Photos: Chris Emeott
The cure for cabin fever is closer than you think.
It’s tempting to reduce your winter fitness routine to a solitary workout at home or the occasional trip to the gym, but sometimes a change of pace is just what the doctor ordered. Four new indoor recreation centers in Plymouth are challenging visitors to stay active this season in fun and community-centered ways. Try your hand at bouldering, let the kids loose on an indoor playground or join in on the pickleball phenomenon.
Climb to New Heights
Big Island Bouldering features five climbing areas.
In 2024, a group of neighbors came together to bring bouldering to Plymouth with Big Island Bouldering. The gym offers a dedicated youth climbing space, three 16-foot walls and two adjustable climbing walls for training. Outside of the bouldering spaces, Big Island Bouldering also has a coworking space, fitness area and party rooms. Guests can purchase a day pass, a six-visit punch card or an unlimited membership that grants access to the adjustable walls, climbing walls and fitness space; discounts at the gear shop; and two free guest passes per month.
Throughout the year, Big Island Bouldering offers group classes and events to enjoy. There are beginner bouldering classes, competitive teams, ever-changing themed events, homeschool programs, a women’s club, and youth camps and programs.
One of the owners, Chris Massoll, advises visitors to create an account and sign the waiver before arrival to avoid delays. He also encourages climbers to come prepared to make mistakes. “Come with a willingness to push yourself to a boundary and then move slightly beyond that, because that’s where learning really happens—at that edge of your comfort zone and figuring out what’s possible,” Massoll says. bigislandbouldering.com
Play the Day Away
Photos: InnerActive Playground
When Stacy Anderson realized there weren’t many indoor options for her young boys during the winter, she and her husband, Ted Anderson, decided to create one. InnerActive Playground is a one-stop destination, primarily serving children ages 2–10, with basketball courts, a bounce pad, an indoor playground, toddler and infant play zones and more.
The site is unstaffed, which requires play passes to be purchased online to receive an entry code. InnerActive Playground offers day passes as well as monthly and annual memberships. The space also includes a cafeteria for parents to relax and work or for their children to enjoy a packed snack. Almost everything is designed for parents to join in on the fun too.
InnerActive Playground’s jumping pillow is a fan favorite.
“You know what you’re coming into,” Anderson says. “You know that the equipment’s safe. You know that the area is safe. You know that your kids can’t go anywhere. And it’s a really great spot to have that one-on-one interaction with your kids. I love seeing parents run onto the jumping pillow with their kids, or try out the slides.” inneractiveplayground.com
Pick Up Pickleball
PickleX offers beginner clinics and leagues to help get new players into the swing of things. Photo: Chris Emeott
As pickleball rises to become another of America’s favorite pastimes, Plymouth residents have two new places to pick up a paddle.
Leena Khurana opened PickleX with a group of friends last January to give visitors a place to explore the sport and join the broader pickleball community. It’s an easy sport to pick up and enjoy, according to Khurana, and the fun comes with an engaging workout for all ages—the event spaces have hosted parties for 7-year-olds and celebrations for those in their 80s.
PickleX’s six courts are home to private or group lessons and leagues, along with camps for children and weekly yoga classes. Khurana says additional leagues are in the works to welcome more players, including one designed for young parents and another for players 55 and over. Unlimited play monthly memberships are also available, but anyone can attend open play or book a court. PickleX is beginner-friendly, with classes and leagues for new players, and visitors can rent equipment in-house.
“I hope they can also come to us and say, ‘Hey, I’ve never held a racket. I want to learn how to play pickleball. I want the basics, and then I’ll grow my game from there,’ so they can learn to love the game and come to a good place,” Khurana says. picklexmn.com
Pure Pickleball Club aims to apply the old school “pick-up” nature of basketball to pickleball. Photo: Pure Pickleball Club
Another pickleball hotspot, Pure Pickleball Club, was founded by father-daughter duo Leah and John Schwartzman last February. Leah started playing as another way to stay active and spend time with her dad, and she found that she enjoyed how all ages could pick up the sport and spend time together.
Pure Pickleball Club hopes to bring back the old school “pick-up” nature of basketball and create a community to bring together people from all walks of life. The club offers 19 courts, a fitness center and an on-site shop with apparel and equipment. Visitors can attend open play, join a league or take lessons with an optional membership granting discounts and free unlimited open play.
Like Khurana, Leah also promotes pickleball as a sport that’s easy to start. “You know, it can be hard as an adult to go out there and learn how to skate and play hockey in the same year,” Leah says. “That’s not the case with pickleball. You pick up a paddle, and the barrier to entry is very low, so it’s a very welcoming, inviting environment for people.” purepickleballclubmn.com
