The Picklr opens 35,000-square-foot pickleball club in Avon

A former Big Lots in Avon is turning into one of central Indiana’s biggest indoor pickleball hubs, with The Picklr set to open its 35,000-square-foot club June 6 at 10321 E. U.S. Highway 36 in Shiloh Crossing Shopping Center. The new site takes over the retail shell Big Lots left behind after announcing in late 2024 that it would close all remaining Indiana stores, including the Avon location.

The club’s scale is what separates it from a routine franchise opening. The Picklr Avon will have 12 indoor courts, including two championship-sized courts built with proprietary outdoor surfacing by Just Courts. It also will include a full-service pro shop, community event space, locker rooms with showers, a beer tap wall and a Picklr Mobility Zone with TRX-based workout equipment. That mix makes the Avon location look built for more than a few casual games after work. It gives west-side players a climate-controlled place that can handle open play, drills, league nights, tournaments and recovery time all in one building.

For groups looking at pickleball retreats, the details matter. A 12-court facility can absorb more players than a standard club, and the championship-sized courts add a premium option for higher-level play. The event space, showers and mobility zone make the club easier to use for long sessions and organized weekends, while the beer tap wall and pro shop give the place a social edge that can keep a group on site between matches. The Picklr’s Avon page says the indoor courts are designed for players of all skill levels and can also host special events.

The club is operated by Pickle Indy, LLC, and franchise owners Ron Brock and Dave Gilreath have pitched it as a best-in-class indoor experience for the west side of Indianapolis. The membership model is built around convenience, with unlimited open play, league and tournament access, exclusive programming and nationwide access to The Picklr clubs. WTHR said the Avon location will be the fourth Picklr in Indiana, a quick sign of how aggressively the chain has moved into the state.

The grand opening is set up like a community event, with noon-to-5 p.m. festivities that include open play, a dinking competition, food trucks, a drink station, a six-month membership giveaway and raffles. Avon is not just getting another court count headline. It is getting a former big-box space reworked into a destination that can pull players from across the Indianapolis area when indoor season becomes the whole season.