Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Emerald Downs

    3.8 (170 reviews)
    Closed • 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

    Emerald Downs Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Emerald Downs

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Daniel S.

    I love the Emerald Downs horse races. It makes for a great date, or with friends and family. Great food all over. I like the tacos from the taco truck inside on the bottom floor. It's so much fun watching the horses live and learning to bet.

    General seating area 30 June 2021.
    Tanis L.

    I came to Emerald Downs for the first time on Wednesday the 30th of June 2021. I had attempted to see horse racing live in-person once before at Santa Anita Park in California, but there were no races the day I visited. This time I was more successful and even figured out how to place bets for the different races. My choice to come was a bit spontaneous and followed track closure due to excessive heat during the first heat wave of the summer in the Seattle area in June 2021. The weather had started to cool off and races were back on, so I decided to come. General parking was about a 10 minute walk from the main entrance. I arrived near opening time for the night's races and there were only a few people here at that time. I decided to use the time to explore the grounds and figure out betting. After reading the betting instructions and multiple failed attempts at trying to use a betting machine, a worker came over and gave me advice. Figured it out after that! Though I did take too long to place a bet on one race... got a cash voucher back, which I cashed in. That was the only money I made on betting that day, taking too long to place a bet :). My ticket was for general admission, and I took full use of the ground-level seating, tables, and walkways around the paddock area. I would follow each batch of race horses as they were walked in, saddled, mounted by their jockey for the race, and walked out to the race track. Then I would find a spot to watch the race from along the fence separating the seating from the track itself. Definitely a way to stay busy during the races. The Washington Horse Racing Hall of Fame is also housed here and worth a look if interested and/or have some time to do some exploring. Multiple options are available for eating, I went with a cheeseburger, fries, and Coke Zero and was pleasantly surprised at how good the food was. Ate all of it and typically I am not one to finish a full order of fries. Tables are set up along the walkway from the paddock area to the race track, which is where I decided to eat my dinner. Fun being able to eat dinner and see the horses up close at the same time. All around I had a great experience and a thoroughly enjoyable first time watching horse racing live in-person. Though to be fair, I think in part this was because I chose to come by myself and figure things out on my own, except for the betting where a worker provided unsolicited help so I could figure it out. All the workers I interacted with were upbeat and kind in their interactions.

    Let's go horses!!!
    Robert K.

    Cool place to come with the family and watch the horses race. Did not try any food while I was there but the bartender dude upstairs in the vip area was pretty cool and gave me a couple free cokes. Next time I wanna check out the horse races I will come back for sure.

    Ja H.

    Waiting for first race. On grand daughters birthday. She will be in the T Rex races. Tried there garlic fries they where cold and nasty

    Screens inside back bar.  Less crowded to place bets. No lines.
    Connie S.

    I went to this Racetrack for the first time since Opening Day. I live closer now and decided I needed to go to experience Live Horse Racing. I'm going to Vegas in Oct and will play my favorite Game Derby. They run a free shuttle picking up people from the free lots 6-7 blocks away. It's $10 parking otherwise. Parking is not that expensive compared to other sports events and if you have elderly or disabled people in your party to park nearer. The Shuttles don't have wheelchair lifts. Online admission tickets charge $1.50 serv. Fees with 20% off $10 was only a 50 cent savings. Most of food there was not that gourmet or ethnic. So if you don't want fatty fries, Hot dogs, Burgers, pizza (stand was closed) or Burritos, popcorn, eat somewhere else before to go. The Mex. Burrito stand had Horchata, another punch, Guava juice for $3.13 a can. So I got that. Soda is very expensive at the other stands. There is an Espresso stand with Ice Cream and hot tea too. There was no Sushi, Salmon, or Chinese food there or other Asian or Middle Eastern. Majority of the Jockeys were Mexican, Latino and saw one Black Jockey who yelled out after racing when he passed by the crowd. He did not win. They gave awards in between the races too. It was a fun day at the track with a partial view of Mt. Rainier. In the evening like Sat Nights, they feature live bands. Plus off season, people can rent the venue. I went there for a Franklin HS Foundation event once too.

    The camel was chill, the ostrich was scary! If that ostrich was running after me, I'd be freaked out!!
    Carrie C.

