Arlington International Racecourse
| Address: | 2200 W Euclid Ave, Arlington Heights, IL 60005, USA |
| Phone: | +1 847-385-7500 |
| Site: | arlingtonpark.com |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 7
YU
Yumna Butterfield
Rip off! Almost ruined our 4th holiday. The gates opened at 12:30, we arrived at 1:30. People had coolers, lawn chairs, wagons and blankets all over the stands, seats and tables to "reserve" their spots. We even saw one group set up a folding 5 foot table in a siting area. Every seat and chair in the entire place was "reserved". My family and I tried to make the best of it, but every time we stopped moving we were told we were in a fire zone or blocking an entrance. Each time we asked where we were supposed to go, we were told to go out to the picnic area. We tried this and you could not even see the grass. Folks were packed in on top of each other. We decided to leave and try to salvage the rest of our independence day holiday. I asked for a refund of our tickets on the way out and was told in a very rude and unsympathetic manner that there are no refunds, no exceptions. So here it is... This business is so greedy that they would rather keep our $46 entry fee and lose a patron forever than refund or comp us tickets for a different day. What this clearly says is that they dont need our business and could care less about their general admission patrons. They were still packing folks in as we left. I tried to tell them that I feel like they are at capacity. They told me that they keep track of this and what I was saying is not accurate. I wonder if they even stopped to consider that their max capacity goes down when they have people bringing in coolers, lawn chairs and 5 foot tables. My family loves going to the track. We have been to several across the country. Arlington is right in our home state and it sucks that they chose to treat us this way. But what can we do...?
VI
Vince Rolbiecki
Good time up until leaving. Miscommunication on a unpaid tab prompted a group of 6+ rude and cocky security guards to stop us. Have been coming for years and immediately called to have the other party pay it off. We expressed it was a complete accident and many of the security staff rolled their eyes and the waitress kept repeating that she was not paying the tab even though we said multiple times they were coming. I do believe it should be the waiters responsibility to collect the tab before the last race to ensure situations like this dont happen. As our other party was approaching, the security guards asked us for our names and tried to write them down. I asked why it was needed and the tallest one who had a rude attitude throughout said that "You tried to leave without paying, thats why". I said that we didnt "try" to leave and believed the tab was paid already and there wasnt a reason to be overly aggressive and rude. Another security officer waved him away after I refused to give my info and a couple of them used their walkies to say that "We found them before they tried to leave". I was shocked by how poorly the situation was handled and how rude the staff acted. It was a clear accident and we immediately apologized and had our other party on the way back within 30 seconds. Train your servers to ensure tab is collected before the rush after the last race. I understand that being a security guard at a horse track is such an incredibly serious position, though they can drop their jackass attitude when dealing with reoccurring customers who obviously made a honest mistake that was quickly rectified.
JA
jane val
Went here for the Cadillac test drive event. This place hasnt changed much since the 1980s. Its a beautiful place with lots of land the interior of the building itself is kind of sterile and most of the decor is white. Ive been here several times for different events and the food here is very, very good. If you enjoy horse racing and betting on the races, this is one of the top places to go to. Its always exciting and confusing when placing a bats here and theres really no one to ask if you have any questions. They do have different events here throughout the year and there are some really good events not only for singles but families if you dont mind that youre bringing your children to a betting race track that is. One of the highlights of the season is the Arlington million and that is when it will be really crowded but you probably have a lot of fun even if you dont want to bet on any of the horses you can do some people watching here.
FR
Frank Harvey
One of the best horse racing track in America, #8 in my book. The building is classy and very clean and the grounds are very well kept. The sight lines of the track are also some of the best in the country and the huge paddock makes for very easy watching. They have plenty of auto machines to make your bets and plenty of suits, boxes and chairs and tables. The quality of horses they attract are top notch which makes handicapping easier. They have a great sports bar inside as well as a trackside OTB perfect for the off season. Location is great and easy to reach no matter where you are coming from. AP has great food and dinning options as well, dress code for those places, this is a classy joint. There is also a food court and other walk food options. Prices may seem high compared to other horse tracks but nothing outrageous. This track should be on anyones horse racing track bucket list.
CA
Caren Robinson
Such a shame...after 10 years of attending the Mothers Day festivities, this was a complete let down. I dont know if the park has a max capacity but it definitely seemed to be reached! We arrived at the first race. There was not a single place to sit ANYWHERE. Not to mention the amount of people standing/walking. The park was the most crowded Ive ever seen it & far from enjoyable. To top it off- the admission price was raised to $18 per adult. I wouldnt mind the admission fee if we were able to relax & enjoy ourselves, however the mass number of people they allowed into the park made this nearly impossible. I would hate to see if there was some sort of emergency that required immediate evacuation. As I mentioned, this has been an annual family tradition for years but I dont think well be going back.
HO
Horse Fan19
I love that place, I been here with my barns horse camp. Since one of racing trainers used to train at our barn, we were allowed to see the training pens, and the stalls where the horses were being washed, and getting ready. We also got to pet a few horses, and meet a few retired racers which might be sent to our barn. Cool fact(Although hes lame right now), I used to ride a horse for lessons that won a few races at Arlington, making him a rescued racehorse. Now I just ride a sassy pony, lol. Anyways back on topic! Love this place, perfect for horse lovers, and for just people that want to spend a nice sunny day, watching beautiful creatures race. I been here twice, and will definetly go back!
SA
Sam I
It would have been a fun experience for the whole family except for the fact that my family doesnt enjoy the explotation, abuse and murder of animals for human enjoyement. Horses are enslaved, beaten and force to run at speeds they cant naturally obtain which is why their lungs bleed. To mask this bleeding they are injected with drugs so they cant feel it and can continue to run at the speed that is killing them. Once they are no longer profitable and have lived their lives out in cramped stables and unnatural jumping and racing they are shipped off to mexico to be slaughtered. Family FUN!
