The Tennis Scene on Central Park Courts Going Strong
The writer looks back on the history of the wildly popular clay courts and clubhouse in Central Park designed by the then-chief engineer of the Parks Dept., Gustavo Steinacher. The courts are nearly 100 years old.
| 17 Jul 2026 | 01:39
Langley Danowitz gets a hands-on grip lesson from Yale Lang, a 91 1/2 year old tennis player who was once a tennis coach. He can be found on the Central Park tennis courts almost every weekday. (
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Angel Otero, a tireless staffer at the Central Park Tennis Courts, helps to keep things running smoothly. (
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The entrance to the Tennis House in Central Park, where patrons can rent a day locker and use the shower for only $20/day. (
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The Tennis House was erected in 1930 when Jimmy “Beau James” Walker was mayor and Walter Herrick was the Manhattan Parks Commissioner. (
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In 2030, the Central Park Tennis Center turns 100. And some of the seniors who play regularly are nearly as old as the clay courts themselves. Yale Lang–age 91½ plays almost every weekday. He can’t run–but boy can he hit. A former coach, he gave me a hands-on grip lesson for free. Looking to improve my backhand, I am now practicing his approach.
In 1930, Gustavo Steinacher, Parks Department Chief Engineer, designed the Neoclassical Tennis House. It has a middle hallway, bordered by locker rooms and merch and food concession booths. In the 1980’s, talk of a more Victorian style house began but after a bitter battle, it quieted down and the original Steinacher building still stands. There are 26 Har-Tru (clay) courts and 4 hard courts. The clay courts are very popular and the method of reserving one for the allowable 1 hour takes energy, determination and a pass for each player.
The April through November season passes cost only $100, $20 for seniors and $10 for school age players. I always rent a locker for $20 which gives me toilets and showers too. (The day I flushed a tennis ball down a toilet remains a First Time Event there.) Since the season this year runs to Nov. 22, the last Sunday before Thanksgiving, there is still plenty of playing time left if you’d like to get a permit from the Parks Dept. https://www.nycgovparks.org/things-to-do/tennis.
In the Olden Days (1884), women were given their own courts on the North Meadow. Long skirts and high-necked blouses were the fashion. Men were allowed to play there too although co-educational sports were rare at the time.
These courts were very popular. They were created with chalk marks and homemade nets and played on grass. Balls were rubber. Tennis had just been introduced to the US from England and $5 permits went quickly. (The plan for a Ladies Cottage and Smoking Room sounds delightful but ran out of money.)
The modern house and courts are in the center of the park just north of the Reservoir and south of 96th Street. To get there, take a pretty walk from Fifth Avenue along the Horse Path under the cherry blossoms and smell the linden trees. It’s a great 20 minute warm up before playing.
Mornings after rainy nights, Angel gets out his special broom and brushes those courts dry in record time. Play starts at 7 a.m. and goes 'til dark. The Tennis Center is a real meeting spot. An enormous and amorous bumble bee waits for my husband in his yellow shirt. The ambiance is controlled chaos as patrons rush to get signed in 15 minutes before reservation time. A bell rings to get players on and off the court. Securing a court must be in person at the right time on the right day. By 6:30 am, the line can be long. Four corner courts - #1, 13 (which has shade), 14 and 26 are at a premium although some players like the front and center “show courts”. So get your pass in April, ’27 and you can ask “ Anyone for tennis?”