Huntingburg pickleball courts near completion, expected to open by May's end

The asphalt is down, the poles for the nets are going in, and Huntingburg’s new pickleball courts at League Stadium are close enough now to see on the calendar. City parks officials say the courts should open by the end of May, turning a construction site at 203 S Cherry St. into a new recreation stop for Dubois County.

The work is moving in visible stages. Crews laid the asphalt last week, workers are installing the net poles, and a fence company has started coring work so fencing can be set around the courts. That progress marks a shift from planning to finish work, with the project now looking less like a concept and more like a facility nearing use.

The final product will include three pickleball courts and expanded parking access near the south entrance and League Stadium area. The Huntingburg Park Board approved the work by accepting a sole bid from Cal Car for $69,375, a figure far above the earlier $29,830 pickleball-only estimate. The higher price reflects the broader scope of the job, which now includes court construction and site improvements around the stadium.

That matters because League Stadium is already one of Huntingburg’s best-known public spaces. Built in 1894, the stadium was renovated and expanded in 1991 for the filming of A League of Their Own and now seats 2,783. It remains home to the Dubois County Bombers and continues to host other games and events, giving the new courts a built-in audience of parkgoers, players and families already headed to the site.

The addition also fits a wider recreational trend. USA Pickleball’s 2025 annual growth report said its court-location database reached 18,258 places to play and 82,613 total known courts, showing how quickly communities are adding the sport. In Huntingburg, the new courts could do more than give residents another place to play. A facility next to a historic stadium and within the city’s park system has the potential to draw more foot traffic, support tournament play and send more people past nearby businesses.

Huntingburg City Park is described by the city as a 40-acre park with amenities for all age groups, and the parks department says it operates six parks across the city. With the pickleball project now in its final phase, that network is set to get one more active space, and it should be ready before May closes.