History
Tanforan opened in November 1899 on the Peninsula south of San Francisco and became one of the Bay Area's main Thoroughbred tracks. It also had a place in aviation history, hosting a 1910 air meet, and Wikipedia ties it to Eugene Ely's 1911 first landing of an airplane on a ship.
In 1942, after Executive Order 9066, the federal government turned the track into a temporary assembly center for Japanese Americans, who were transferred from there to the Topaz camp from September 1942. The site is now California Historical Landmark No. 934.
After the war, racing resumed; Citation set a track record there in 1948, and Seabiscuit had earlier trained there during his comeback. The final season was run in 1963, and state regulators approved the closure in early 1964.
On July 31, 1964, fire destroyed the grandstand and clubhouse before the planned demolition. The shopping center now called The Shops at Tanforan opened on the land in 1971.
Why it matters: A historic Bay Area racetrack that is also a landmark of the wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans.
Timeline
- November 4, 1899
The track opened as Tanfaran Park, soon renamed Tanforan, before about 6,000 people.
- January 1910San Francisco air meet[1]
The track hosted an aviation meet that included the first recorded flight in Northern California.
- April 1942
After Executive Order 9066 the track became a temporary detention center for thousands of Japanese Americans, who were transferred to Topaz beginning in September 1942.
- 1948Citation's track record[1]
Citation set a track record for 1 1/4 miles in the Tanforan Handicap.
- February 1964Closure approved[1]
The California Horse Racing Board approved the track's closure; the last racing season had been run in 1963.
- July 31, 1964
A fire burned the grandstand and clubhouse shortly before planned demolition.
- March 1971
The Tanforan shopping center held its grand opening on the former track site.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,2,3] |
|---|---|
| Current use | The Shops at Tanforan shopping center (opened 1971), with a historical plaque, memorial garden and Seabiscuit statue; a Tanforan Assembly Center memorial near San Bruno BART[1,2] |
| Mapped location | Former venue parcel |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Venue facts
| Official name | Tanforan Park |
|---|---|
| Other names | Tanfaran Park (1899–1899); Tanforan Park (1899–1964) |
| Location | El Camino Real at Tanforan Way, San Bruno, California (now The Shops at Tanforan, 1150 El Camino Real), San Bruno, California[2,3] |
| Venue type | Racetrack |
| Sports | Horse racing |
| Level | Thoroughbred |
| Opened | November 4, 1899[1,2,3] |
| Last used for sports | July 31, 1964[1,3] |
| Demolished | c. 1964[1,2,3] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 5,000[1] |
| Capacity notes | The 1899 grandstand seated 3,000 with total capacity of 5,000; a 1923 steel grandstand seated 5,000. The record crowd of 30,000 came for a 1910 air show. |
| Closure | Closed with state approval in 1964 and redeveloped as a shopping center. |
Documented details
Sources
- Tanforan Racetrack, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: capacity, closed, coordinates, current land use, demolished, events, opened
- Site of Tanforan Racetrack, Clio. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, current land use, demolished, events, opened
- Tanforan Racetrack Japanese Assembly Center Historical Marker, The Historical Marker Database. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, closed, coordinates, demolished, events, opened
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.
Where sources disagree (2)
- Number held at the assembly center: Wikipedia gives about 7,800-8,000; Clio says over 7,000; the historical marker text says over 4,000.
- Closing date: the infobox's July 31, 1964 is the date of the fire; the last races were in 1963 and closure was approved in February 1964.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.