HIALEAH PARK RACE TRACK AND CASINO

By  Mike Miller April 24, 2025

Hialeah Park Race Track, located in Hialeah, Florida, is a historic landmark renowned for its elegance and rich racing heritage.

Spanning 200 acres, this National Register of Historic Places site, established in 1925, blends stunning architecture, lush gardens, and a vibrant casino.

Once dubbed the “world’s most beautiful racecourse,” it remains a cultural icon, famous for its flamingo sanctuary and storied past, attracting visitors for gaming, dining, and history. 

Hialeah Park Race Track

Opened on January 15, 1925, by aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss and cattleman James H. Bright, Hialeah Park began as a greyhound track before launching Thoroughbred horse racing.

Devastated by the 1926 Great Miami Hurricane, it was reborn in 1932 under Joseph E. Widener. 

He transformed it with architect Lester Geisler’s Renaissance Revival designs, inspired by European tracks like Ascot and Longchamp.

The track hosted legends like Seabiscuit, Citation, and Secretariat, with the Flamingo Stakes serving as a key Kentucky Derby prep race.

Hialeah pioneered innovations, including America’s first turf course and photo-finish camera in 1936.

Its glamour drew luminaries like Winston Churchill and Jackie Kennedy.

Thoroughbred racing ended in 2001 due to competitive pressures, but Quarter Horse racing occurred from 2009 - 2016, alongside a casino opened in 2013.  

Located at 100 East 32nd Street, Hialeah, approximately six miles from Miami International Airport, Hialeah Park is accessible via Miami Metrorail at Hialeah Station.

The casino operates Monday–Thursday, 9 AM–4 AM, and Friday 9 AM to Monday 4 AM, with the poker room open 9 AM–3 AM. Admission is free.

Visitors can enjoy over 850 slot machines, simulcast betting, and dining at spots like La Veranda Café & Bar.

Bring binoculars to spot flamingos in the infield, and check the website for event schedules. The site is ADA-accessible, with ample parking. 

• Hialeah’s flamingo flock, imported from Cuba in 1934, led to its designation as an Audubon Bird Sanctuary, with the birds featured in Miami Vice’s opening credits.
  
  
• The 1965 Citation statue, crafted in Florence, Italy, stands in a lily pond by the paddock.
  
  
• The track was the first to allow a female jockey, Diane Crump, to compete against men in 1969.
  
  
• Future plans include a museum on South Florida’s racing history and a 341-unit Flamingo Village housing complex, sparking debate over preservation.

HIALEAH PARK RACE TRACK AND CASINO WEBSITE