There’s no shortage of abandoned places in Arizona. They’re all fairly interesting, that’s for sure! Some require great effort to seek out, but others are hiding right under our noses in plain sight. Until it was demolished in 2017 (huge bummer, we know), the Phoenix Trotting Park in Goodyear was in the latter category. Take a look at how the massive building was left to decay in the elements, and admire its oddly beautiful mystique:

Built in 1964, the Phoenix Trotting Park was a horse racing track along I-10 in Goodyear.
Wikimedia Commons/Mark Astrauskas
Costing around $10 million (or $96,132,258 million today), the facility was state of the art for its time, and an exuberant crowd of 12,000 fans filled the stands on opening day.
For two and a half seasons, locals flocked to the track - there was never an empty seat in the house.
Wikimedia Commons/Marine 69-71
Unfortunately, however, all good things must come to an end, and the facility closed in 1966 despite its initial success.
Several factors led to the inevitable closure of the track.
Flickr/Thomas Hawk
Between the unbearable desert heat, issues with flash flooding, and remote location, it was only 20 minutes outside of Phoenix - there were no major roads connecting the city to its suburbs at the time, which was an eventually death knell for the racetrack.

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Aside from being used in the filming of a 1998 movie (during which time part of it was quite literally blown up), the track was left to decay for almost 50 years.
Flickr/Thomas Hawk
Slowly but surely, it succumbed to the elements, blending in with the desert surroundings a little bit more each day.
In December 2015, the track was finally put on the market for $16.5 million.
Flickr/Thomas Hawk
As you can probably imagine, there were no takers - after all, that's quite a steep price for what was essentially the bare bones of a building that, by that time, had been ravaged by vandals.
Two years later, in 2017, the Phoenix Trotting Park was finally demolished.
Flickr/Thomas Hawk
No longer a roadside eyesore (or a glorious place for exploration, depending on who you ask), all that remains of a place that once provided lively entertainment are memories.

Check out the official website, which still operates, to learn more about the Phoenix Trotting Park.

Did you ever drive past the Phoenix Trotting Park? Are there any other abandoned places in Arizona that stick out like a sore thumb? Tell us about them in the comments! For a hiking trail that leads to an abandoned village, check out this Arizona abandoned village trail that’s sure to intrigue you.

If you can’t get enough of Arizona’s fascinating history and abandoned places, you might also want to check out eight of our favorite spooky Route 66 ghost towns! And did you know there are actual Arizona ghost towns within Maricopa county? Cool!

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Phoenix Trotting Park

Tori Jane | January 09, 2023
  1. Where was the old Phoenix Trotting Park?  

Built in 1964, the Phoenix Trotting Park was actually located in Goodyear, Arizona. It was visible from the I-10 and became a popular destination for urban exploration until security guards were installed at the property. It closed in 1966 and was eventually demolished in 2017.  

2. What are some other creepy abandoned places in Arizona?  

The Phoenix Trotting Park wasn’t the only spooky abandoned spot in Arizona; other famous (or perhaps infamous) abandoned places in Arizona are places like:  

 

3. How many ghost towns still exist in Arizona?  

At the time of this writing, there are approximately 300 known and recorded ghost towns in Arizona. Many of these towns simply no longer exist – there's nothing left (perhaps other than a cemetery), and no evidence of their existence other than records remain. However, there are also numerous wonderful AZ ghost towns that you can still visit and even tour, including:  

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