The short answer: pickleball in Rutland VT runs through one building you might not expect — the old College of St. Joseph gym, which the city bought and turned into the Rutland Recreation Community Center. It has three nets, a $4 resident and $7 non-resident day pass, and it is the only indoor option in town you can simply walk into. Outdoors, the pickleball lines are painted on the Meadow Street tennis courts at Connor Park, and two private clubs round out the picture.
The 30-second version
- Rutland Recreation Community Center, 134 Community Drive — three pickleball nets in a college-size gym. Day pass $4 for city residents, $7 for everyone else (ages 12 and up).
- Ignore the old prices you see online. The $10-a-month figure that directories still quote dates from 2020. The current monthly rate is $12 resident and $17 non-resident.
- Monsignor Thomas Connor Memorial Park, 41 Meadow Street — free outdoor play on tennis courts lined for pickleball. Shared space, not dedicated courts.
- Vermont Sport & Fitness, 40 Curtis Ave — rents pickleball courts to members and non-members. Call (802) 775-9916.
- Every September the Rotary Club of Rutland runs a round-robin tournament plus a beginner learning clinic that has taught more than 100 new players.
Rutland is the kind of Vermont city people drive through on Route 4 on the way to Killington without ever stopping. That is a mistake if you play pickleball. The city has a better indoor setup than towns twice its size, and the story of how it got there is one of the more interesting ones I have come across writing these guides. It also explains why half the information about Rutland pickleball online is wrong.
Where can you play pickleball in Rutland VT?
There are four places worth knowing, and they fall into two groups: the two you can use without joining anything, and the two private clubs.
| Venue | Indoor / outdoor | Walk-in? | What it costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rec Community Center 134 Community Dr |
Indoor, 3 nets | Yes | $4 resident / $7 non-resident day pass |
| Connor Park 41 Meadow St |
Outdoor, lined tennis courts | Yes | Free |
| Vermont Sport & Fitness 40 Curtis Ave |
Indoor | Court rentals open to non-members | Call for court rental rates |
| Rutland Racquet Club 129 Forest St |
Indoor | Private club | Membership — ask first |
Why is Rutland’s indoor pickleball in an old college gym?
Because the college closed and the city bought the gym. It is a good story, and a useful one.
The College of St. Joseph held its final semester in spring 2020 after Heritage Family Credit Union foreclosed on the campus. Rutland Recreation and Parks had already started leasing the athletic building in November 2019 as a trial, to see whether residents would actually use a community center. They did. According to VTDigger, the center had 400 members paying $10 a month by the time Covid closed it in March 2020.
- The price: $1.8 million for the athletic building and about 20 acres of fields — a $1.45 million bond plus a $350,000 federal grant.
- The vote: the Board of Aldermen put it on the ballot 6–4, and Rutland voters approved the bond in November 2020.
- The keys: Mayor David Allaire signed the closing documents on March 30, 2021. By then, the Mountain Times reported, the center had more than 700 monthly members.
Here is the pickleball twist. The Rutland Herald reported in September 2020 that St. Joe’s had already been a winter pickleball destination for local players before Covid interrupted it. So the city did not just buy a gym. It bought the building the local pickleball crowd was already using, and kept it open for them. If your town is wondering how to pay for courts, that grant-plus-bond structure is worth a look alongside our guide to pickleball court grants.
It also explains the address confusion. The college’s old address was 71 Clement Road, and at least one scheduling app still lists the community center there. The city uses 134 Community Drive. Same campus, same building — put the new address in your GPS.
What does it cost to play at the Rutland Rec Community Center?
These are straight from the city’s community center page, and they are not what most directories show:
- Day pass (ages 12+): $4 for Rutland City residents, $7 for non-residents.
- Monthly membership: $12 resident, $17 non-resident.
- Longer memberships: 3 months $33/$48, 6 months $66/$96, 9 months $99/$144, 12 months $129/$189.
- Kids 11 and under get in free with an adult member.
- Hours: Monday–Friday 6am–8pm, Saturday–Sunday 8am–3pm.
The $2-a-visit and $10-a-month numbers you will find on several national court finders are the 2020 prices from the lease-trial era. They are six years stale. Budget $7 if you are visiting.
The gym has six basketball hoops, a walking track around the edge and three pickleball nets, so pickleball shares time with everything else. The center does not publish a fixed pickleball timetable online, so call the front desk at 802-773-1822 (option 1) before you drive in. One bonus the directories never mention: the center’s two racquetball courts can be used for pickleball practice. If you are on your own, that is a perfect place to run the drills in our pickleball wall drills guide.
