Truly a Tucson classic. This is a great place to spend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon during the months of February and March. They usually do about 8 races, every 30 minutes, and there's plenty to do between race time. They generally will have a pretty large selection of food trucks available or you can eat from their in-house restaurant underneath the grandstand. This past weekend, they also had a live mariachi band and you can also wander over to the stables to see the horses. And, apart from the casinos, this is one of the few places where you can actually do some real betting. Check it out at least once, you'll enjoy it. Pro tip: Make sure you pick up a program to get into on the odds without having to stand around and read the boards. read more

See all

You win some, you lose some but with $2 bets, who cares?! It's a shame the horse races only go for a very short season but what fun! My friends and I have made this an annual tradition (lol, 2 years. I can call that a tradition, right?) and it's a great day in the sun screaming and yelling for horses we know nothing about. Pick 'em however you want: jockey/horse bright colors, horse name, pretty horse, cute jockey or god forbid stats, then go place your bet, grab a beer and stand trackside for your race. $5 general admission, $4 beer, margaritas, hotdogs/nachos/etc and you're set. You could pay a few bucks more to sit in the upstairs, indoors section but then you'd miss all the fun. You'll see all kinds of people from old white guys chewing a toothpick and studying the program and cheatsheets to families out for the day to girls dressed to impress in heels and sundresses. Do yourself a favor and ignore those along the interior road charging $5 for covered parking in the adjacent business park and just park in the track's dirt lot for free. Come to Rillito, have fun, have a beverage in the sun and get excited about your $6.20 quinella box winnings!! read more

See all

Great place to see the horse races. Traffic on race days is busy. Please make sure you approach from the south on 1st as you can't turn left into the park if you're headed south. Parking was fine. I picked the $3 parking which allowed me to park in the business plaza. It was a short walk to get into the park. If you pay for the VIP parking you park a little closer. I paid $10 for GA and once inside there was an option to pay to sit in the enclosed grandstands. Programs were available for sale. Once inside there are plenty of stations where you can make a bet, including several machines. I chose that option. Put in my $2 and followed all the on screen prompts and made my bet. There are many seats available and it's first come first serve. You can also bring your own if you so choose. There are plenty of food and drinks options available and the staff were all friendly. Looking forward to going back next year. read more

See all

This is a fun place to come on a weekend. The racing season is very short beginning in February each year. They have general admission grandstand seating as well as table seating with food and drinks in the clubhouse. My biggest complaint in the clubhouse is they need way more servers and the food is nearly inedible. The sound system is very poor so impossible to hear. read more

Having a great time. We spent the extra $10 each instead of $5 to not be in the Sun. We both go white, red, peal. Haha You can bet a $2 minimum for the races. 8 races total. The energy in here is great. Give it a try. I'm having a great time. read more

Rillito Park Race Track - Jaime put $5 and her horse won. Boom $75 - Horse Racing Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

What a hoot! 03/09/2019 - A tiny bit on the seedy side, but everyone is down-to-earth friendly - especially the staff. This was basically the first time I've been there. (Okay, I was there over 40 years ago, but way too long ago to remember.) We purchase clubhouse access and placed our bets in that area, but then crossed over to the general admission area to queue up with others outside to watch the race. Very fun. read more

Rillito Park Race Track - Horse Racing Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

First time here. Nice place to hang out for a couple of hours. Went in March so the weather was great! Wish each race was a little longer than a quarter of a race track. Will definitely come back if there is a longer race. We parked at the park adjacent to the race track and it was free. Just had to walk a little but it was not bad and you got to see more of the track. read more

Even though there is nothing fancy to the track or to the clubhouse, this is definitely one fun place to be. The races are exciting and people get really into it. I have lived here for 2 years now and did not now that this existed. It makes me wonder what other hidden Tucson attractions I have missed. It is a fun place to go with a cool group of people, drink margaritas and make minimum bets based solely on the name of the horse. Definitely will be going back. read more

An ok racetrack. I mean it definitely doesn't compare to some of the bigger tracks and the races are also a little subpar. However it is still a fun, cheap way to spend a weekend. And I'm at least happy that Tucson has a racetrack to go to! They also host festivals from time to time which are hit or miss. read more

