What’s going on Chicago!
If you don’t play pickleball, we’re pretty sure you’ve heard about it by now. It’s a sport that started as a niche retirement activity and then exploded into the fastest-growing sport in the country for four consecutive years.
The Sports & Fitness Industry Association reported 19.8 million Americans playing in 2024, a 45.8% jump over 2023 and a 311% increase over the prior three years. In 2026, those numbers have continued to grow as more people have discovered the joy of the sport.
Back in 2022, the Chicago Park District launched a branded buildout called Pickleball Mania, initially aiming to create 50 new courts by 2025 on top of roughly 80 that already existed across more than 40 parks. But as demand kept climbing, that number got revised to more than 200 total courts. Chicago has recognized that pickleball is no longer just a trend and is now considered permanent infrastructure.
Part of why the sport has spread so quickly is that it’s just so easy for anyone to start playing, regardless of age or fitness. The court is smaller than tennis, the ball moves slower, and the rules are simple enough that a new player can figure them out within a few minutes.
A big part of the appeal is the social format. Players rotate in and out of games, which means it’s common to walk onto a public court without knowing anyone and leave with people to meet up with the following weekend. Many people enjoy the sport for its social aspect.
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This week, we’re talking about pickleball, of course: where to play outdoors through the Park District’s network, and where to go when the season moves inside.
Let’s get into it!
Park District Courts
The Chicago Park District lists 59 pickleball facilities in its official directory, spread across all parts of the city. Access is free at public park courts.
A few of the flagship investments under Pickleball Mania are listed here.
Grant Park
A large complex with 16 pickleball courts and 6 tennis courts, making it the biggest dedicated facility in the Park District system. It’s downtown and is accessible by CTA from most of the city.
Columbus Park
Added four new dedicated pickleball courts alongside rehabbed tennis courts, new lighting, and drainage improvements under the Pickleball Mania program. It’s one of the more complete outdoor setups on the West Side.
Union Park
Received four new dedicated pickleball courts backed by $1 million in TIF funding as part of broader park improvements. The courts at 1501 W Randolph St are among the newest in the system.
Revere Park
Added four new tennis courts and two pickleball courts through a $400,000 TIF package. It’s located at 2509 W Irving Park Rd.
Portage Park
Had courts resurfaced and four new dedicated pickleball courts added, making it one of the Northwest Side’s primary pickleball spots.
Horner Park
Runs a larger multi-court complex and is one of the regularly cited outdoor destinations on the North Side, alongside the lakefront courts at Clarendon, Lake Shore, and Rogers Beach.
Here’s the full list from the Park District directory:
| Facility | Address | Notes |
| Armour Square | 3309 S Shields Ave | Dedicated outdoor court |
| Athletic Field | 3546 W Addison St | Combo tennis/pickleball |
| Avalon | 1215 E 83rd St | Shared tennis/pickleball |
| Avondale Park | 3516 W School St | Park-based layout |
| Bauler | 501 W Wisconsin St, | Neighborhood court, Old Town area |
| Bessemer | 8930 S Muskegon Ave | Far South Side |
| Brands Park | 3285 N Elston Ave | Multi-use with pickleball striping |
| Brooks (Gwendolyn) | 4542 S Greenwood Ave | Bronzeville |
| Calumet | 9801 S Ave G | Far Southeast Side court |
| Clarendon Park | 4501 N Clarendon Ave | Uptown lakefront |
| Columbus Park | 500 S Central Ave | Austin, 4 new dedicated courts |
| Dvorak Park | 1119 W Cullerton St | Pilsen |
| Ellis Park | 3520 S Cottage Grove Ave | South Side combo |
| Fernwood | 10436 S Wallace St | Far South Side neighborhood court |
| Fosco Park | 1312 S Racine Ave | Near West Side, indoor/outdoor options |
| Foster | 1400 W 84th St | South Side courts |
| Gompers Park | 4222 W Foster Ave | North Side facility with a mix of indoor and outdoor courts |
| Grand Crossing | 7655 S Ingleside Ave | Six new outdoor pickleball courts |
| Grant Park | 820 S Columbus Dr | Downtown, 16 courts |
| Graver | 1518 W 102nd Pl | Far Southwest Side neighborhood court |
| Hamilton Park | 513 W 72nd St | Englewood/Ashburn border court |
| Harrison | 1824 S Wood St | Outdoor pickleball courts at Harrison Park |
| Horner Park | 2741 W Montrose Ave | North Side multi-court complex |
| Jackson Park | 6401 S Stony Island Ave | South lakefront combo |
| Kennedy | 11320 S Western Ave | Mt. Greenwood courts combining tennis and pickleball |
| Kennicott Park | 4434 S Lake Park Ave | Indoor fieldhouse |
| Lake Shore | 808 N Lake Shore Dr | Lakefront, Streeterville |
