If you have kids…
1. The Museum hosts summer drop-in programs for children ages 5–12 on Wednesdays from 10–11am.
2. The Museum features a “Horse Play!” interactive gallery where kids can learn all about Thoroughbred racing by way of hands-on games, costumes, and life-sized plush horses.
3. Children 5 and under get in for free.
4. Children get a free Foal Patrol coloring book and crayons with their visit.
5. To ride the racing simulator—the only one of its kind in the US!
6. To take photos with the jockey statues outside and in the Winner’s Circle in the Race Day Gallery
7. To take a walk through a real starting gate in the Sculpture Gallery
8. To make it seem like your kids want to do all of the above when in reality, it’s you who really wants to
If you love history…
9. To learn about the architecture and history of the Museum itself in the “Laying the Foundation: The Architecture of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame” exhibit
10. To see Keeneland Library’s “The Heart of the Turf: Racing’s Black Pioneers” exhibit, which highlights the lives and careers of 100 African American horsemen and women from the mid-1800s to the present
11. To visit the John A. Morris Research Library, which contains more than 5,000 monographs, serials, and periodicals related to horse racing in the US and abroad (access to the library is by appointment only)
12. To learn all about the history of the Triple Crown (one leg of which now has a Saratoga connection!) in the Triple Crown Gallery
13. To take “A Look Through the Eyes and Life of Charlotte C. Weber,” an exhibition on display through November 2 focused on the life of the racing industry leader and owner of Live Oak
14. To go back in time (and we mean way back) to the earliest days of America by visiting the Colonial, Pre-Civil War, and Post-Civil War galleries
15. To see the variety of jockey scales used throughout history
16. To learn about many racecourses from days past, including Long Island Union Race Course, depicted in a scarf commemorating the 1823 match race between American Eclipse and Sir Henry
17. To see the only existing part of the original Pimlico Race Course after the fire in 1966 burned down the old members’ clubhouse
18. To view early memorabilia from racing’s history, including the oldest pair of silks in the Museum’s collection, which belonged to John Cox Stevens
19. To learn how Steeplechase got its name (hint: it dates back to 18th century Ireland!)
20. To learn why race winnings are called a “purse” (hint: the term’s origin lies in actual silk purses)
21. To learn about individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to Throroughbred racing, including Coney Island Jockey Club and Jerome Park founder Leonard Jerome
22. To see historic racing memorabilia, big and small, including a pin from The Coney Island Jockey Club, which held races at Prospect Park in New York City until Sheepshead Bay Race Track opened in 1880
If you want to get involved…
23.To sign up for a membership, which includes unlimited year-round admission, a 50 percent discount on Oklahoma Training Track tours, a 15 percent discount in the gift shop, invitations to special events, and more
24. The Museum hosts a book club that reads horse racing–related books and meets every other month. Next read: Letters from Country Life: Adolphe Pons, Man O’ War, and the Founding of Maryland’s Oldest Thoroughbred Farm.
25. To pick up your book club book, available in the Museum’s gift shop
26. To learn how to get involved in Thoroughbred racehorse ownership at a Partnership & Syndicate meet-and-greet on Saturday, August 9 from 9–11am
27. For a handicapping seminar at 10am every Saturday (when Saratoga is running) in the Hall of Fame
28. To create a legacy and buy an engraved brick
29. Their Saturday Morning Social events feature special guests and free coffee and doughnuts from Stewart’s Shops.
If you’re a horse racing superfan…
30. To stand in the presence of greatness at the Hall of Fame, a virtual education experience that opened in 2020 where you can read all about the sport’s greatest horses, trainers, jockeys, and Pillars of the Turf
31. To see the newest inductees in the Hall of Fame following the August 1 induction ceremony at Fasig-Tipton
32. It’s only 450 (ish) steps to Saratoga Race Course’s Union Avenue gate (yes, we counted).
33. To learn about the biology and breeding of horses in the Anatomy Gallery
34.To mingle with more than 25 Hall of Famers at a meet-and-greet on Saturday, August 2 at 9:30am
35. To learn about the Jockey Club and Thoroughbred registration and identification
36. To see Count Fleet’s Triple Crown trophy, which he won in 1943
37. To view important trophies from major stake races made by Cartier, Tiffany & Co, and S.R. Blackinton
38 To see the famous racehorse Lexington’s horseshoe, the first item accessioned into the Museum, which was worn during the race in which the horse set a record-breaking time for a four-mile heat
39. To learn about the 13 Triple Crown winners and see 10th winner Seattle Slew’s saddle
If you’re collecting experiences…
40. You can rent out a section of the Museum or the whole thing for private events including wedding receptions, fundraisers, showers, seminars, and more.