This is a nice little bull ring of a track that runs every weekend for about two months a year. It's has the county fair type feel to it, and there's definitely nothing fancy about it. Just beer, carnival food, fun racing and good times with friends. I've heard that this upcoming season in Feb/Mar of 09 is going to be there last, but I'm not sure of this. They had some last minute remodeling that left some things a little out of place, but the place still has the same feel. Heads up on parking...it's make your own. There's a huge gravel lot and no parking lines, so just follow the leader. When you first enter the parking lot and THINK that you see one last parking spot first thing on your left...you're wrong and please don't park there....that's an exit! Facilities are kinda run down...hence the lost star. Nothing fancy...but a lot of fun. I've seen match races where they ran a quarter horse against an ATV and then another race where one ran against a motorcycle...now that's entertaiment. Plus, a fun bit of trivia, I think they recorded the audio of hoofbeats for the Seabiscuit movie here too. read more

Yay, so happy they kept the track running. I was super disappointed when I heard the we're threatening to close down the track...yet again!! Come on Tucson, why do you continue to let the entertainment/historic treasures of this city slip into oblivion?! the new food venues were busy and the food looked good. We had already eaten beforehand, so I didn't sample the fare. Such a good time! read more

Nice fun activity to do on a Saturday or Sunday. Reasonable prices on food and drinks plus able to make bets on horses. Grandstand is a good value for $5.00 and has a good crowd. read more

Rillito Park Race Track - Watching horse racing at - Horse Racing Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

$5 admission, $4-6 drinks, $2 minimum bets. A great place to go with friends on a sunny day. The track overlooks the mountains, so its a really pretty environment. The crowd draws all sorts of people, a melting pot of sorts, but that is cool in my opinion. There is enclosed seating in the grandstand for those hot Tucson days, but you can also bring your own chairs and sit below right near the track. I was expecting typical ballpark food, but El Charro and Sir Vezas serve here....the nachos looked awesome. read more

Horse racing is a cruel practice that should be banned. Thousands of Thoroughbreds are bred for racing every year. Depending on the country, only 5% to 10% ever see a racecourse. What happens to the others? Unless they are lucky enough to find another career, they are disposed of, typically at a slaughterhouse and turned into pet food. One of every 500 Thoroughbred starts at North American racetracks results in a fatal injury. This represents about 800 deaths. Many racehorses become addicted to drugs when their trainers and veterinarians give them drugs to keep them on the track when they shouldn't be racing. read more

A fun way to spend the day. Admission is cheap, concessions are cheap, and the minimum bet for a race is $2. The place is a little seedy, but not enough that it's distracting. I suggest going on a sunny day, with a group of friends and watching the horses. read more

The Rillito Horse Races started Feb 7, 2015 and run through April 12, 2015, every Saturday and Sunday. Admission is very reasonable at $5, and bets are a $2 minimum. Remember to bring a chair if you plan to sit right near the track! read more

Food is sorta crappy... Eat before you come. No credit cards, cash only. They have alcohol. Inside is pretty cramped, but we enjoyed the day at the races! read more

Here for the Celtic Festival, not races but it was neat. Kinda rundown but in a historical Kitschy way.

NOBODY answers their phones at Rillito Park Race Track... tried calling at several different times during the morning and afternoon and it's always voicemail. Seriously how difficult is it for a company to answer the phone when customers call?? read more

I grew up going to the racetrack. It's in my heart, in my blood, and have nothing but love for the sport. I'm thrilled that there's racing in Tucson even though there's nothing fancy about Rillito Park. I'm used to seeing only thoroughbreds run, but they also have short, quarter horse races too, which are really exciting. I didn't sit much, in the clubhouse section, because apparently you have to get there very early to reserve (and pay extra for) a table that has a view of the track. There are still several community bench-type seats, but you only have a view of the televisions broadcasting the race. If I'm there, I want to see the horses live! They've got cruddy snack food that I think is only served in the clubhouse, so I'd have a meal before you go. I think next time I'll save a couple of bucks and sit in the upper portion of the grandstand. At least I'll have a seat. Get there early and maybe leave a little early because exiting the parking lot is a mess. All in all though it doesn't sound like I enjoyed myself but I truly did! It's really worth going-I had a great time! Help keep the track in business! It's a great part of Tucson. read more