Treasures from the Vault: Highlights from the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame's Collection

The National Museum of Racing’s mission is to preserve and promote the history of thoroughbred racing in America and honor the sport’s most accomplished participants in the official National Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame. It was founded in 1950 by a group of people prominent within the sport of thoroughbred racing, including George D. Widener, F. Skiddy von Stade, Donald P. Ross, Kenneth K. Burke, Nelson Dunstan, John Hay Whitney, Carleton F. Burke, John C. Clark, and Cornelius V. Whitney. Harold O. Vosburgh, a steward for the Saratoga Association, donated the first piece to the collection, a shoe from the legendary horse Lexington dated to 1855. Today there are more than 26,000 objects in the Museum collection, including paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, silks, blankets, trophies, racing equipment, digital assets, and ephemera.

This exhibition featured selected objects from the collection including recent acquisitions, those that have rarely or never been exhibited, and others that have been newly conserved. It highlighted the diversity of materials that the Museum collects as well as the ongoing preservation of the collection. We hope you enjoyed viewing some of our museum’s treasures!