Are the Meadow Street courts dedicated pickleball courts?
No, and it is worth knowing before you go. Monsignor Thomas Connor Memorial Park at 41 Meadow Street is the city’s main outdoor spot, but the pickleball lives on the tennis courts.
The Herald’s 2020 story described yellow pickleball lines painted on two of the three tennis courts, with the third on the way, which would make six pickleball courts in total. The same courts host the Mount St. Joseph Academy tennis team’s home matches in the spring. Local scheduling listings now show six outdoor courts there. The city’s own park page, though, still describes the park as having three tennis courts and does not mention pickleball at all.
Both can be true: it is lined, shared court space. Play is free, and back in 2020 the Herald found a regular group of 16 to 20 players meeting there three times a week. If you are arriving in spring, check whether there is a school match before you unpack.
Can visitors play at Vermont Sport & Fitness or Rutland Racquet Club?
Vermont Sport & Fitness is the easier of the two. It is a family-owned, 39,000-square-foot club run by Dan and Leslie Doenges, and its own guests page says pickleball court rentals are open to members and non-members. A general $15 guest pass covers the gym, classes, basketball, pool and steam room. Court rentals are booked separately, so ask about pickleball specifically when you call (802) 775-9916. It is open 5am–9pm on weekdays and 7:30am–6pm on weekends.
Rutland Racquet Club on Forest Street is a private club, and I could not find a website for it. It hosts the Rotary’s beginner clinic each September. Beyond that, treat it as members-only unless you hear otherwise from the club itself.
When is Rutland’s Rotary pickleball tournament?
Every September. The Rotary Club of Rutland’s Build Better Friendships Pickleball Tournament held its fifth edition on September 12–13, 2026 at Vermont Sport & Fitness. It is a non-sanctioned round robin, so there are no ratings to protect and no pressure.
The part I like best is the learning clinic on the Saturday at Rutland Racquet Club. The Rotary says that over four years, local facilitators Denise and Jim Bellew have taught more than 100 complete beginners the game there. If you have a friend who keeps saying they will try pickleball “someday,” put next September’s clinic on their calendar. For the rest of the year, our guide to pickleball lessons for beginners and the coaches directory will get them started.
Where else can you play near Rutland?
Rutland County’s players spread out across small-town courts. PlayTime Scheduler’s Rutland region is the best place to find a game, and it lists sessions at Pittsford Rec, Northwood Park in Rutland Town, Castleton Rec and in Killington, among others. Back in 2020 the Herald noted that the Pittsford group was the more competitive crowd and Meadow Street the more social one. Pick your vibe.
If you are heading north, we have covered Burlington. To the south there is Bennington. The full picture is on our Vermont pickleball hub, and winter options across the region are in indoor pickleball in New England.
The Rutland read
Walk into the Rec Community Center with $7 and a paddle, and call ahead so you know when the nets are up. On a nice morning, head to Meadow Street for free outdoor play with a group that has been at it for years. If you want a club, or somewhere to play on a Sunday afternoon, Vermont Sport & Fitness is the one that openly welcomes non-members. Not bad for a city most people only see through the windshield on the way to the mountain.
Frequently asked questions
Is there indoor pickleball in Rutland, Vermont?
Yes. The Rutland Recreation Community Center at 134 Community Drive has three pickleball nets in its gym and sells day passes. Vermont Sport & Fitness and Rutland Racquet Club also have indoor courts.
How much does it cost to play pickleball at the Rutland Rec Community Center?
A day pass is $4 for Rutland City residents and $7 for non-residents, ages 12 and up. Monthly memberships are $12 resident and $17 non-resident.
Are there free outdoor pickleball courts in Rutland?
Yes. Monsignor Thomas Connor Memorial Park at 41 Meadow Street has tennis courts lined for pickleball. It is free, but the courts are shared with tennis.
Can non-members play pickleball at Vermont Sport & Fitness?
Yes. The club rents pickleball courts to both members and non-members. Call (802) 775-9916 for availability and rates.
Is there a pickleball tournament in Rutland?
Yes. The Rotary Club of Rutland runs the Build Better Friendships Pickleball Tournament every September, a non-sanctioned round robin, with a beginner learning clinic on the Saturday.
Details here come from the Rutland Recreation and Parks Department, Vermont Sport & Fitness, the Rotary Club of Rutland, VTDigger, the Mountain Times and the Rutland Herald. Schedules and fees change, so call ahead before you drive.
— Jason Regan, Regan Family Pickleball. Play in Rutland and see something out of date here? Tell me and I will fix it.