History

Aurora Downs was a

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

facility in Aurora, Illinois, that hosted

thoroughbred racing Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing i ...

and

harness racing Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait (a trot or a pace). They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, or spider, or chariot occupied by a driver. In Europe, and less frequently in Australi ...

events as early as 1891. The Downs was originally a half-mile track named Aurora Driving Park, located north of Illinois Avenue and west of Lake Street in Aurora. The Park hosted many area events in addition to racing, including circuses, fairs, and the first powered airplane flight in Illinois on July 4, 1910, with an exhibition of the Wright brothers airplane. In 1922, a new one-mile track was built on the site of the newly constructed Exposition Park in North Aurora and renamed Aurora Downs. The famous

Illinois Derby The Illinois Derby is a race for Thoroughbred horses for three year olds run over a distance of one and one-eighth miles (9 furlongs) on the dirt at Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney/Cicero, Illinois, just west of Chicago in early April each year. ...

ran there from 1932 through 1938 before suspending the race for 23 years. A local newspaper reported more than 30,000 racing fans crowded the track in the height of the 1937 season. The Downs also hosted

auto racing Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...

events in addition to horse racing. The Downs closed during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, then added a half-mile oval when it reopened again in 1946. The track closed 1952, and

was shifted to neighboring

Maywood Park Maywood Park was a horse racing venue located in Melrose Park, Illinois, United States, about 12 miles from downtown Chicago. It was used for harness racing. It had a capacity of 33,297 people and was built in 1946. The track was a half-mi ...

. In 1955, there were two fires at Aurora Downs in eight days. The track reopened in 1958 after a major renovation, but over time, attendance at the track declined and the track closed and reopened several more times until 1976. At that time, a new owner reopened the facility as Fox Fields with Sunday-only racing, but the track closed permanently in 1981.

Location

According to maps from the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

, The Aurora Downs and Exposition Park were located just north of the original Aurora Airport, which was south of Airport Road. The Park was built on the north side of Airport Road. The

Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington Route, the Burlington, or as the Q, it operated extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illin ...

ran a branch line up to

Batavia, Illinois Batavia () is a city mainly in Kane County and partly in DuPage County in the U.S. state of Illinois. Located in the Chicago metropolitan area, it was founded in 1833 and is the oldest city in Kane County. Per the 2020 census, the population w ...

. This line ran past Expositon Park and appeared to have sidings, presumably for freight service. According to Current Day Maps and Sattalite Imgery, the area that was once was Exposition Park and The Aurora Downs is now grounds for Valley Green Golf Course and an Industrial Park built on Airport Road.

References

Defunct horse racing venues in Illinois 1891 establishments in Illinois 1981 disestablishments in Illinois Sports venues completed in 1891 Sports in Aurora, Illinois {{Illinois-sports-venue-stub