    I came here because I had free tickets from my work. And you know what, I'm looking forward to coming back! Next time, I'll leave the kids at home and party it up at night! They had an AC/DC cover-band right after the races, and I missed it because I had my kids with me (that's for the 21+). So it was family-friendly to watch the horses race on the track and we saw the jockeys up close. The kids liked picking out their horses to see whose gonna win, as it's like the Mariners game and watching the reader-board with the fastest-boat challenge or where's the coin/boat hidden under which cup. There's ice-cream, beer, hard alcohol, and we got a free soda and chips thanks to our tickets. We also got a free program, which made the event more fun. We hadn't been in decades and it was our kids first time to see the horse races. Parking was free at the ends and Emerald Downs offers a free shuttle. That was awesome! No lines at the gate, we basically walked right in about 30 minutes before the first race. People were inside in the casinos and on every floor. A lot of folks looked like regulars you'd see at any casino in WA. The kids enjoyed sitting in the sun by the gates in general admission where you could see the racers and horses up close. We did not like watching the jockeys whip the horses! And the horses looked skinny! You could see their ribs on the horses who lost. The winners were a bit thicker, we noticed. I did not like watching the jockeys whip the horses across to the finish lines!! They are smart animals! They are like humans or most mammals: if you praise them, they will perform! Sorry, but that's my main reason for the 4/5 review: I was really bothered watching another creature get whipped! It's not right! In between rounds, or sessions, or races whatever it's called, I googled about jockeys using whips. An Australian study found there was better performance when the jockeys did not whip and it was outlawed in the last 100m of the race. Your entire track is a mile. I won't see it until the end. Please, for the love of the horses, don't whip them!!! And if you do, then I do not want to see it! The kids enjoyed the other sites too. We saw the ostriches, zebras, and camels as they will be racing tomorrow. I liked the program as we were able to see the horses names and what times they would race. I didn't realize there's 8 races going on in a day, like a track-meet, they would race every 20-30 minutes and we left about 1/2 way through, at end of the 4th race as the kids got bored. But I'd go back, as I think I could enjoy a beer in the sun betting on horses all day in the sun and kicking it up at night! That all sounds fun to me!

    General Area
    Casey M.

    I always have a great experience here whenever I visit, absolutely gorgeous especially with the timing and flexibility. Arrived at 11:40am the gates don't open until 12pm. We went up to the cafe on the 5th floor, the selection was lovely!! Either a basic salad, breakfast platter or their special was salmon, broccoli & potatoes only for $12! We spent the day there and the space they have is emasculate. I'll keep coming the more time I have!! I did win $6 more then what I bet and I'll take it rather then a loss. You get to see each horse prior to betting & are able to pet them if you get the chance!

    Paddock, race track and Mt Rainier in the distance
    Melody B.

    Great date day! Would probably find food prior to going, but the beverages are good. Gorgeous day at the races, though!

    Emerald Downs Dining Room!
    Jeremy S.

    My family and I have been coming here since I was a little kid. In the summer time it is so nice to sit outside on the bleachers or upstairs at the restaurant while watching the horses race. The facilities are clean, spacious, and staff have been friendly and nice every time we have visited. I just visited this place again yesterday and my experience was very similar to prior times. We spent most of our time on the 5th floor where there are seats and big open windows to watch the track. It's nice because there are many spots to find a good view of the finish line. The food is decent but a little on the pricier side in my opinion... but then again, I feel like that is to be expected at a place like this. We walked by the casino with the bar and it was pretty small. I'd say there were maybe around 8-10 tables with games like blackjack, but no slot or poker machines from what I saw. The bartender was pretty nice though and gave heavy pours from what I saw. Overall, I definitely think is place everyone must visit in the summer time! It's always a great time, and the person I came with already started talking about how we had to visit again when it was warmer!

    Bacon Burger
    Ron H.

