Northville Downs hosts live harness racing in the winter and spring on a half-mile track in downtown Northville, Michigan. Northville is an affluent city located in and divided by Oakland and Wayne counties in Michigan. The area is a suburb of Metropolitan Detroit. It is open seven days a week for simulcast racing around the country.
In 1944, Northville Downs opened as the first nighttime harness racing track in Michigan. The Downs were built on the site of the former Wayne County Fair, where Joe Louis trained in 1939 for his World Championship later that year. Northville Downs has been in continuous operation since 1944, and is located at the corner of Center Street and 7 Mile Road. Henry Ford purchased a factory in Northville and moved machinery from plants in the area to the factory in 1919. The plant provided valves for every Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln vehicle, except for the Lincoln Continental, until closing and being sold in 1981. In 1925, the Penninman-Allen Theater opened downtown. When Northville was more rural, skiing was popular and tournaments were held often.
Northville Downs is a downtown institution. It has been in operation since 1944, when it became the first harness racing track in Michigan. Northville Downs features live races every Friday and Saturday night with a 7:00pm post time, January through April. The facility is open noon until midnight every day and hosts hundreds of simulcast races from across the country. Parking and admission is free.
There are several levels to the track-side building. The bottom most is made up of tile flooring, plastic chairs and folding tables. The middle floor has stadium seating to the east, and the clubhouse to the west, which consists of several tiers of seating with video monitors. The second floor also offers a self-serve deli and bar. There are also several types of activities and specials on live-racing days.
January - April
7:00pm Eastern - Friday and Saturday
NOR
Mailing Address:
Northville Downs
301 South Center Street
Northville, MI 48167
Website: www.northvilledowns.com
