WHAT IS A LUCKEY CLIMBER?
A Luckey Climber is a safe, interactive, three-dimensional vertical maze that defines public spaces, encourages physical activity, and offers the sort of imaginative play experience that is important for the intellectual development in children. Since 1985, Luckey Climbers have been redefining public spaces and institutions across the world. Not only are they fun attractions for kids of all ages, they have dramatically positive effects on child development such as problem-solving, spatial thinking, balance, social interaction, and cooperation.
Each Luckey Climber is a unique design, made of bent plywood or rotationally molded plastic climbing pads, steel pipes, and thousands of feet of individual vinyl coated cable. They are visually elegant works of art, part jungle gym, and once alive with children, become what founder Thomas Luckey called “fountains of children”.
ARE LUCKEY CLIMBERS SAFE?
Safety is our number one concern when designing, manufacturing, and installing our climbing structures. We have held a spotless safety record since the foundation of Luckey LLC in 1985 and apply stringent design constraints and principles, meeting ASTM safety standards, to every Luckey Climber we make.
Each Luckey climber is encased in thousands of feet of individual vinyl coated steel cable that is hand woven onsite to create seamless netting. Peter Fox, a Luckey “Cable Artist”, once said, “The perfect Luckey Climber looks like it fell out of the sky and landed in a fishnet stocking”.
We’re always looking for better, more child-friendly materials and do everything we can to make sure all parts are soft to the touch and free of sharp edges. By sticking to our rules to prevent falls, we can be as creative as possible within these constraints.
HOW ARE LUCKEY CLIMBERS MADE?
We maintain a 29,000-square foot design and fabrication facility in New Haven, Connecticut. Here, we house our digital design suite, complementary steel fabrication studio, and 5-axis CNC mill used to shape Luckey Climber climbing pads.
The wooden climbing pads are formed using a mold, vacuum-pressed, then cut into complex curves with a 5-axis CNC machine. Our team of craftsmen then apply a variety of finishes ranging from laminated photographs of the Florida sea life to hand-stained patterns resembling fireworks. For outdoor Climbers, we produce rotationally molded, or “rotomolded”, plastic climbing pads. Each outdoor color palette is fastidiously curated using the Pantone Matching System, which allows us to maintain accuracy throughout the design process and meet client expectations.
Once fabrication is complete, the Luckey installation team is sent to the job site where out skilled technicians erect the steel structure, secure each individual climbing pad, and hand-weave the netting through the Luckey Climber.
WHERE CAN I FIND A LUCKEY CLIMBER?
From outdoor parks to shopping centers and malls, zoos and aquariums, schools and children’s museums, we’ve been changing how people use public spaces and transforming ordinary places into playgrounds with climbable works of art around the world. Visit our “Find a Climber” page to discover one nearest you.
HOW DO I GET ONE?
The best way to start the ball rolling is to drop us a line or give us a call! We love socializing here at Luckey, and our process of building a Luckey Climber stems from very organic conversation – whether you’re ready for a Luckey Climber, want to share your favorite climbing experience, or just want to chat about space nebulae’s, we’re here!
You can reach us by phone at (US) +1 (475) 441-7468, by email at info@luckeyllc.com, or on our contact form. We’d love to chat about what it would be like to work together to build an incredible, unique playground at your space, and how a Luckey Climber can help your institution see increased foot traffic, a boost in ticket sales, or attract new visitors.