History
Rockingham Park opened in June 1906 as New England's first horse racing track, though state law shut down betting after only three days of its first meet.
Beyond horses, the site hosted an early aviation meet in 1911 and board-track auto and motorcycle racing in the 1920s. Seabiscuit raced there in the mid-1930s.
A fire on July 29, 1980 destroyed the grandstand. Rockingham Venture Inc. bought the track in 1983, and racing returned in May 1984. Live racing ended in 2009, after which the park operated for simulcast wagering.
The park closed on August 31, 2016, was sold to developer Joe Faro that fall, and was demolished in 2017. Its land is now Tuscan Village, a large mixed-use development off Interstate 93.
Why it matters: The first Thoroughbred track in New England and a regional landmark for more than a century.
Timeline
- June 28, 1906
A 21-day Thoroughbred meet opened; betting was halted after three days because gambling was illegal in the state.
- July 4, 1925Board-track auto racing[1]
A 100-mile auto race opened a period of board-track motor racing at the park that lasted to 1929.
- July 29, 1980
Fire destroyed the grandstand and racing stopped until 1984.
- May 26, 1984Reopening[1]
Racing resumed under Rockingham Venture Inc., which had bought the track in 1983.
- 2009
Live racing ended; the track continued as a simulcast venue.
- August 31, 2016
The track closed for good after 110 years and was sold to a developer.
- May 23, 2017
The Eagle-Tribune reported deconstruction of the park well advanced.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,4] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Tuscan Village, a roughly 170-acre mixed-use development of retail, dining, offices, hotels and housing[1,3,5] |
| Surviving remnants | Racetrack signs and seats are to be displayed in Tuscan Village as historical artifacts (per the Town of Salem).[5] |
| Mapped location | Approximate historic location |
Venue facts
| Other names | The Rock |
|---|---|
| Location | Salem, New Hampshire, off Interstate 93 and adjacent to Route 28 (about 170 acres), Salem, New Hampshire[5] |
| Venue type | Racetrack |
| Sports | Horse racing, Motorsports |
| Level | Thoroughbred, Harness |
| Opened | June 28, 1906[1,2,3] |
| Last used for sports | August 31, 2016[1,2,3] |
| Demolished | 2017[1,4] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Capacity notes | No capacity found in fetched sources. |
| Surface | Main track plus a turf course converted from the old harness track in the 1980s; a board oval was used for motor racing in the 1920s |
| Owner / operator | Rockingham Venture Inc. (from 1983); sold to Joe Faro / Tuscan Brands in 2016[3] |
| Closure | Live racing became unviable and the property was sold for mixed-use development. |
Documented details
Sources
- Rockingham Park, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, current land use, demolished, events, opened
- Rockingham Park to close its doors for a final time Wednesday, The Boston Globe. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, events, opened
- Off to the races: Horses, soldiers and a devastating fire highlight history of Rockingham Park, CNHI. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, current land use, events, opened, owner operator
- Tearing down The Rock, The Eagle-Tribune. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: demolished, events
- Tuscan Village, Town of Salem, NH. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, current land use, remnants
- Latitude and longitude of Rockingham Park, latitude.to. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: coordinates
Research confidence
Some facts on this page rely on a single source or are still being corroborated. Treat specific dates and figures with care. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (1)
- Last live racing: Wikipedia and the Boston Globe say 2009 without specifying breed; CNHI says the last 1 1/8-mile Thoroughbred race was in 2004 and harness racing ended in 2009.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.