The Nick expects to open its new indoor building at 10 Trotting Track Road on January 9, 2027. The building includes a suspended running track, courts for pickleball, tennis and basketball, and two multipurpose rooms. That date is an estimate. The Nick's own FAQ says "We now estimate that we will open the doors to the new indoor facility on January 9, 2027," with first public hours expected to run about 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. while staffing plans are finalized.
The detail that matters most for a Wolfeboro winter is how you get in. According to The Nick's FAQ, people will book track time, courts, meeting rooms and the multipurpose rooms ahead of time through an online system. Drop-in recreation will be offered "where scheduling allows." The building runs on a schedule. For leagues, clinics and big events, that schedule started filling up before the doors open.
The deadlines are measured in months
The Nick doesn't run programs itself. Local leagues, Parks & Recreation, nonprofits and other groups run their own programs and handle their own registration and fees. To use the building on a recurring basis, a group submits a request by a set deadline and signs a formal contract or rental agreement. Each type of use has its own deadline and insurance requirement.
The third column below takes each deadline and counts forward from October 29, 2026, the day this post runs.
| Type of use | Request deadline | Insurance required | Earliest start for a request sent October 29 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seasonal organized sports: leagues, teams, camps, clinics, practices, training, instruction | 3 months before the first practice | Certificate of Insurance | Late January 2027 |
| Competitions and sporting events: tournaments, meets, matches | 2 months before the first date | Certificate of Insurance | Opening day, January 9, 2027 |
| General rentals: birthday parties, meetings, gatherings, social groups | 2 months before the first date | Homeowners or renter's insurance | Opening day, January 9, 2027 |
| Large-scale events: weddings, concerts, festivals, craft fairs, fundraisers | 6 months before the first date | Special event insurance | Late April 2027 |
These dates change how you plan the winter. A youth basketball clinic that wanted to start the week the doors open would have needed its request in by early October. A coach submitting today could start in late January at the soonest. A family planning a February birthday party is still well within its two-month window. A fundraiser or craft fair in the main hall can't happen before spring under the six-month rule. The FAQ also notes that any new activity has to fit within The Nick's insurance coverage before it can be considered. If you're booking for a group, read the rental terms carefully. This post is general information, not legal or insurance advice, so confirm what your own policy covers with your agent or insurer.
No Wolfeboro Parks & Recreation or league schedule for the indoor building has been posted yet, so the first winter lineup is still taking shape.
What a 50-minute slot costs
Individual use comes down to a fee schedule, and the FAQ says those rates are "subject to change at any time." Local rates apply to people whose primary residence is in Wolfeboro, Tuftonboro, Alton, New Durham, Brookfield, Wakefield, Effingham or Ossipee.
| Use | Local rate | Non-local rate | Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pickleball court | $25 | $35 | 50 min, up to 6 players |
| Pickleball open play | $8 per person | $10 per person | 50 min, scheduled times |
| Tennis court | $60 | $70 | 50 min, up to 6 players |
| Basketball, full court | $90 | $100 | 50 min, private rental |
| Basketball, half court | $60 | $70 | Private rental |
| Track day pass | $3 | $5 | Individual |
| Track, month-to-month | $40/month | $50/month | Individual |
| Track, adult annual | $250/year | $350/year | Individual |
| Track, youth annual | $200/year | $250/year | Individual |
Four local players who reserve a pickleball court split $25 and pay a little over $6 each, which is less than the $8 open-play rate. Open play is the option for someone without a regular group. On the track, a local walker breaks even on the $40 month-to-month membership at about 14 day passes, or three or four visits a week. The $250 adult annual membership works out to about 84 day passes. Someone who walks the track all winter and then goes back outside in spring may come out ahead with a few monthly memberships.
Booked time also runs on the clock. Reservations start on the hour and end 10 minutes before the next hour, which leaves time for the next group to come in. A court rental covers the space and nets only. Paddles, rackets and balls are yours to bring.
