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Kansas City is a pickleball town now.
Invented by Washington state politician Joel Pritchard and his friend Bill Bell in 1965, the unique racquet sport may look like tennis, but actually has its roots elsewhere. The story goes that Pritchard and Bell wanted to play badminton but didn’t have all the equipment, so they picked up some ping-pall paddles and a wiffle ball and came up with new rules.
Those rules are easy to follow. Pickleball is played as singles or as doubles. The serve is underhanded, and the ball must go diagonally across the court and land in a designated square.
The ball must also bounce once on this initial serve — after that, it’s just volleying back and forth until one side faults. Games are typically played to 11, and you must win by a margin of two.
The sport now includes over 19 million players across 65,000 courts, and is the fastest-growing sport in the country.
One of the greatest strengths of pickleball is the adaptability of where the game can be played. Outdoor basketball courts, tennis courts and even an ice skating rink (as in Lee’s Summit) can all serve a dual purpose for playing pickleball.
Kansas City has restaurants and businesses revolving around pickleball, converted courts all around the metro, conventions that come to town, and even has a professional pickleball team — the Kansas City Stingers — who are just starting their new 2025 season. Their next home game is on July 11-13. Get your tickets and cheer on KC’s next great home team.
We put together this guide to Kansas City’s pickleball scene and where you can pick up a racket.
Parks and community centers
There are too many public pickleball courts to list them all, but rest assured there’s likely one near you.
One of the best ways to get detailed information is to visit Pickleheads.com. Billed as “the official court and game finder for USA Pickleball and the Global Pickleball Federation,” their database is easy to search by city.
Here in Kansas City, parks offer you a free option to play, and a few are worth mentioning. Lea McKeighan Park North in Lee’s Summit offers three full courts during most of the year. In winter, they are converted to an ice rink. In Independence, check out Blackburn School Park for six courts.
If you like rec centers, there are also plenty, but often there is a daily fee to play or membership required. For example, the Harris Park Community Center in Lee’s Summit has six courts, and multiple levels of membership such as day rates ($6 for residents, $8 for non-members), 90-day rates ($142 residents, $189 non-residents), and even accepts insurance from qualified plans.
In Kansas City's Brookside neighborhood on Brookside Boulevard, between 55th and 68th Streets, you'll find three pickleball spots: Brookside Park (three courts), Brookside Court Park (two courts, as a hybrid of tennis and pickleball) and Arbor Villa Park (one court).
In Midtown, there's the Westport-Roanoke Community Center featuring two courts available to play with purchase of a $5 day pass. That’s the same rate you'll pay to play at the Garrison Community Center in Columbus Park.
There are also two newer Pickleball courts at Independence Plaza Park on Independence Avenue, within walking distance of downtown and Columbus Park. No reservations needed and it's free to play.
North of the river, you can find some excellent courts at EH Young Riverfront Park (eight courts), Macken Park (six courts), or five courts at the Kansas City North Community Center ($5 day pass).
Overland Park, Kansas, might have the highest concentration of pickleball courts in the metro. There’s Tomahawk Ridge Community Center with two courts ($10 day pass), Youngs Park with two courts, and Meadowbrook Park which has eight well-lit courts.
Chicken N Pickle
With locations in Overland Park and North Kansas City, you can eat, drink and enjoy a good game at Chicken N Pickle.
You can reserve an indoor, covered or outdoor court for $20 an hour before 5 p.m. and $40 after that. Open from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m., there’s plenty of time to play. Saturday and Sunday are $40 all day.
You can also rent paddles for $4 and pickleballs for $3.50. That’s not the only way to get involved though. Chicken N Pickle offers private and group lessons, clinics and classes, para-pickleball, youth summer camps and leagues. Check their calendar for times and costs.
- 5901 W 135th St., Overland Park, Kansas
- 1761 Burlington St., North Kansas City, Missouri
Sandbox KC
Want a wide variety of activities, including pickleball? Then Sandbox is your spot. It’s $10 an hour for the courts, with $3 paddle rentals, and you can buy a ball for $3. Not only that, but they serve a quality brunch as well.
Sandbox also hosts monthly leagues, tournaments, and tons of events.
- 509 NW Barry Road, Kansas City, Missouri
SERV
There is a lot going on at SERV, but let's stick with pickleball. Eight courts rent out for $20 an hour Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. After 5 p.m. on Friday, all day Saturday and most of Sunday, the price goes up to $40 an hour.
At SERV you can also catch live music, reserve space for bigger events, and participate in any of their other monthly events.
SERV also hosts leagues such as its Head Honcho League, which is held every Monday from 6-9 p.m. It’s for all skill levels and is based on your Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating (DUPR), a score that’s based on the results of your matches. It’s a way to make sure that you are matched up with the appropriate skill level.
- 9051 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, Kansas
54th Street Restaurant and Drafthouse
54th Street Restaurant and Drafthouse has eight locations in the Kansas City metro, but only one offers pickleball. The Zona Rosa location features two courts that can be reserved ahead of time.
Monday through Thursday will set you back $15 an hour with a max of six hours, and Friday through Sunday is $20 per hour.
54th Street provides all the equipment that you’ll need, so just show up with a will to win, eat and have fun.
- 7200 NW 86th Terrace, Kansas City, Missouri
Char Bar in Parkville
Char Bar is known for its barbecue, and now its Parkville location has entered the pickleball world. Char Bar in Parkville offers four indoor courts and two outdoor courts, so you can play in any weather. During the week, you can join open play if courts are available for just $5, which makes this a steal. Paddle rentals are another $5, and you can purchase balls for $3.
To rent a court for the hour, it can range from $20 for non-primetime hours to $40 all day Saturday and Sunday. You could also get a membership, which runs from $45 a month. There are all kinds of perks such as free open play, discounts on leagues and discounted merch. They also offer lessons at $50 per hour for singles or $75 for doubles.
Check Char Bar's event calendar to see other fun events, such as tournaments or late-night pickleball bonanzas.
- 15348 Old Town Drive, Parkville, Missouri
Play Pickleball KC
Some gyms around Kansas City are dedicated to the sport of pickleball. In Independence off Highway 291, you’ll find Play Pickleball KC. They have three courts that you can reserve Monday through Friday from 9-11 a.m. After that, it’s open play until 4 p.m., including weekends.
They also offer classes depending on your skill level. Their Pickleball 101 is for the beginner who wants to learn the basics. Check back often to see what clinics they'll be holding next.
- 17800 Holke Road, Independence, Missouri
SW19
SW19 opened in 2020 and is the current home of the KC Stingers. They have nine indoor pickleball courts. There are no membership or monthly fees and no prime hour rates. All you have to do is to show up, pay and play.
It’s $25 per hour, and you can rent paddles for $5 per hour. You can also rent a pickleball machine for just $10 an hour and get in your solo practice time.
SW19 has lots of opportunities to learn how to play. They hold classes for kids and adults, offer drill sessions to help you improve your game, and host an assortment of leagues for all skill levels. If that isn’t enough, they also give back to the community through special events. Check out their event page to find out more.
- 2008 W 103rd Terrace, Leawood, Kansas
