Where to play once the sun drops and the heat breaks, the lit courts I use all summer, from the big tennis centers to the free neighborhood parks.
CW
Clayton WalkerFounder|April 13, 2026|6 min read
The short version
Tampa Bay has lit tennis courts in every part of the region, and from late spring through fall, night play is the smart way to beat the heat. The big tennis centers, HCC in Tampa, the St. Petersburg Tennis Center clay, and McMullen in Clearwater, all play under lights, and free lit hard courts like Julian B. Lane, North Shore Park, Lake Vista, and Highlander Park stay open into the evening. North Shore and Belleair Beach run lights until 11pm. Every court here is on the map.
For about half the year here, the best time to play tennis is after the sun goes down. The heat breaks, the courts cool off, and the light is good under a clean set of lamps. Tampa Bay has lit courts in every part of the region, from the big tennis centers to the free neighborhood parks, so here is my guide to the best ones for night play, grouped by area, with how late the lights run and which are free.
A quick word on why this matters. From May through October, a midday match in full sun is a bad idea, and a lot of us simply move our tennis to the evening. Lights turn a 95-degree afternoon into a pleasant 80-degree night session. The catch is that not every public court has them, and the ones that do keep different hours, so it pays to know which courts stay lit late before you drive over.
Once the heat breaks, the lit courts around the bay are the place to be.
Tampa
HCC Tennis Center
Hard + Clay (Har-Tru) · 23 courts · Lit · Reserve
The bay's flagship public complex, and a great place to play at night. Twenty-three courts in cushioned hard and Har-Tru clay, all lit, kept in pristine shape after a major renovation, on the Hillsborough Community College campus. Evening clinics and round-robins are popular, so reserve ahead through the HCC Tennis Center. Open weekdays until about 9pm. See the HCC Tennis Center page, part of the Tampa courts directory.
Almost every part of the region has lit courts. In Tampa, the HCC Tennis Center, Cal Dickson, and the free courts at Julian B. Lane all have lights. In St. Petersburg, North Shore Park, Lake Vista, Crescent Lake, and the St. Petersburg Tennis Center clay are lit. In the Clearwater area, McMullen and Highlander Park in Dunedin play under lights.
How late are the lights on at Tampa Bay tennis courts?
It varies by court. The free bayfront courts at North Shore Park in St. Petersburg and the Belleair Beach courts run their lights until about 11pm. The staffed tennis centers like HCC and McMullen typically light their courts until about 9pm, tied to their evening hours.
Are there free lit tennis courts in Tampa Bay?
Yes, plenty. Julian B. Lane in Tampa, North Shore Park, Lake Vista, Crescent Lake, Azalea, and Puryear Park in St. Petersburg, and Highlander Park in Dunedin all have free, first-come hard courts with lights for night play.
Can you play night tennis on clay in Tampa Bay?
Yes. The St. Petersburg Tennis Center has 20 lit Har-Tru clay courts, the Sandra W. Freedman complex on Davis Islands has eight lit clay courts, and the McMullen complex in Clearwater lights its 12 clay courts for evening play.
Where can I see which Tampa Bay courts have lights?
The TB Let's Play court map lets you filter for lights, along with surface and fees, so you can find a lit court near you and check its hours before you go.
CW
Clayton Walker
Founder
Founder of TB Let's Play and lifelong tennis player. Building the community resource Tampa Bay deserves for finding courts, connecting with players, and making the most of our region's incredible tennis and pickleball scene.
Find these courts on the map
See locations, lights, surfaces, and amenities for every court in this guide.
TB Let's Play is free. Join to find players near you and keep up with local courts.
The HCC Tennis Center, the bay's flagship public complex, lit for evening play.
Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park
Hard · 6 courts · Lit · Free
The best free lit courts in the city for a night session. Six hard courts directly on the Hillsborough River, looking across the water at the downtown skyline, which is genuinely beautiful once the city lights come on. The surface is true, the lights are good, and it is completely free and first-come. Open until 10pm. See the Julian B. Lane page.
Cal Dickson Tennis Center and Sandra W. Freedman Tennis Complex
Cal Dickson: Hard · 8 courts · Lit · Sandra W. Freedman: Clay (Har-Tru) · 8 courts · Lit · ~$5–6.45/player
Two more good Tampa evening options. Cal Dickson is the South Tampa hub, eight lit hard courts with a lively, social drop-in scene off Watrous near Hyde Park, run by the City of Tampa. For clay under lights, the Sandra W. Freedman complex on Davis Islands has eight Har-Tru courts on the water, lit until 9pm on weekdays, for a few dollars a player.
Tip
If you wear glasses or struggle to track the ball at night, play with a slightly brighter optic-yellow ball and pick courts with newer LED lamps, which most of the renovated centers now have. The cooler, whiter light reads truer than the old orange sodium lights. And bring bug spray from May through September. The lights draw insects, and the courts near the water draw more of them.
St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg Tennis Center
Clay (Har-Tru) · 20 courts · Lit · ~$15/day
The historic clay center is lit, and clay at night is a treat. Twenty Har-Tru courts at Bartlett Park, most of them lit, groomed and watered so they play cool and soft well into the evening. There is a small daily walk-on fee of about $15 for non-members. See the St. Petersburg Tennis Center page, in the St. Pete directory.
The St. Petersburg Tennis Center lights its historic clay for evening play.
North Shore Park
Hard · 4 courts · Lit · Free
The best free night tennis in St. Pete, and the lights run late. Four hard courts on the downtown bayfront, a short walk from the Pier, with the water on one side and the lights on until about 11pm. The evening pickup scene here is friendly and regular. Free and first-come. See the North Shore Park page.
Lake Vista and Crescent Lake
Lake Vista: Hard · 8 courts · Lit · Free · Hitting wall · Crescent Lake: Hard · 4 courts · Lit · Free
Two more free lit options. Lake Vista has eight lit hard courts in South St. Pete plus a hitting wall, and it hosts league play in the evenings. Crescent Lake Park has four lit hard courts wrapped around the lake in a pretty old neighborhood, good for a cooler evening hit.
Crescent Lake Park's free courts are lit for evening sessions.
Clearwater and the beaches
Henry L. McMullen Tennis Complex
Clay (Har-Tru) + Hard · 19 courts · Lit · Reserve
Clearwater's premier complex plays under lights too. Nineteen courts, twelve Har-Tru clay and six hard plus a stadium court, all lit, in a shaded 20-acre park. The clay holds up well into the evening, and the staffed office means the lights and gates are handled. Reserve through Clearwater Parks and Recreation. See the McMullen page, in the Clearwater directory.
McMullen lights its clay and hard courts for night play in Clearwater.
For free lit courts up here, Highlander Park in Dunedin has eight, the most free night tennis in north Pinellas. Out on the coast, the Belleair Beach Tennis Courts keep their two lit courts open until 11pm, the longest evening hours of any beach-town court I know.
Once the heat breaks, the lit courts around the bay are the place to be.
The St. Petersburg Tennis Center lights its historic clay for evening play.
Crescent Lake Park's free courts are lit for evening sessions.
McMullen lights its clay and hard courts for night play in Clearwater.
