History
Built in under two months on the site of a former airport, the track opened on August 1, 1934, and drew huge crowds; Seabiscuit won his first race there in 1935 and Alsab beat Whirlaway in a 1942 match race.
Racing ended on Labor Day 1978, and the clubhouse burned in 1981. The grandstand, minus its upper roof, was reused for a flea market and later a discount store, and nearby streets are named for famous horses.
Why it matters: It was New England's leading Thoroughbred track of the Depression and war years.
Timeline
- August 1, 1934
A crowd of 37,281 attended the first day.
- June 22, 1935Seabiscuit's first win[1]
Seabiscuit broke his maiden at the track.
- September 19, 1942Alsab vs. Whirlaway[1]
Alsab beat Whirlaway by a nose in a match race.
- September 4, 1978
Racing ended on Labor Day 1978.
- May 30, 1981Clubhouse fire[1]
A suspicious fire destroyed the clubhouse.
The site today
| Physical status | Partially demolished |
|---|---|
| Current use | Former grandstand used for retail (flea market, later a discount store); vacant since 2014 per Art in Ruins[2] |
| Surviving remnants | Grandstand (upper roof removed) and an office building; nearby streets named Seabiscuit Place, War Admiral Place and Whirlaway Place[1,2] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Venue facts
| Location | Narragansett Park Drive, on the Pawtucket/East Providence line, Pawtucket, Rhode Island[2] |
|---|---|
| Venue type | Racetrack |
| Sports | Horse racing |
| Level | Thoroughbred |
| Opened | August 1, 1934[1,2] |
| Last used for sports | September 4, 1978[1,2] |
| Physical status | Partially demolished |
| Original capacity | 14,000[1] |
| Capacity notes | 14,000-seat grandstand; the 1934 Labor Day crowd was estimated at 53,922. |
| Construction cost | $1.2 million[1] |
| Owner / operator | Narragansett Racing Association |
| Closure | The track closed after the 1978 season; stockholders voted in 1979 to sell it to the City of Pawtucket. |
Documented details
- The Beach Boys played to 40,000 people at the track on September 2, 1977.[1]
Sources
- Narragansett Park, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: capacity, closed, construction cost, coordinates, events, opened, remnants
- Narragansett Race Track, Art in Ruins. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, closed, current land use, 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.