A building designed for shared, scheduled use
The building's layout follows the same idea. It covers about 33,500 square feet. A four-lane track hangs above the main floor, and at one-tenth of a mile, 10 laps make a mile. Because the track is lifted, the floor below stays open for three pickleball courts, two tennis courts, two high-school-size basketball courts plus a half court, volleyball, and indoor lacrosse, soccer and field hockey. The first-floor multipurpose room has a cushioned athletic floor meant for yoga, fitness classes, meetings and birthday parties. A lobby and lounge look out onto the main playing area, and a covered outdoor patio sits outside.
The FAQ also lists what the building does not include, along with a few house rules.
- No gym equipment. The FAQ says the facility "is not designed as a traditional fitness center with exercise machines or weight-training equipment."
- No lockers or showers. There are two changing rooms and shared cubbies for shoes and bags.
- No turf for now, though the FAQ leaves room for it later.
- Change your shoes. Shoes worn outdoors have to come off before you step onto the courts or track. Clean, dry, non-marking athletic shoes are required.
- Only service animals are allowed inside.
- Food stays in the lobby. Covered water bottles are fine anywhere, and there are refill stations in the lobby and upstairs by the track.
Parents should also know the age rules. Children 7 and under need a caregiver in the same activity area. Kids 8 to 11 need a parent or caregiver somewhere in the building. Ages 12 to 15 can use designated areas without a parent on site once they're checked in, and 16 and up generally have independent access.
A plan that dates back to 1998
The scheduling makes more sense alongside the building's history. The Nick is named for Nicholas J. Pernokas, a longtime summer resident of Wolfeboro, and the land was donated by the Pernokas family. In 1998, organizers brought the planning board a proposal for a 32-acre outdoor park. That plan already set aside space for a future indoor facility. The first game was played in 2006, and 2007 was the first full season.
According to The Nick, a 2019 survey of thousands of local and seasonal residents ranked indoor winter recreation as a top community priority. A feasibility study followed in 2023. Then came the "BRING THE NICK INDOORS!" capital campaign and a small groundbreaking ceremony on May 29, 2025.
When the Laconia Daily Sun covered the project in January, executive director Holly Williams Aucoin said, "This is the last winter" without the building. The paper reported $10.7 million in community funding. The story credited donor Dana Hamel with the idea for the elevated track and said a $1 million anonymous gift made it possible. It also reported that the track will carry Williams Aucoin's name and the lobby will be named for Alex Hunt, who served on the board for nine years. Steve Webster, the volunteer clerk of the works, told the paper, "It's 165 tons of steel." Williams Aucoin told the paper the indoor space adds about four months of use to The Nick's year.
The Nick's FAQ puts community giving at "more than $10.5 million" and lists $217,000 still to raise. Donations built the building, and fees will help pay to run it. The FAQ names staffing, utilities, insurance, cleaning and maintenance as the costs the local and non-local rates are meant to help cover. In September, The Nick began searching for a full-time Facility Operations Manager through Leddy Group and wrote that it hopes to be "filling this building with people when we open the doors, just after the new year!"
The ten weeks before opening day
The outdoor park stays open alongside the new building, so the fields, the outdoor track and the summer leagues aren't going anywhere. For the indoor side, the next ten weeks matter most to a few groups:
- Coaches and program organizers. Any league or clinic hoping to start in late winter is running up against the three-month deadline right now.
- Families planning winter parties or gatherings. Rentals need two months' notice, which still leaves room to book January or February dates.
- Walkers deciding how to pay. Compare the $3 day pass, the $40 month-to-month membership and the $250 annual membership against how often you expect to walk until spring. The FAQ says all membership terms will be explained before anyone signs up.
- Groups planning spring events. A craft fair or fundraiser in the main hall needs six months' notice. For April or May dates, the request has to go in this fall or early winter.
Registration, account setup, waivers and payment are all expected to be online, and any membership or reservation will require a signed waiver. The FAQ also says The Nick hopes to keep some free public-use time, but how much open space there is will vary by day and season.
If you're thinking about Wolfeboro winters, with a weekday morning on the indoor track or a standing pickleball group within reach of home, I'm happy to talk through how the town works month by month, in English or Portuguese. Reach out through Ana Freitas, and if you already own here and want to know where your home stands this season, start with your instant home valuation.
