from the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame

Goshen, NY — The Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame was honored on Friday (Oct. 16) with a peer-reviewed Award of Excellence presented by the Greater Hudson Heritage Network.

The Greater Hudson Heritage Network’s Awards for Excellence program recognizes and commends exceptional efforts among GHHN members. Awards are made to projects which exemplify creativity and professional vision, resulting in a contribution to the preservation and interpretation of the history, culture and diversity of the region.

Harness Racing Museum photo

Collections Curator Rebecca Howard and Exhibit Designer Judi McMahon accepted the award on behalf of the Museum.

The Harness Racing Museum’s “Remember Roosevelt!” exhibit and accompanying publication, Roosevelt Raceway, the Dream & the Legacy, Where it All Began, were acknowledged for synthesizing historic preservation with visual public presentation.

The outstanding exhibit and photo essay book grew from the Museum’s nearly decade-long Roosevelt Raceway Legacy Project which, aided by grant funding from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, cataloged and digitized thousands of photographs secured from the lost Long Island track.

Long Island’s Roosevelt Raceway was more than a race track. Between 1940 and 1988 it was one of the most important entertainment venues in New York State. With the completion in 1957 of its $20 million “Dream Track,” Roosevelt introduced air conditioning, closed-circuit television, the mobile starting gate and Las Vegas-style luxury to race goers.

The Museum’s exhibition marries elements of artistic design, multi-media display and artifact presentation in a seamless layout carrying visitors from the Museum’s entrance to its main gallery.

This award-winning exhibit will be on display at the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame through April 2016 with the book available through the Museum’s gift shop or online at www.harnessmuseum.com.

Thanks to the support of the United States Trotting Association, the Harness Racing Museum is currently offering free admission for walk-in visitors and $4.00/person for group docent-guided tours. The Museum is located at 240 Main Street, Goshen, NY and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information about the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame, education programming, workshops, children’s birthday parties, membership or gift shop services, please visit our website at www.harnessmuseum.com, call 845.294.6330 or e-mail education@harnessmuseum.com.