| Lerner Park | 7000 N Sacramento Ave | Far North Side park with combo tennis/pickleball courts |
| Lindblom | 6054 S Damen Ave | Englewood courts listed alongside Lindblom Tennis Courts |
| Mandrake | 900 E Pershing Rd | Combo tennis/pickleball |
| McGuane | 2901 S Poplar Ave | Bridgeport |
| McFetridge Sports Center | 3843 N California Ave | Structured play programs |
| Munroe | 2617 W 105th St | Southwest Side neighborhood court in the Beverly/Mt. Greenwood area |
| Portage Park | 4100 N Long Ave | Northwest Side, 4 new dedicated courts |
| Pottawattomie Park | 7340 N Rogers Ave | Far North Side park in Rogers Park with dedicated pickleball lines |
| Revere Park | 2509 W Irving Park Rd | North Center, TIF-funded courts |
| Rogers Beach | 7705 N Eastlake Terrace | Far North lakefront |
| Rogers Park | 7345 N Washtenaw Ave | Neighborhood courts |
| Roosevelt | 62 W Roosevelt Rd | Near South Loop |
| Sauganash Park | 5861 N Kostner Ave | Northwest Side |
| Senn Park | 5887 N Ridge Ave | Edgewater |
| Shabbona | 6935 W Addison St | Northwest Side complex |
| Sheridan | 910 S Aberdeen St | Near UIC |
| Smith | 670 N Campbell Ave, | Near West Side neighborhood court |
| Tuley | 501 E 90th Pl | South side court in Tuley Park |
| Union Park | 1501 W Randolph St | West Loop, 4 new dedicated courts |
| Warren Park | 6601 N Western Ave | Far North Side complex |
| Washington Park | 5531 S King Dr | Washington Park |
| Welles Park | 2333 W Sunnyside Ave | Lincoln Square |
| West Chatham | 8223 S Princeton Ave | South Side |
| West Lawn | 4233 W 65th St | Southwest Side |
| Wilson Park | 4630 N Milwaukee Ave | Northwest Side |
Schedules and temporary closures can be found at the full directory listings page here.
Indoor and Club Venues
If you’re looking for outdoor courts, they typically run from April through October. Starting in November and continuing through March, it’s all indoor play.
SPF Chicago in Lincoln Park is the largest dedicated pickleball facility in the city. The complex covers 42,000 square feet with eight indoor courts, including a glow-in-the-dark court. SPF runs leagues, clinics, and drop-in sessions and operates as a social venue alongside the athletic one.
SPF All Day on the Northwest Side is a companion facility built around a fully autonomous access model, using tech-enabled entry without a traditional front desk. It’s geared toward flexible indoor play on your own schedule.
Big City Pickle operates across multiple Chicago locations, including Fulton Market, the Gold Coast, Lincoln Yards, and the South Loop. The venues include courts at Morgan Manufacturing and West Loop warehouse spaces, as well as hotel and rooftop setups around the city. Big City Pickle runs leagues, rentals, tournaments, and clinics across the network.
Lakeshore Sport & Fitness in Lincoln Park offers both indoor and outdoor pickleball courts alongside weekly open play, round-robin tournaments, and skill-based coaching. Access is tied to a fitness membership.
Midtown Athletic Club in Lincoln Park is a large facility with multiple lined pickleball courts as part of its tennis and fitness offerings.
Pickleball Clubhouse on the North Side is a dedicated indoor facility with seven permanent courts. It runs on member-based access with leagues and regular drop-in sessions.
FFC Gold Coast and FFC Union Station are Fitness Formula Clubs locations with several indoor pickleball courts each. Both offer member access and drop-in play.
Bernard Horwich JCC on the Northwest Side runs three indoor pickleball courts as part of its recreational programming.
Kennicott Park Fieldhouse on the South Side is a Park District fieldhouse with an indoor shared court available through Park District programming at free or low cost.
Final Thoughts
The Pickleball Mania program is part of a broader pattern in how Chicago has been directing TIF funding in recent years. Tax Increment Financing is the mechanism the city uses to reinvest tax revenue in specific districts, and aldermanic offices have been routing it toward pickleball courts alongside the more traditional uses. The $1 million investment at Union Park and the $400,000 package at Revere Park are recent examples. Columbus Park in Austin is another.
Why is this happening? The data shows that growth is exploding, and this is what residents want. Chicago wants to invest in the infrastructure to meet the demand.
And businesses are buying in too. Life Time Fitness has a deal to purchase two suburban Chicago-area fitness complexes, with one location in Northbrook planned for conversion into a pickleball-heavy facility. That’s a large private operator making a bet on the sport’s popularity, separate from the city’s public investment.
So it looks like pickleball is here to stay for a long time. And if you’re thinking about buying a place in Chicago and sticking around too, give us a shout! We’re happy to share all of our insights about the city and every neighborhood that makes Chicago truly special.
See you next week!