    Went there for my sister-in-laws birthday and was planning to grab some dinner prior to catching a show there on the 5th floor. We should have went else where for food. First, we ordered some drinks and that took 20 minutes to get. My friend ordered an Old Fashion and I don't remember an Old Fashion being a shot. Apparently the bartender doesn't know what an Old Fashion is. When food finally arrived, about thirty minutes later, two of the orders were missing. My sister and her friend didn't receive their order until the rest of us were almost done. Would recommend going there for the horse races and other events, but for food....go elsewhere. I ordered a simple Bacon Burger with fries. I did however get a bacon burger with fries but neither the burger nor fries were that hot. Giving them a one star for food and price. Way over priced for what you get.

    $34 winner!  C'mon Flea Biscuit!!!  ;)

    See all

    17 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    19 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mia W.
    2
    61
    49

    16 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Had a great time here! Clean facilities, nice staff, plenty of food choices. Indoor & outdoor seating.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of C C.
    119
    22
    9

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jerry G.
    22
    259
    5

    16 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of John W.
    6
    41
    35

    15 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of T.L. T.
    3
    212
    21

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    16 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Alphie W.
    276
    55
    12

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Karen E.
    199
    46
    7

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    16 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Amy S.
    0
    25
    15

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Eye J.
    0
    20
    0

    17 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of E T.
    343
    488
    180

    16 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of jason c.
    215
    85
    55

    15 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Nam N.
    911
    1125
    186

    15 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 3 of 5

    Ask the Community - Emerald Downs

    Do we need to purchase admission ahead of time? Do they sell out?

    What is the price to get in after 5pm?

    There is no charge at night unless we have live racing which is only on Fridays during the racing season.

    View All 3 Questions

    Review Highlights - Emerald Downs

    “Made friends with some of the Jockeys and even help with the trainers and groomers feed and brush the horses.”

    Mentioned in 7 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    Get access to customer & competitor insights.

    Verify this business

    Accesso Showare Center - 6/9/26 Fife High School

    Accesso Showare Center

    3.6(134 reviews)
    4.1 mi

    Went here years ago when it first opened. Back years later for my first concert of the year at…read moreShoWare Center. Honestly not the best venue for a concert. Their sound system was awful. Fun concert but could barely hear the artist. Still prefer Seattle's venues. Staff was great. Drinks were overpriced.

    Great hockey & concert venue, with excellent concession and event staff, marred by some truly…read moreatrocious, smug, rude, condescending and callous management. Before delving into all that, though, I will summarize some of its best features: * Free parking (in the east lot only, however) * Wonderful security, concession, and event staff (minus one manager in particular) * Spacious venue, with great sight lines, even from the floor Now, on to the problem: Myself, my wife, and another 20-or-so attendees had VIP Meet & Greet tickets to meet one of the bands in the lineup for our event, to which we were invited into the venue early to hang out with them, take pictures, etc. Although our band was not the headliner, we were told by event staff that, once our session was done, we'd have to head back outside. However, we were explicitly told to line up behind the VIP line for the headliner, and once their session was one, we'd ALL be allowed entry into the venue early, partially to avoid the 90+ degree heat and direct sunlight hitting the glass and reflective mirrors on the sunny-side of the building, where our lines were told to assemble. We confirmed this multiple times with the gentleman, who was friendly, warm, helpful and welcoming. Once we were back outside, things took a turn south, as the Events Manager, the aforementioned smug, rude, condescending and callous mentioned above, decided otherwise, and subjected nearly two dozen people to several hours of sun exposure, simply due to her being on some sort of power trip. Multiple people in our group would end up suffering from heat-related health issues, including two diabetics. Thankfully, some of the caring concession staff inside, noticing our plight, offered some free cold beverages to help alleviate their suffering. Despite being informed of what the previous gentleman had said, as well as the condition of the people suffering in the heat, the Events Manager continued to be smug and dismissive, her response always distilling down to basically "because I said so". Her final excuse was that our tickets simply could not be scanned for entry prior to a certain time, which is true to a point. However, as one of the people in our group worked for Ticketmaster, and informed her, and everyone present, that this is adjustable by the venue AND Ticketmaster, she ran out of excuses. Once we were finally inside, things were great, once people had recovered from the heat. However, this Events Manager put people's live in danger for no reason other than exerting her power, and that is in excusable. A complaint is being filed with the BBB by multiple people in our group, as well as formal complains with the venue's ownership and upper management. At the VERY least, in the future, ShoWare Center needs to inform their management that extended queues for summer events MUST be moved to the shaded side of the building, and when people start to suffer legitimate risks to their health, then it's time to take action...or be the subject of legal action taken against them.

