Arlington opens dedicated pickleball courts at Walter Reed Community Center

Arlington players gained six dedicated outdoor pickleball courts at Walter Reed Community Center, a shift that moves the site from temporary striped space to a true single-use home for the game. The new courts were set to open at 6 p.m. on May 22, weather permitting, and they immediately changed the daily math for local players: less setup, fewer conflicts with other sports, and a cleaner place to play drop-in games and organized runs.

The project matters because Arlington County already says it offers 25 outdoor courts and 18 indoor courts striped for pickleball, but Walter Reed is different. Instead of sharing space with tennis, the county converted outdoor tennis courts into six dedicated pickleball courts, giving the sport its first dedicated outdoor facility in Arlington. County project materials have framed that step as part of a broader push to identify tennis and basketball spaces that can be better used for dedicated pickleball or multi-use play, reflecting how quickly the sport has moved from an add-on to a permanent fixture in the park system.

Walter Reed’s pickleball story stretches back years. The tennis courts were first striped for pickleball in 2019, after the basketball court had been piloted for pickleball in 2017. That progression showed steady demand, and the new build is the county’s clearest answer yet to players who have outgrown shared lines and awkward scheduling. For amateurs, the practical benefit is obvious: dedicated courts usually mean more consistent play, easier league planning and fewer interruptions when tennis or basketball traffic is heavy.

The county also built the project around more than court lines. The site includes lighting, fencing, seating and shade, ADA-accessible pathways, stormwater management, signage, landscaping and sound reduction measures. Arlington says the basketball court will be converted back to its original use, which makes the pickleball footprint more clearly defined while preserving space for other recreation.

The upgrade also followed a tense public conversation. In March 2025, WUSA9 reported that some neighbors were frustrated by noise and others objected to repurposing the tennis courts. Arlington Park Development Division Chief Erik Beach said community input played a major role in the final decisions, and the county has tried to answer those concerns with design changes and sound-reduction measures.

Arlington scheduled an official ribbon-cutting for June 10 at 5 p.m. at the Walter Reed Community Center Outdoor Pickleball Courts, 2909 16th Street, Arlington, VA 22204, followed by open play. The courts are drop-in only and aligned with Walter Reed Community Center operating hours, signaling that this is not a temporary experiment but a permanent addition to Arlington’s recreation map.