CityPickle Returns to Wollman Rink With 14 Pickleball Courts

CityPickle is bringing pickleball back to one of New York’s most recognizable warm-weather stages, and the contrast is the whole story: Wollman Rink, usually a place for skates and winter crowds, will again become a 14-court pickleball hub in Central Park.

The season begins April 21, and CityPickle says it will be its fourth at Wollman Rink. Play will run daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. through early fall, giving Manhattan one of its largest temporary pickleball setups and turning a famous public space into a destination that feels built for both locals and travelers. Reservations will open on a rolling basis one week in advance.

The scale is what makes the return stand out. Fourteen courts in the middle of Central Park means more than a casual pop-up; it is a full court calendar layered onto one of the city’s most photographed addresses. For visitors planning a New York trip, that matters. A morning session or late-afternoon match can sit neatly beside a park day, a museum visit, or a meal uptown, and the venue’s setting adds the kind of location prestige a standard club cannot match.

CityPickle’s mix is broad by design. Open play, clinics, private lessons, leagues, and youth camps will all be part of the season. One-hour clinics will be offered in partnership with Mount Sinai, and the site will continue to lean into accessibility with $5 community sessions that include complimentary paddle rentals. For newcomers, that lowers the barrier to entry in a way that fits the sport’s recent growth in urban centers.

Families will also find a reason to plan around the site. CityPickle is adding a summer camp for kids from late July through August, with both half-day and full-day options. Off court, Great Performances will handle food and drinks, while courtside cabanas and a VIP lounge will give the space a more premium, social feel for players who want a longer stay between matches.

Central Park’s official listing says the pickleball arrangement is part of a three-year deal running through 2026, and CityPickle has said the Wollman Rink setup helped introduce more than 56,000 participants in its inaugural season. Across its events and venues, the company says it has now introduced more than 160,000 New Yorkers to pickleball. That is the larger shift behind the headline: a city landmark that once meant winter skating now helps define pickleball as a seasonal New York ritual.