On a Typical Day at Memphis Rox,
As you enter, rows of kids’ bicycles line the muralled walls. Resource tables stretch the length of the hallway—from St. Jude to Young, Gifted, and Green—greeting visitors as they walk in. Inside the vibrant first-floor bouldering and rope climbing area, you can witness bridging of communities in real time: you find kids of all ages from Soulsville Charter School or Memphis Delta Prep climbing, laughing, and chatting with guests from Collieverville, students from UTHSC, and climbers visiting from out of town.
For eight years, Memphis Rox Climbing + Community has welcomed everyone in Soulsville and Memphis through a pay-what-you-can model, making climbing accessible to all. Beyond climbing, we offer vital services for the 38106 and 38126 zip codes, supporting families and children with health resources, community connections, and opportunities for a brighter future.
To honor the staff and climbing community, we are hosting an anniversary celebration and fundraiser, 8 Years of Rox, on April 8th, kicking off at 5 pm at Memphis Rox. As we celebrate eight years of service, we reflect on our journey and what lies ahead.
Looking Back at 2018: Climbing Comes to the Bluff City
Prior to Memphis Rox’s founding, access to climbing for Memphis was scarce. “The opportunity to build the [climbing] community from the ground up excited me,” shared Josh Jimenez. Jimenez has been part of the Memphis Rox team since the beginning and today serves as the Head Routesetter, helping build climbing routes on the gym walls for guests.
While climbing offers unique potential for building social connections and physical health benefits, the lack of climbing was far from the most pressing disparity for Soulsville.
From food deserts to a lack of parks and green spaces, to a shortage of affordable housing, the folks of Soulsville face significant barriers to living prosperous lives. Today, with a median income of $14,765 and a poverty rate of 75%, many of the challenges that Soulsville faced in 2018 persist.
“At first, our goal was accessibility and building bridges between communities,” says Zack Rogers, Gym Director, who has also been with Memphis Rox since the beginning. “What has changed the most is that we’ve identified that it's the youth in the community who need us. Now, we’re more focused on getting kids from the neighborhood here, and doing our best to make sure they are safe and cared for.”
Our commitment is evident in our location: The gym sits directly across the street from Soulsville Charter School and Stax Music Academy, and is located in nine MSCS attendance zones. With such close proximity, 40 to 80 youth visit the gym daily, many of whom walk across the street as soon as the school day ends.
“There is still so much room for development overall,’ says Jimenez. “Outside of climbing as well, there is room for growth as a community center, especially for this neighborhood.”
Why a Climbing Gym in Soulsville?
For some folks, a climbing gym in the heart of Soulsville may seem arbitrary at first glance.
Measuring the impact and value Memphis Rox brings to Soulsville and the greater Memphis community is no simple task. Jon Hawk, Director of Operations at Rox, describes this challenge: “We’re not just a climbing gym. The climbing gym is the access point to relationships, and the relationships are how we learn to better serve those around us,” shared Hawk.
Through these relationships, Memphis Rox fosters so much.
It fosters health via climbing—a sector that is traditionally expensive, requires transportation, and routinely excludes Black and brown folks.
It fosters stability through our pay-what-you-can model and essential resources, providing youth with consistent access to a safe place to spend time after school.
It fosters joy by connecting people across the city who might otherwise never interact.
There is a reason the gym serves as a gathering for youth, a host for back-to-school drives, a clothes closet, a polling site, and so much more. Given its proximity to schools, the Stax Museum, and other neighborhood groups, Memphis Rox is a community asset.
In our conversation, Jon Hawk looks out the glass office door, pointing to five kids playing in the bouldering area—just a few among so many who visit the gym daily to climb, finish homework, and visit with their friends and the staff. “It’s not just the kids from the neighborhood learning from us,” Hawk expresses, “we have the privilege to learn from them.”
The Next Chapter for Rox
As we look to the next chapter, we invite you to explore changes and opportunities to get involved.
In 2025 alone, we checked-in visitors over 45,000 times, distributed over 3,500 guest passes, and retained/added over 1,000 memberships. Building on those numbers, this year we aim to increase access to youth-centered outdoor recreation—from guided mountain bike trail rides to camping and outdoor climbing trips.
Our community partners, neighborhood schools, climbers, guests, and so many others enable Memphis Rox to drive our mission. As many families in Memphis face growing uncertainty, your support empowers Memphis Rox to serve our community, especially our youth. To help, donate, volunteer, or reserve your tickets now for our upcoming fundraiser—every bit of support deepens our impact and brings our community closer together!
This blog was written by Rachel Starks
Rachel Starks serves as Grant Writer for Memphis Rox. She has worked in the local nonprofit sector for over eight years, and found Memphis Rox through climbing and friends.
