said. 

In the future, Davis hopes to add more events to utilize The Boulder Garden’s basement and outdoor space. His ideas include a comedy night, ping pong tournament, boiler room music festival and a collaboration with the Durham Farmers Market. 

Davis has taken full advantage of The Boulder Garden’s space by adding art, including from local artists like Greg Janicke and Hex Neon. He has also decorated the space with plants, which comes from his own interest in gardening, giving the gym its name “The Boulder Garden.”

“Definitely the vibe in here is a step above most other places I’ve been. I think a lot of that to do with the art curation,” Zachary Steen, a climber who recently moved to Durham, said. 

Steen heard his coworkers discussing The Boulder Garden and decided to give it a try. He has found the gym to have a nice community and even climbed with an employee after making friends on his first visit.  

Those new to bouldering can take introduction and individual instruction classes to gain more experience. The Boulder Garden also has opportunities for young climbers, including “Kids Climb Nights”, after-school climbing sessions, youth climbing teams, birthday parties and an upcoming summer camp. 

“A couple of the kids came in the other day for family night, and just seeing them smile and get so excited, reaching the top of the wall or even just up to a high point for them, I was like: this is worth it. This is worth it as challenging as it is,” Davis said.