colonial downs

I attended the AMA Grand National motorcycle races at CD. Outstanding day at a world class property.Racing was amaxzing on the Mile, and the food and drink choices were awesome. Definitely would go back for this race.

Colonial Downs has never been operated very well. It was once a beautiful place, well kept, and beautiful building. The owners have permitted it to go down on purpose. They really never wanted to operate a race track, they just wanted to operate the off track betting parlors all over the state. They miscalculated on that badly, since the big population areas of Northern Virginia never permitted the OTB parlors in. They located several parlors in rural areas. This week the owner announced the track would close at the end of the harness racing meet. There was no thoroughbred racing in 2014, so the end is near. So the big track will only have 24 dates of racing in the entire year. Poor management has killed a nice venue. What a waste.

I've been visiting Colonial Downs since they opened (25 years ago). In the beginning, this track was beautiful and well-kept. However, I visited this track this past weekend (first time this year since thoroughbred racing wasn't held there), and I felt sad about the state of this facility. The grounds appeared to have been mowed only a few times this year. The infield was not mowed. The tote board has so many missing lights, that it is difficult to read and see. The stands and seats were very dirty and needed to be wiped down and were loaded with flying and crawling bugs. The once magnificent landscaping is now obviously neglected - no mulch, no weeding, no pruning and no plantings.This track is also in need of better management. I have not seen any advertising for this track, other than weekly emails. I only live a little over an hour from the track and most of my acquaintances have never heard of Colonial Downs. There were very few people in attendance. We sat in the grandstands and only a handful of people were there. There were no live people at the teller windows - only two machines to place bets and one machine was not calibrated correctly.Also, we arrived an hour early, noon, so that we can relax, have a hotdog and read over the race program on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon. However, after we arrived, we found out that the doors do not open until a half-hour before race time. And what is worse, they do not even sell the program until 12:30pm. I spoke with a manager about this - I told her we came an hour early to study the race program and asked if I can purchase one. She replied that they are not set up to sell programs until 12:30pm and that a half an hour is plenty of time to be ready for the first race. It was extremely obvious that she was clueless as to handicapping horse races (studying the program ahead of time is part of the fun!) - VERY SAD that management doesn't understand this!There were no seats outside of the track's entrance to sit while waiting the half hour for the doors to open. If you visit, don't bother to arrive early.If you visit, don't expect a beautiful facility or knowledgeable staff. They have free parking for harness racing. Also, the bathrooms were clean.Try to use the family 4 pack on Sundays - it is a great deal since the entrance fee and program together cost $6 and the family 4 pack is $18 (4 admissions, 4 programs, 4 hotdogs and 4 drinks). They also offer a great deal on a buffet - although with the great fall weather, sitting in the grandstands is nice. Bring something to wipe down your grandstand seats and be sure you know how to use the kiosk to place bets or you'll have to walk up and down stairs a lot.I'm hoping that this track will survive. Tough times for Colonial Downs - let's hope management gets things right and thoroughbred racing returns. This is the only racetrack facility around, so as long as it remains open, it will have to do.

Unfortunately it looks like they'll be closed this summer, but this is a great track a bit outside of Richmond. I make the drive from Virginia Beach because it makes for a good day of fun. Plenty of seating available, only a couple bucks to get in, and then you can waste as much money as you'd like to gambling. Tons of screens if you like the OTB stuff, but I prefer to just bet on the in-house races.

It is a very nice clean track with ample parking. It is a perfect place for novice betters with signs that clearly state how to word your bet. Minimum bids are very very low so it is possible to have a good time on a few meager dollars. The admission fee is low. The track is located in a safe newer area with upper clientele.

We went last summer and we had no idea what a nice facility this was. There is covered seating, inside seating, and you can also stand right up to the fence. There were a lot of families. Very reasonable entry fee and lots of activities for everyone.

My family and I go to Colonial Downs every year for the Virginia Derby and we always have a good time. We always pay to either sit in the Party Zone or upstairs in the Jockey Club. General admission is ok too but no perks and its often very hot outside and most years the weather does not cooperate and it rains earlier in the day. The Jockey Club has changed quite a bit since we originally started going, whereas we used to have a buffet, now you have to pay for your table and pay for food as well. The food can get a bit pricey. Also, the tables used to be reserved when you paid for your table but now you have to get there super early to get a good table. The Party Zone is always fun. You can pay for a trackside table in the Party Zone or you can just do general Party Zone admission. In the Party Zone you get a wristband that provides you with three free drinks (alcoholic or non), a buffet, and party favors as well. Some years the favors are really great, like duffel bags & folding camping chairs. This year the favors were a hat and a lunch bag (still not too bad). The races are always enjoyable but can be confusing if you have never been or are not familiar with how to place bets. Overall its a fun experience for everyone, even kids!

