History
Joseph Gottstein's Washington Jockey Club built Longacres on a former dairy farm at Renton Junction in about four weeks, opening it in August 1933. Its Longacres Mile, first run in 1935, became the region's best-known race.
The family sold the land to Boeing in 1990, and the company let the track run two more seasons. The last card, on September 21, 1992, drew more than 23,000 people. Boeing demolished the plant in 1995 and built offices and a training center, part of which is now the Seattle Sounders' headquarters.
Why it matters: It was the longest continuously operating racetrack on the West Coast when it closed.
Timeline
- August 3, 1933
The track, built in about four weeks, opened.
- August 24, 1935
Coldwater won the first running of the track's signature race.
- September 27, 1990Sale to Boeing[2]
The Alhadeff family announced the sale of the property to Boeing.
- September 21, 1992
More than 23,000 fans watched the last races.
- 1995
Boeing demolished the grandstand and barns after receiving permits in December 1994.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,2] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Boeing office buildings; the South Building is the Seattle Sounders FC headquarters and training center, the North Building an Alaska Airlines training center[1] |
| Surviving remnants | Rows of tall poplar trees that lined the track[2] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Venue facts
| Other names | Longacres Park (1991–1992) |
|---|---|
| Location | Renton Junction, Green River Valley, Renton, Washington |
| Venue type | Racetrack |
| Sports | Horse racing |
| Level | Thoroughbred |
| Opened | August 3, 1933[1,2] |
| Last used for sports | September 21, 1992[1,2] |
| Demolished | 1995[1,2] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Architect | B. Marcus Priteca[1,2] |
| Owner / operator | Washington Jockey Club (Gottstein/Alhadeff family); Boeing from 1990 |
| Closure | Sold to Boeing for corporate development. |
Documented details
Sources
- Longacres, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: architect, closed, coordinates, current land use, demolished, events, opened
- Longacres Racetrack, HistoryLink.org. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: architect, closed, demolished, events, opened, remnants
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.