Our Pick
Posted on @rawstates
Aurora Downs, a mile of track that held the Illinois Derby
1922
North Aurora, Illinois
Horses ran on a half mile track in Aurora as early as 1891, and in 1922 a full mile oval opened here at Exposition Park and took the name Aurora Downs. The grounds were used for circuses and fairs as well as racing, including a Wright aeroplane exhibition flight on 4 July 1910. The Illinois Derby was run here from 1932 to 1938 and a local paper counted more than 30,000 people at the track in the 1937 season. Racing stopped for good in 1976 and the ground is an industrial park.
That was 1 of the hidden places.
Location: historic site
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