This was my first visit to Colonial Downs and everyone was so friendly and helpful. The reason for us going was they were having a Rodeo. Which was so much fun. They had bull riding, barrel racing and rope tying. There was also a country band who played before and after the rodeo. The facility was more than expected. We sat in the grandstand area which was great for viewing. They had an indoor area that was air conditioned where you could get something to eat and drink. They also have a full bar. There is a fee to get in......which we found very reasonable. We will definitely go again.

Wife & I went with a high school classmate of my wife's and we had a fun evening despite the fact that the hour plus drive from their home west of Richmond was in the pouring rain. The track had seen only a little rain, so all the races were on. Parking, admission, food, & drinks were all reasonably priced. The friends we were with owned a horse in 2 of the races, which made the whole night a lot more fun. Of the 9 races, I think, at least 6 of them were photo finishes - an exciting night of racing. We definitely will be going back.

If you find yourself at home in the Richmond ,Va. area on the 4th of July next year, think about spending the late afternoon and evening at Colonial Downs.The races are fun , and fun to wager on.they have fireworks at the end of the races.You can be a bit fancier and more indoors on the 4th floor jockey club area..or be outside and more casual....they have food at the bar and on the ground floor..hot dogs..hamburgers..chicken..fries..or bar food fruit and cheeses platters mozarella and tomatoes salad..New Kent Rot ary Club has an event too...you can buy water ..sodas beer, wine ,alcoholic cocktails too. They have about 10 or 11 races.The track is right off highway 64 so easy to get to from Richmond or Williamsburg.Children are welcome too.

Two couples went to the races and had a good time even though we didn't win any money. We did however pay for reserved seating at $25 /head. This was a total waste of good money. Just pay the general admission and sit under the tents. More fun better atmosphere and you get a free drink dog and chip.

just a really fun outing even for people who arent really into gambling. on fathers day they had ostrich races and camel races. they were a hoot! you can get a close up view of the horses in the saddling paddock. If you want great but kind of prcey food there is a nice place on the upper level but be aware they wont let you in there in jeans, flipflops and that sort of thing. Fun to go when they have stakes races and many ladies wear fancy hats. Family friendly

We visited Colonial Downs on a Sunday afternoon. They had nine races, plenty of betting windows were open, and the air conditioning inside was nice and crisp. Unless you are planning on evaluating the horses for future betting, I would just pay for regular admission. The more expensive tickets will put you on the second or third floor. The extra height would help you see which horse broke late, who had to fight his way through traffic, and who had to run wide. I would stick with basic snacks such as a hotdog or a pretzel (the track is only open for a limited amount of the year). US 64 is the main way to the track, but it will clog instantly for any reason, so keep a map handy for an alternative route.

I am a Virginia native and live reasonably close to the track, however we had never gotten around to trying it out. We recently went for Father's day and it was a good time.When you enter, you can pay $3.00 extra for premium parking which get's you a little closer to the facility.Upon approaching the entrance they have several lines to pay your admission fee (cash- 3.00 / credit 4.00) per person. That's for general admission. You can pay more for box seats (which I wish I had done, as searching for GA seats that weren't in the sun was difficult).Obviously you can bet on the horses, but you can bet for as little as $2.00 just to be involved, which we did. That was fun, looking through the program and picking horses. BTW, the program was pretty good at explaining the whole process.Finally, the food/beverage situation was pretty bad. We had bought a family pack which included a hotdog/soda. We had to wait in a huge line for min. 15 minutes to get it and then all you could get was 1 type of soda (Sierra Mist). I'd bring my own water next time which they allow you to do. All the lines for food were pretty ridiculous.Still it was a good time.

I went to opening day at Colonial Downs because my horse was racing and planned to have a celebratory drink after watching him win. No such luck. Granted you would expect opening day glitches with the staff. But we couldn't get a table with out paying ten dollars to sit and then each waiter we spoke to said they couldn't take our order. We ended up standing at the bar ourselves to get our drinks. Ok that would have been fine except that a manager came by with the next tables order and told them the waiters were hiding to keep from taking orders. Well go to the races but forget the club rooms and the better dining. It's not worth it. Get one of those large pretzels and beers.