For anyone who has never been to the track, there\u2019s no better time than the lead-up to the 150th Preakness Stakes, the last racing day before the state-owned facility is slated for a date with the wrecking ball. A new, more modern facility is expected to open in time for the 2027 running of the second jewel of horse racing\u2019s Triple Crown<\/a>.<\/p>\n Which is to say there\u2019s not much time left. Here\u2019s a first-timer\u2019s guide for those hoping to explore this cavernous place ingrained in Maryland\u2019s long legacy of horse racing.<\/p>\n The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.<\/a><\/p>\n A look at the calendar<\/p>\n Turn off Park Heights Avenue onto Hayward Avenue and you\u2019ll arrive at a vast expanse of free parking on regular race days. Admission is free, too! A pricey trip to the ballpark this is not.<\/p>\n On this year\u2019s truncated calendar, there is Friday, Saturday (when Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is hosting a kickoff event for the National Thoroughbred League, with tickets to special event areas starting at $20<\/a>), Sunday (Mother\u2019s Day brunch options<\/a> are available at an additional cost), and Thursday, May 15.<\/p>\n There are also three \u201cdark days\u201d (May 12-14) when the track is open for simulcast wagering and is free to roam.<\/p>\n Getting into Black-Eyed Susan Day on Friday, May 16 will require a ticket ranging from $101-$456, and access to Preakness the following day will cost between $96-$3,078.<\/p>\n Enter through the clubhouse entrance. But first, look up. <\/p>\n The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.<\/a><\/p>\n There\u2019s a golden bas relief on the southern wall depicting three horses mid-stride. This is a depiction of \u201cThe Great Race,\u201d an 1877 contest between Parole, Ten Broeck and Tom Ochiltree that was so highly anticipated that the U.S. House of Representatives adjourned so members could travel to Baltimore to watch<\/a>.<\/p>\n Once inside, buy a racing program from a vendor at the base of the stairs to handicap the competition if there\u2019s live racing.<\/p>\n Head up to the second floor, where you\u2019ll find the Hall of Fame Racing Museum of art and artifacts, including the weather vane from the original Victorian clubhouse that was destroyed in a 1966 fire, and the Hall of Fame Room with portraits of famous jockeys hung on the walls. <\/p>\n Use the stairs or elevator to get to the third floor to see a display on the Pimlico Special, one of the most storied stakes races behind the Preakness. The name may not sound familiar, but you\u2019ve probably seen it represented on the big screen: Seabiscuit and War Admiral\u2019s climactic 1938 match race<\/a> in the film \u201cSeabiscuit\u201d was staged as the second running of the Pimlico Special<\/a>.<\/p>\n Just outside the Sports Palace Dining Room is a display honoring many of the winners of the race inaugurated by Alfred G. Vanderbilt Jr. (yes, those Vanderbilts).<\/p>\n The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.<\/a><\/p>\n Next, head back down to the first floor and cross over to the paddock, the area where horses are saddled before heading out to compete. It\u2019s small, especially compared to the recently completed $200 million paddock at Churchill Downs<\/a>. And that means it\u2019s intimate. Observers can grab a good spot on the railing to watch the competitors come by. Are their ears pricked forward? Are they well-behaved? Those are all things to consider for a potential wager, and there are ample betting windows throughout the complex.<\/p>\n Walk into the grandstand and immediately head for the glass doors to the outside. On a typical race day, it\u2019s easy to walk right up to the outer rail to watch the field come thundering by. <\/p>\n Across the dirt and turf ovals is the famed cupola, a recreation of the one destroyed in the fire. This is the spot where the winner of Preakness is presented a replica of the Woodlawn Vase<\/a> while the original \u2014 said to be the most expensive trophy in American sports<\/a> with a replacement value estimated at $4 million \u2014 stands guard. An artist is hoisted up to paint a weather vane of a horse and rider sitting at the top of the cupola. The colors of the winning jockey\u2019s silks and winning horse\u2019s coat are quickly added as a new layer, one of the enduring traditions of the race<\/a>.<\/p>\n OK, it\u2019s time to head back inside to take an escalator ride up to one of the coolest spots at the facility, the second-floor home of seven large-scale murals painted in the 1970s<\/a> by famed local artist Raoul Middleman, a longtime teacher at the Maryland Institute College of Arts<\/a>. The works depict the convivial carnival of a packed day at the track, with horses, jockeys, trainers, railbirds and others all seemingly pressed up against each other in a festival-like atmosphere. It\u2019s worth taking the time to soak it all in. <\/p>\n From there, you\u2019ll want to ride the escalator up to the top of the grandstand, which <\/b>offers sweeping views of the track and a vista of the city. <\/p>\n The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.<\/a><\/p>\n Last, head back to the first floor of the grandstand and continue walking away from the paddock, down a ramp and to the concourse of the Old Grandstand. A 2017 study by the Maryland Stadium Authority said components of the open-air timber and steel structure are believed to date to the 1890s<\/a>. Sadly, the area was condemned for safety reasons ahead of 2019\u2019s Preakness, and is not open for further exploration now<\/a>.<\/p>\n Still, visitors can walk out onto the apron to view this incredible structure and imagine all that\u2019s transpired from this vantage point over the last 131 years.<\/p>\n Official tours<\/p>\n Pimlico is hosting a historical tour<\/a> of the racetrack on Saturday and Sunday, granting access to some of the places mentioned in this article as well as the Derby winner\u2019s stall in the Stakes Barn, the winner\u2019s circle and the press box. Tickets ($40 plus a $6 fee) are sold out for Sunday, though there is still availability for Saturday\u2019s tour<\/a> at 11 a.m. A Champagne toast and commemorative 150th Preakness glass are included.<\/p>\n![\"Laura](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GUZ5VPIYIVB43HKJGZZCNZKUHQ.jpg\")
Laura Wilkins, center, takes a selfie while trying on hats on Black-Eyed Susan Day in 2024. (Tom Brenner for the Baltimore Banner)Where to explore<\/p>\n