41. To get a guided, 45-minute museum tour
42. To get a one-hour museum tour led by legendary racecaller Tom Durkin (Thursdays through August 28)
43. To get a tour of the museum by Hall of Fame jockey and “King of Saratoga,” Angel Cordero, Jr. on August 6
44. You don’t need to be on a guided tour to get the full experience: Tune into the Museum’s audio tour on SoundCloud.
45. To get a 90-minute walking tour of Saratoga Race Course’s historic Oklahoma Training Track
46. The Museum’s Saratoga County Farm Tours give attendees a 90-minute tour through a different farm every month from April through October, and gain you free entry to the Museum.
47. To try your hand at calling a horse race in the new “Call the Race” interactive exhibit
If you love art…
48. The Museum regularly hosts Travers poster signings with artist Greg Montgomery.
49. To see a relic of Arlington Park in Illinois: the near-life-size statue titled “Against All Odds,” commemorating the first Arlington Million
50. To see equine artist John E. Ferneley, Sr.’s collection of notable British sporting art
51. To see the near-life-size statue of Seabiscuit on Union Avenue
52. To see artist Edward Troye’s calling cards (Troye worked at a time before cameras to capture the likeness of turf giants of the era, painting racehorses such as Lexington, American Eclipse, and Kentucky)
53. To see Edward Troye’s artist’s palette and brushes and feel like you are in the studio with him
54. To check out the new mural, “The Past Is the Present,” which was painted on the side of the building this spring by artist Celeste Susany
55. To view the statue of Secretariat in the C.V. Whitney Courtyard, donated by philanthropist Paul Mellon. Fun Fact: A second casting is currently at the Walk of Fame at Saratoga Race Course, awaiting its return home to the paddock at the new Belmont Park.
56. To see original works by American artist Fredrick Remington, who is best known for his depictions of the American West, but also produced works depicting Thoroughbreds on the racetrack
57. To see a candid racetrack moment depicted in “Saluting the Stewards,” an oil painting by Lee Townsend
58. To see the atmosphere and energy of a 20th century day at the races captured in Lee Townsend’s “Racetrack Crowd”
59. To see “Battleship” by William Smithson Broadhead, an oil pointing depicting the first American-bred horse to win the English Grand National, and learn about the history of American-bred horses racing abroad
If you’re a casual fan or Saratoga tourist…
60. There’s free parking for Museum patrons while visiting the Museum.
61. To see “What it Takes: Journey to the Hall of Fame,” the Museum’s signature 16-minute film, which plays several times per day on a four-sided screen in the Hall of Fame (it’s also available in Spanish)
62. If it’s too hot out, or it’s raining, you can watch what’s going on at Saratoga Race Course on the big screen in the Museum lobby and explore 46,000 square feet of climate-controlled space.
63. The Museum is open from 9am–5pm seven days a week.
64. To pick up gifts for racing lovers in the gift shop
65. There are free or discounted admission rates for veterans, individuals with special needs, EBT card-holders, and more.
66. To chat with the friendly and knowledgeable staff
67. To pick up the 2025 Official Guide to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
If you love Saratoga…
68. To pick up your copy of saratoga living magazine
69. If you’re a fan of the movie Seabiscuit, which was filmed in Saratoga, you’ll love checking out original artifacts from the horse’s life that were seen in the movie, including a saddle worn by Seabiscuit at the Santa Anita Handicap, with Red Pollard up, when he set the track record for a mile and a quarter.
70. To see another prominent artifact from Seabiscuit: the leg brace used by jockey Red Pollard. He fashioned it for himself so he could ride again after an injury.
71. To view the aerial diorama of Saratoga Race Course
72. To go down memory lane with original signs from Saratoga Race Course’s clubhouse and grandstand
73. The Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so the cost of your ticket will support the Museum’s educational mission
74. To celebrate the legacy of the Whitney family in the sport and view the Whitney Memorial Cup (it was awarded for many years to the winner of the Whitney Stakes, which was inaugurated in 1928 at Saratoga Race Course)
And lastly…
75. Because if you’ve made it this far, chances are, you really want to!
