Pickleball Comes to the St. Pete Pier
A seasonal pop-up put paddles and waterfront views together on the Pier in early 2025.
The short version
In early 2025, pickleball came to the St. Pete Pier as a seasonal pop-up. St. Pete Athletic set up temporary courts on the Pier from mid-January through late April, with open play for about $5 a day and paddle rentals available, all with downtown and waterfront views. The pop-up was not a permanent court; for year-round public pickleball nearby, North Shore Park is a short walk away.
In early 2025, pickleball came to the St. Pete Pier, and the setting was hard to beat: paddles, open water, and the downtown skyline in view. It was a seasonal pop-up run by St. Pete Athletic, not a permanent set of public courts, but for a few months it gave players a genuinely scenic place to get a game in on the waterfront.
The early-2025 pop-up paired pickleball with St. Pete Pier and skyline views.
How it worked
St. Pete Athletic set up temporary courts on the Pier and ran open play from mid-January through late April 2025. The format was simple: about $5 for all-day open play, with paddles and balls available to rent for around $5 more, so you could show up empty-handed and still play. Hours ran through the day, with later sessions on weekends, and the courts welcomed every level from first-timers to regulars. Bay News 9 covered the opening in March, and local outlets noted the run was extended into late April as it caught on.
The appeal was the location. The St. Pete Pier is the city's signature waterfront spot, and playing a game with the bay on one side and downtown on the other is the kind of thing that gets people who have never picked up a paddle to give it a try.
A pop-up like this also says something about where the sport is. Demand for pickleball in Pinellas County has been running ahead of the courts available, and 2025 was a banner year for new ones across the county, as St. Pete Catalyst documented. A temporary waterfront venue was a way to meet some of that demand while permanent facilities caught up.
Note
Because this was a temporary pop-up, the Pier courts are not in our permanent court directory. If you are reading this later in the year, check whether a current season is running before you head down, and use the year-round courts below as your reliable options.
Where to play year-round
The Pier pop-up was a seasonal thing, but St. Pete has plenty of permanent public pickleball. The closest to the Pier is North Shore Park on the downtown bayfront, a short walk away, and the city has dedicated and shared courts at parks across town. St. Pete Athletic, the group behind the pop-up, has also been building a year-round indoor pickleball facility in the Warehouse Arts District, part of a wider boom in local courts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there pickleball at the St. Pete Pier?
In early 2025, St. Pete Athletic ran a seasonal pop-up pickleball setup on the St. Pete Pier from mid-January through late April. It was a temporary, paid open-play event rather than a permanent set of public courts.
How much did it cost to play pickleball at the St. Pete Pier?
The pop-up charged about $5 for all-day open play, with paddle and ball rentals available for around $5. Players of all levels could drop in during open hours.
Are the St. Pete Pier pickleball courts permanent?
No. The Pier setup was a seasonal pop-up, not a permanent court. St. Pete Athletic, the group behind it, has also been building a year-round indoor pickleball facility in the Warehouse Arts District.
Where can I play pickleball in St. Petersburg year-round?
St. Petersburg has many permanent public courts with pickleball, including North Shore Park near the Pier, plus Crescent Lake, Fossil Park, J.W. Cate, and Woodlawn Park. You can find all of them on the TB Let's Play court map.
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.
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