Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races
932 Cranes Ln, Ranson, WV
Ranson, WV
Live Thoroughbred racing under the lights on a track running since the 1930s, now wrapped in a full casino resort an easy drive from Washington.
Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races pairs one of the region's oldest horse-racing traditions with a modern casino resort. Thoroughbreds have run at this track since the 1930s, and today live racing under the lights shares the grounds with a full casino, hotel, dining, and entertainment, all in the rolling country of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle.
The setting is part of the appeal. This is the closest corner of West Virginia to Washington, D.C., a short drive from the capital's suburbs yet firmly in a landscape of horse farms, Civil War history, and small historic towns. A night at the races here comes wrapped in the deep history of nearby Charles Town and Harpers Ferry, where John Brown's raid and trial helped set the nation on the road to war.
What Guests Love
- Live Thoroughbred horse racing on a track with a long history
- A full casino and resort with dining, entertainment, and a hotel
- An easy getaway from the Washington region into West Virginia's Panhandle
- Pairing a night at the races with the history of nearby Harpers Ferry and Charles Town
Worth Knowing
- Casino gaming areas are for adults, so check age policies before bringing the family
- Live racing runs on a seasonal schedule, so check the calendar to catch the horses
- It sits in the Eastern Panhandle, the closest corner of West Virginia to the D.C. area
- Nearby Charles Town and Harpers Ferry add rich Civil War and John Brown history to a visit
Details
Ranson, WV
Learn about Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races
A racing tradition since the 1930s
Thoroughbred racing came to Charles Town in the 1930s, and the track has been part of the region's fabric ever since, drawing horsemen, bettors, and fans through the decades. Live racing at the track continues today, with the added drama of night cards run under the lights, a signature of the venue.
The track has hosted its share of notable races and horses over the years, and it remains a working center of West Virginia's horse-racing and breeding industry. For visitors, the paddock, the grandstand, and the thunder of a field rounding the turn offer a taste of a sporting tradition that stretches back generations.
From racetrack to resort
Like many historic tracks, Charles Town added casino gaming to secure its future, and it has grown into a full destination resort. Alongside the racing, the property offers a casino floor, a range of restaurants, live entertainment, and a hotel, making it a place to stay and play as well as to watch the horses.
The blend of live racing and casino resort gives the venue a broad appeal, from serious racing fans to weekend visitors from the nearby cities looking for a night out. It has become one of the largest entertainment draws in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle.
Charles Town, John Brown, and Civil War country
The track sits beside Charles Town, a historic Jefferson County seat founded in the 1780s and named for Charles Washington, a younger brother of George Washington. The town's courthouse is where the abolitionist John Brown was tried and convicted in 1859 after his raid on nearby Harpers Ferry, and where he was hanged, events that reverberated across a nation sliding toward civil war.
That history makes the area a rich pairing for a visit. Within a short drive lie Harpers Ferry's preserved Lower Town, Civil War battlefields, and the horse-and-orchard countryside of the Panhandle. The land here was part of the ancestral homeland and shared hunting ground of the Shawnee, the Lenape, and other peoples, whose descendant nations continue today beyond West Virginia.
The Eastern Panhandle and its easy reach
The Eastern Panhandle is West Virginia's gateway to the mid-Atlantic, a narrow arm of the state reaching toward Washington, D.C., between Maryland and Virginia. It is the most accessible part of the state for visitors from the capital region, which is part of what has made Charles Town's casino and track so popular.
Beyond the racetrack, the Panhandle rewards exploration: the mineral springs of Berkeley Springs, the apple orchards and horse farms of Jefferson County, and the dramatic river gap at Harpers Ferry are all within easy reach. A visit to the races can anchor a broader weekend in this historic and scenic corner of West Virginia.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Grey Pine Lodge
Honorable Mention494 Three Notched Mountain Hwy, Waynesboro, VA
102 miles away|Learn More ›
Travelers Rest Motel
Honorable Mention3701 Old Philadelphia Pike, Intercourse, PA
107 miles away|Learn More ›
Things to Do Near Ranson
Charles Town
About 2 miles, a 5 minute drive
A historic county seat named for a Washington brother, where John Brown was tried and hanged, with a walkable old downtown.
Harpers Ferry
About 8 miles, a 15 minute drive
The preserved nineteenth-century town at the meeting of two rivers, site of John Brown's raid, now a national historical park.
Shepherdstown
About 12 miles, a 20 minute drive
One of West Virginia's oldest towns, a lively college and river town on the Potomac with shops, dining, and history.