From the Saratoga Race Course, across Union Avenue, it is part of the history of the race, registered in 1863, with brick buildings, a mixture of modern classical lines and classic lines. From the legendary Lexington horseshoe shape to the triple crown trophy assortment, walking through its sacred halls will allow you to travel the sport for centuries, from greeting visitors along the way. Here, fans will connect to the names and faces that make up our collective memories.
Founded in 1950, the National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame celebrates the sport of American horse racing and preserves the moment when men, women and horses recognize men, women and horses who have left their mark in their history.
Building the foundation
In late August 1950, the newspaper reported that plans were underway for the National Race Museum. Among the people involved were Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, grandson of renowned owner William Collins Whitney (one of the founding members of the Jockey Club), and Harry Payne Whitney, who owned Regret, the first filly to win the Kentucky Derby. George D. Weidner Jr., president of the Jockey Club and leading breeder and owner. Other prominent race names, including members of the Saratoga Springs community, turfletas and representatives of the Saratoga Association.
The announcement of this new effort brought immediate responses from some of the sport’s most prominent names. Harold O. Vosborough, son of legendary handicapper Walter S. Vosborough, donated shoes worn by legendary Lexington, and the Saratoga Society has donated $5,000 to the new organization. On August 6, 1951, the National Racing Museum opened a temporary home at Canfield Casino in Collection Park. The collection attracted 8,000 visitors in its first year.
“The purpose of long distances,” Whitney said at the museum’s opening, “The country’s beginning is to build a permanent home for important sports memorials in the United States more than 100 years away.”
Its location in Saratoga Springs, New York, recognized the region’s role in sports throughout the last century as home to the country’s “oldest active sports venue,” a racetrack where his grandfather invested heavily at the turn of the century. The subsequent decision to place the museum was also part of an effort to revitalize the area at a pivotal moment in its history.
“It was a very interesting time in Saratoga, as Saratoga, as it was apart in many ways. All of these big old hotels were closed. Do you actually need races in Saratoga? Brienbuia, communications director for the National Race Museum and Hall of Fame, said. “But there was such a tradition here. It was still a very good race and well thought out. It was in the hard rut at that point. But yeah, Saratoga was clearly historic. I mean, from 1863 to the 1950s, we were already almost 100 years at that point.”
The museum’s first success in a temporary location is a permanent home for new locations, growing memorials, and a permanent home for adding a Hall of Fame to honor sports greats.
Become an institution
By 1955, interest in museums had grown well and needed a building of its own. Walter M. Jeffols, who took over Whitney as the museum’s president, announced in January 1955 that he would build a new home on 191 Union Avenue across the street from the Saratoga Racecourse. In addition to the museum, the building has a Hall of Fame where turfreiters vote annually. Construction of the new home was not completed until the following year, but the Hall of Fame welcomed the first class in 1955, honoring 10 horses, including Lexington and his bulls and Boston. 12 jockeys, including Isaac Murphy and Earl Sande. The group is led by six trainers, Sam Hildreth and Thomas Healy.
The museum added a patron of the Shiba Gallery in 1957 and a third wing, which was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979. For decades, the museum was open only during Saratoga’s annual summer convention, but as interest and its collection grew, the facility had to formalize, prompted the trustee to promote the committee to renovate the building to raise funds. The $6.4 million raised covered a 10-month overhaul of the facility, which was carried out in collaboration with the English design team that helped develop a series of galleries, including the history of American racing in the third century. The museum reopened on July 14th, 1988.
Early 21st Century saw another major renovation of the National Racing Museum and the Hall of Fame. Still living at the original location of Union Avenue, this popular destination features 20 diverse galleries, with interactive halls of fame and spaces dedicated to sculpture, photography, education, triple crowns and more. He also plays a host of special exhibitions celebrating the immortality of sports like Paul Mellon and the Secretariat. Artisans like Richard Stone Reeves and Jim Loughtery. more.
This year, the National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame 75 have also been marked.th A milestone accompanied by a series of special events celebrating this home on an anniversary.
Celebrating 75 years
In addition to events like each Triple Crown Classic Lace party, the museum comprehensively looks at its holdings and marks a series of exhibits recognising both the history of the facility and the sport itself, in addition to Diamond Anniversary Day in a special edition of the annual magazine.
“Tracing the museum’s history itself is a small exhibit on how architecture and how it has changed over the years, what we’ve talked about here, the evolution of the place, the evolution of missions, the evolution of collections, the evolution of collections, and more,” Bouia shared.
“We have another exhibit we are about to open. This is called the “Past is the present” and is found throughout the various galleries, showing how these different things have evolved over the years.” “The special exhibits we have include “The Heart of the Turf: Racing’s Black Pioneers.” I’ll be here in July. There is an exhibition about Greg Montgomery. This is the 40th anniversary of his Travers poster series.
This year’s milestone comes with mixed feelings as the two characters, John Hendrickson and Ed Bowen, who died last year, the hearts of recent history. Museum President Hendrickson, the widow of Marie Lou Whitney, who also the museum’s longtime patronage, passed away in August 2024.
“John is such a big character, he was such a great leader and I think everyone respected him. He had a lot of energy and a lot of things we did over the past few years were ideas he came up with or supported the staff,” Bouia recalled.
Bowen, who passed away in January, has been the museum’s trustee and chair of the Hall of Fame Nomination Committee since 1987, and was the Joe Hirsch Media Roll of Honorary Selection Committee and the Historical Review Committee. Both men left an indelible mark in the museum over the years of service. When the museum marks this milestone, both Hendrickson and Bowen remain integral parts of its history.
Racing fans can continue to support the National Race Museum and Hall of Fame by visiting and participating in the program throughout the year during this Diamond Anniversary. “We have a membership program where if we become a member, we can benefit from a year of benefits, such as gift shop perks and invitations to special events,” Bouia said. “But the biggest way for people to support us is to come and visit us, see all these exhibitions, come to events and programs and listen.”
Above all, whether you’re a casual fan or a hardcore railway bird, a visit to the museum is not just an opportunity to support the institutions that preserve the history of sports, but also an opportunity to learn and explore the people, places and horses that have made this ancient game an integral part of the country’s sports spirit.
