emerald downs

Nicely laid out. Cover options for inclement weather. Able to go to staging stalls & inhale the wonderful horses. Affordable if you don't drink beer. Beer prices 2 years ago were $6 which I thought much for having to go get it as well as wait in line. Only tried the short-order food; reasonable & satisfactory. Would like to try the restaurant one day. Great activity for a group even. Overall an inexpensive day out (again, assuming you don't drink beer).

Just off the freeway, lots of parking, buses from parking lot to entrance are good. Search for discount tickets prior to your visit, several options. If you are betting, set your limit prior to arrival, as it is easy to get carried away.Prior to each race you can view the horses and jockeys at the north end of the stands from up close. Good for picture taking. Then they take the horses out and they walk past the grandstands so everyone gets a look and can choose their favorites. (You should also look at the data in the program available on the horses and trainers history of performance). There are many betting options available. The smallest bet I believe is $2.00. You can make bets on many different combinations of horses. For beginners stick to one horse per race. Celebrate even if you only win two dollars.There are lots of food and drink options, the lines get long right after a race, get to the food line early. The betting lines also get long, but move quickly. If you don't make up your mind soon enough, you may get to the line too late to place your bet. Ther are seats in the shade if you desire that view, many race goers prefer to be closer to the action and right on the rail.

I have three sons and as each of them reached the 12th birthday I would take them to Emerald Downs for a special day at the track. We would rent third level box seats (a 4-seat box, but just for the two of us), get a couple racing forms (so we can study the odds), tour the Saddling Paddock (to inspect the horses), walk through the park (sampling the ice cream) and then, from our box seats, order up a wide range of terrific snacks to munch on as we debated which jockey & horse matches were bound to win. And occasionally, we would snake our way down to the fence side to taste the flying dirt as the horses ran past us before working our way over to the winner’s circle, when our rarely successful pick actually won. A great day for a dad and his son to bond and make wonderful memories. Well worth every penny spent (and lost).

I traveled here last Summer and had a great time, we checked out the horses up close and had great out door seats and tables. The food however isn't healthy just fried and greasy wings, fries, etc.

Enjoyed 2 days of racing with some great friends. Lots of food and beverage options and some great, exciting racing! Picked a few winners too!

This lovely horse track is one of the most scenic in the United States. Set in a beautiful valley surrounded by farm land, it sits under magnificent Mt Rainier. The grounds are beautifully kept. Children 17 and under are free. Lots of free parking. Give yourself plenty of time to make the drive from Seattle if you are going during rush hour.

We spent a great day at the horse track with our family, we brought a picnic lunch, and enjoyed watching the horses run. The view of Mt Rainier from the seats was just fantastic,and we had a great day trying to pick out the winners in each race,while not costing us a great deal of money.

Being Horseyfans, we have visited nearly all the racetracks in the UK and like to visit new ones whenever we are on holiday. This is one the smaller overseas tracks we have visited but was very enjoyable. The racing (although lower grade) was competitive and the facilities/catering were very good - but a large TV screen opposite the stands would be a useful addition.We were based in Seattle and used public transport to get the course. It was a fairly long (but cheap) bus ride to Auburn station and then the course provided a free minibus transfer to the course.When we left before the last couple of races (only because of the length of journey ahead) the minibus took us straight back to the station without waiting around for ages for any other passengers. This enabled us to catch the bus back to Seattle on time and was excellent customer service.

The facility is great, beautiful view of Ranier on the right day, comfortable seating areas, decent concessions. Lines aren't too long for wagering.But if you're going just to go, and not too focused on the betting, check their website for Wiener Dog races.. they are great fun to watch and would be fun for kids.

My first time there.. won a whopping $9 on a $5 bet. Very exciting to watch the horses even when you only have a small wager.

We took my parents to Emerald Downs last summer to see the horses run. We sat in the upper stands where we had a wonderful view of the track. We also had an opportunity to go down and preview the horses before the race. It's nice to get close enough to have a good look at who's running and make your pick (if you like, just because you like the horse's color!) We all made small bets on the race and my mom actually won a tidy sum for her efforts. We thoroughly enjoyed our day at the track.

I've been to many racetracks over the years. This one is a new low. I guess it works for some people but not me.

We go to Emerald Downs several times a season, and have always been treated wonderfully. Their food is great, with many selections and the betting lines are not long. This time, we rented an umbrella for a table and sat where we could see everything so well. We recommend it to everyone...oh, and there is lots for kids to do and the bathrooms are ALWAYS spotless.

My experience was good until after the last race. June 29, 10th race. $2 on #1 to place, $2 on #5 to show, $2 on #6 to show paid back $11.80. I had another set of bets exactly the same when I went back and put more on it. $2 on #1 to place, $3 on #5 to show, $3 on #6 to show paid back exactly $10.00. It didn't make sense to me so I asked and the guy said he paid what the computer said to pay. It seems to me when all 3 of your horses come in and your bets combined are $8, I should get more the $2 profit back. I don't care about the money but its the principal of the thing. Another thing is if its true about the computer then how can we depend on true fairness?

Emerald Downs is a great place to go on a sunny day in your new sundress or just shorts and a T. (It's fun on a rainy day too). The beer is cheap, the crowd is fun and polite while they're at it and the horse racing is super exciting. Check it out.