History
Lincoln Downs opened on July 7, 1947, as a horse racing track. The Taunton Greyhound Association bought it and began greyhound racing in June 1977 as Lincoln Greyhound Park, and the property later grew into the Twin River casino.
Under the weight of about $10 million a year in subsidies to greyhound breeders, Twin River suspended live racing on August 8, 2009, during its bankruptcy, and Rhode Island banned dog racing in May 2010.
Timeline
- July 7, 1947Lincoln Downs opens[3]
Lincoln Downs opened as a horse racing track.
- June 1977Greyhound racing begins[3]
Sold to the Taunton Greyhound Association and renamed Lincoln Greyhound Park, it began its first season of greyhound racing.
- August 8, 2009
Twin River suspended live greyhound racing after the legislature declined to hold a summer session.
- May 14, 2010Rhode Island bans dog racing[4]
Gov. Don Carcieri signed a prohibition on greyhound racing.
The site today
| Physical status | Status unknown |
|---|---|
| Current use | Bally's Twin River Lincoln casino and hotel[3] |
| Mapped location | Approximate historic location |
Venue facts
| Other names | Lincoln Downs (1947–1977); Lincoln Greyhound Park (1977); Lincoln Park; Twin River |
|---|---|
| Location | 100 Twin River Road, Lincoln, Lincoln, Rhode Island[3] |
| Venue type | Racetrack |
| Sports | Greyhound racing, Horse racing |
| Level | Greyhound, Thoroughbred |
| Opened | July 7, 1947[1,3] |
| Last used for sports | August 8, 2009[1,4,5] |
| Physical status | Status unknown |
| Owner / operator | Taunton Greyhound Association (from 1977); Twin River[3] |
| Closure | Twin River ended racing during bankruptcy, citing roughly $10 million in annual subsidy payments to greyhound breeders. |
Sources
- Greyhound racing in the United States, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, opened
- GeoNames search: greyhound (US) - Dubuque Greyhound Park, ID 4854544, GeoNames. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: coordinates
- Bally's Twin River Lincoln, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, current land use, events, opened, owner operator
- Rhode Island, GREY2K USA Worldwide. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, events
- Dog Racing to End in Rhode Island, all-creatures.org (Christine Dorchak, GREY2K USA). Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed
Research confidence
Key facts on this page (opening, closing, status and location) are each supported by sources, with key dates corroborated by at least two independent sources. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.