Barked Up
The crown jewel of Britain’s greyhound racing kingdom was London-based White City Greyhounds, which operated from 1927 to 1984. The crown then passed to Walthamstow Stadium on Chingford Road in east London, until that facility closed in August of 2008. The closure left just two extant dog-racing tracks in London, down from a high of 33.
In late 2012, then-Mayor Boris Johnson approved plans to re-purpose the stadium into a 292-home residential development, although the restored and re-wired Grade II-listed front facade would remain. Flickr members adam w and Matt Brown snapped the Walthamstow Stadium site in October of 2013 and September of 2015, respectively.
Croix’d Out
It’s hard to fail at gambling-powered ventures, though it’s not entirely unheard of. That said, greyhound racing has issues that even the allure of gambling and huge, air-conditioned facilities can’t address. Flickr member Nathan Grosse captured the above spectacular view of the former St. Croix Meadows dog racing track in June of 2016. You’ve gotta admit, the place still looks pretty good after sitting abandoned for over a decade.
Spilled Milk
Located just outside Kenosha, WI, the once-popular Dairyland Greyhound Park boasted easy access from downtown via State Highway 158 yet closed in 2009 after many years of declining attendance. Plans by the local Menominee tribe to re-purpose the track as a Hard Rock-branded hotel and casino complex were quashed by former governor Scott Walker in 2015.
Two years later in 2017, Majestic Realty Co. purchased the abandoned dog track and are currently conducting demolition prior to the site being re-developed as a business park. Flickr member Nitram242 visited the closed and abandoned Dairyland Greyhound Park in June of 2011.
Wonder No Longer
There’s not much left to wonder about at the Wonderland Greyhound Park in Revere, MA. Built on the site of the former Wonderland Amusement Park, the track opened in June of 1935 with typical racing seasons running from April through September. Wonderland began to decline in the early 1990s when large full-service casinos opened in neighboring states, but the final nail in its coffin was the Massachusetts Greyhound Protection Act. Taking effect on January 1st of 2010, the Act effectively banned dog racing in the state. The last live race took place on September 18th of 2009, and the stadium was demolished in October of 2017. Flickr member Laura Jane Brubaker posted the above haunting shot of the long-abandoned Wonderland Greyhound Park on April 30 of 2011.