    Photos
    Accesso Showare Center - 6/9/26

    6/9/26

    Accesso Showare Center - Exterior

    Exterior

    Accesso Showare Center - 6/9/26

    See all

    6/9/26

    Tacoma Dome - Seventeen World Tour

    Tacoma Dome

    2.2(254 reviews)
    10.9 mi
    •$$

    The Tacoma Dome is a large multipurpose arena in downtown Tacoma that handles events at scale in a…read moreway that larger, more modern venues sometimes fail to do. I walked into a space where the dome format gives the building a distinctive character that sets it apart from the standard rectangular arena. For a concert, the circular layout meant sightlines were generally workable from most positions in the building. I saw TWICE here, and the show was the kind of performance that fills a space like this in the right way. The production was large enough to justify the venue size, and the floor area in particular delivered the energy that a show like this builds toward. The acoustics in the dome held up better than the building's age might suggest, and the sound carried clearly enough that the vocal and instrumental mix came through without the muddiness that dome venues can sometimes produce. Getting into the venue moved at a reasonable pace even with a full house. Security was present and effective without being intrusive, and the entry process at a sold out show was more organized than I expected. The concession variety was solid and the food lines, while long during peak windows like opener breaks, moved steadily enough. Seating on the upper levels had a comfort issue for taller people, with the sightline angles and seat spacing working better for average height than for anyone over six feet. The main screen visibility also dropped off depending on my position relative to center, so seats closer to the floor or directly facing the stage tend to offer a more complete visual experience. Transit access is one of the practical strengths of the venue, with bus and light rail connections close enough that driving and parking is optional rather than necessary. For a large arena show in the Pacific Northwest, the Tacoma Dome remains one of the more reliable options in the region.

    I can't believe I have never been here prior to my recent visit for the Ado Hibana tour…read more I thought the venue was just okay. It obviously is much older than the stadiums / arenas in Seattle. It kinda felt like I was in a big gym. Our seats weren't that great or expensive but we had a great view of the stage and we did not feel like we were that far away. Seats were fairly comfortable too. The parking situation is a bit of a mess and it's a horrible place to drive to and back. There is no easy way to get there. You will be dealing with horrible traffic and there will be lots of constructions going on in the summer time. If my favorite artists decide to perform here in the future, I would not hesitate to come back but Tacoma dome is definitely not my favorite venue for events.

    Photos
    Tacoma Dome
    Tacoma Dome - "Organized" chaos

    "Organized" chaos

    Tacoma Dome

    See all

    White River Amphitheatre - View of the mountain from the side of the venue

    White River Amphitheatre

    1.9(578 reviews)
    8.6 mi
    •$$$

    We came to this amphitheater for the first time to see 311 and Dirty Heads. We had an excellent…read moreexperience from beginning to end! For us, traffic was not difficult. We were coming from a local hotel. We arrived really early, and parked far outside of the Registered parking areas. We spotted locals! They were all nice and helped us out by sharing that we would likely get out easier after the show if we were willing to walk a bit. They were right! We got right out after the show. We hit our hotel room less than 25 minutes after leaving the show. As newbies to the venue, we had no idea where we were going for anything, but everyone was very nice and helpful. The sound system was great. Food and drinks were standard Live Nation fare, but who expects to get cheap food and drinks at a concert? Nothing stood out as too expensive to us. We did see many people packing snacks in clear 1 gallon bags to help avoid needing to buy food there. Due to an epic experience, we will be back!

    I love white river. If it's a concert I love, I will get there as early as possible to get the best…read morevibes. I have never had any bad experience with Security or staff, everyone is so nice, especially Heather!! Always such a happy face and kind attitude, I love coming every year, knowing I will be taken care of, and have fun!! Here's to Dirty Heads and hopefully no lightning :') I LOVE YOU WHITE RIVER AND HEATHER!!!

    Photos
    White River Amphitheatre
    White River Amphitheatre - Food Stands

    Food Stands

    White River Amphitheatre - Ghost!

    See all

    Ghost!

    Emerald Downs - horseracing - Updated September 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...