Where Did Pickleball Originate?

Quick Answer: Pickleball originated on Bainbridge Island, Washington, at Joel Pritchard’s family summer place on Pleasant Beach, in the summer of 1965. The original court still exists, preserved by the property’s current owners, and the island now hosts the six-court Founders Courts complex at Battle Point Park honoring the game’s three inventors.

Every sport has a birthplace, and pickleball’s is unusually specific: one backyard badminton court on an island in Puget Sound, west of Seattle. The full story of what happened on that court is told in the history of pickleball. This guide covers the place itself, what survives there, and what a visiting player can actually see and play today.

Where Exactly Was Pickleball Invented?

Pickleball was invented at Joel Pritchard’s summer place on Pleasant Beach Drive, on the south end of Bainbridge Island, Washington. HistoryLink, the encyclopedia of Washington state history, records that the game came together on the cabin’s badminton court in the summer of 1965, when Pritchard and Bill Bell improvised a game for Pritchard’s bored kids with paddles and a perforated plastic ball. Barney McCallum joined the following weekend, per USA Pickleball’s official history.

Bainbridge Island sits in Puget Sound, a ferry ride from downtown Seattle, which is exactly why it worked as a birthplace: Seattle families like the Pritchards summered there, then carried the game back to the city and beyond. The dates that followed that first summer are laid out in the timeline of when pickleball was invented.

What Happened to the Original Pickleball Court?

The original court survives, and it has been deliberately preserved. The Pleasant Beach property is now owned by Carol and Scott Stover, who have maintained the 1965 court in its original condition for decades, according to The Island Wanderer, a Bainbridge Island publication. The Bainbridge Island Historical Museum named the Stovers its 2021 History Heroes for that stewardship, praising them for honoring the legacy of the game rather than redeveloping the waterfront site.

The court is on private property, so there is no general public access. The Stovers have opened it selectively: during the island’s 2019 Founders Tournament they allowed tours and lent original paddles and other historic equipment for display, per The Island Wanderer. Players who make the trip should treat the site as what it is, someone’s home that happens to hold the sport’s founding artifact.

Can You Visit Pickleball Landmarks on Bainbridge Island Today?

Yes, and the centerpiece is built for playing, not just looking. The Founders Courts at Battle Point Park, named for Pritchard, Bell, and McCallum, offer six dedicated outdoor pickleball courts that opened to the public in 2021 as free-to-play courts, as of August 2026, according to Bainbridge Island Pickleball. The Bainbridge Island Parks and Trails Foundation, which helped fund the complex, added interpretive displays along the walkway chronicling the sport from 1965 to its national rise, plus an ornamental gate by local artist Michelle Van Slyke.

Indoor options exist for the island’s rainy months:

• Bainbridge Island Recreation Center, with three indoor courts and reservation-based play, as of August 2026 per Bainbridge Island Pickleball.
• Bainbridge High School’s lower gym, with evening indoor sessions in the rainy season, as of August 2026 per the same source.

A first-timer who wants to understand what they are watching before visiting can start with the guide to what pickleball is and how to play it. The court dimensions a visitor sees at Battle Point are the standard 20 by 44 feet with a 7-foot non-volley zone under the 2026 rulebook, unchanged in spirit from the founders’ layout.

How Did Pickleball Spread From Washington?

The game spread outward on the founders’ own networks. HistoryLink records that it moved quickly across Bainbridge Island and reached legislators in Olympia through Pritchard, who went on to serve in Congress. The first permanent court was built in 1967 at the Pritchards’ Seattle home in Magnolia Bluff, per USA Pickleball, moving the game off the island. The first known tournament in the world followed in spring 1976 at South Center Athletic Club in Tukwila, Washington, and by 1990 USA Pickleball records the game being played in all 50 states.

The Pacific Northwest kept its head start for decades, but the boom eventually went national: SFIA counted 24.3 million US players in 2025, up from 4.2 million in 2020.

Why Is Pickleball Washington’s Official State Sport?

Because the state claimed its invention formally. On March 28, 2022, Governor Jay Inslee signed Senate Bill 5615 designating pickleball the official state sport of Washington, after the bill passed the Senate 46 to 1 and the House 83 to 15, according to HistoryLink. The legislation leaned on the origin story, citing the 1965 invention on Bainbridge Island by Pritchard, Bell, and McCallum.

For the island, the designation confirmed what the Founders Courts, the preserved Pleasant Beach court, and the museum’s History Heroes award already said: Bainbridge treats pickleball as local heritage.

FAQ

Where did pickleball originate?

Pickleball originated on Bainbridge Island, Washington, at Joel Pritchard’s family summer place on Pleasant Beach, in the summer of 1965. Both USA Pickleball’s official history and HistoryLink confirm the location.

Where is Bainbridge Island?

Bainbridge Island is in Puget Sound, west of Seattle, Washington, reachable by ferry from the downtown Seattle waterfront. Its access to Seattle families is a big part of how the game spread.

Does the original pickleball court still exist?

Yes. The 1965 court on Pleasant Beach Drive has been preserved in its original condition by the property’s current owners, Carol and Scott Stover, who were named 2021 History Heroes by the Bainbridge Island Historical Museum for maintaining it.

Can you play on the original pickleball court?

Not on a walk-up basis, since the court sits on private property. The owners have opened it for special occasions, including tours during the island’s 2019 Founders Tournament, but regular public play happens at the island’s public courts instead.

What are the Founders Courts?

The Founders Courts are a six-court public pickleball complex at Battle Point Park on Bainbridge Island, named for founders Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum. They opened in 2021, are free to play as of August 2026, and feature interpretive displays on the sport’s history.

Was pickleball invented on a tennis court?

No, it was invented on a badminton court. The founders lowered the badminton net over time to 36 inches, which matches the modern sideline net height of 36 inches under the 2026 rulebook.

Why is pickleball Washington’s state sport?

Washington designated pickleball its official state sport on March 28, 2022, because the game was invented in the state, on Bainbridge Island in 1965. Governor Jay Inslee signed Senate Bill 5615 after near-unanimous Senate passage.

How did pickleball spread beyond Bainbridge Island?

Through the founders’ networks: to Seattle with the first permanent court in 1967, to Olympia legislators via Pritchard, to competitive play with the 1976 Tukwila tournament, and to all 50 states by 1990, per USA Pickleball and HistoryLink.

Is there a pickleball museum on Bainbridge Island?

The Bainbridge Island Historical Museum engages with the sport’s history and honored the original court’s preservation with its 2021 History Heroes award, and the Founders Courts carry interpretive history displays. Check the museum’s current exhibits before a trip, since displays rotate.

A pilgrimage to Bainbridge pairs well with a weekend of actual play, and planning both is easier with the pickleball travel and lodging directory for the trip itself and the public pickleball courts directory for courts along the way.

Written by the Pickler Junction Team.