Payne Park: Tennis Center & Skate Park

Overview

The park spreads out over 29 acres with lots of greenbelt to enjoy along with tree-lined paved walking, jogging and biking pathways along with picnic tables.
The park is also a place of great Sarasota history as it was the original site of baseball spring training for decades.
From 1924, when spring training first came to Sarasota, to 1988 when the Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers played the last game in Payne Park, it was the spring training home to the New York Giants, Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox.

Payne Park is also home to an auditorium, complete with a stage, built in 1962, which is the site throughout the year for a wide array of activities from dances and concerts to workshops and seminars, meetings and even wedding receptions! You can rent the auditorium for your special event: 941-954-4165.
In August, 2014 they opened a café, simply called Cafe in the Park!
There are three additional features in the Park; a playground for kids, a skate park and a tennis center.

Payne Park Tennis Center
This state of the art public facility operates within the city of Sarasota to provide the community with a well maintained, well staffed, and affordable Har-Tru tennis complex.
Several programs and activities for juniors, adults and seniors take place throughout the year.

Skate Park
The Skate Park is populated with skateboarders and bicyclers of all ages and experience levels and is operated by a local non-profit group that has partnered with Sarasota to operate the park. The Skate Park also features free Wi-Fi plus a pro-shop and concession stand for the convenience of skateboarders and bikers.

This site has been recognized for its Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ practices. The Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ program recognizes the use of environmentally friendly garden gardening and landscaping practices. Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ minimizes the use of potable water for irrigation, avoids the runoff of excess fertilizers and pesticides from the landscape and provides habitats for wildlife. They can take any form, from more conventional and manicured to more natural. It’s how you maintain your yard that ultimately determines if it’s Florida-friendly. Landscapes are evaluated based on a checklist of Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ practices. For more information on Florida-Friendly Yard recognition, contact UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County.

Sarasota County Green Map
updated 09/2015 by SCGM Transition Team Member