Preakness Stakes Guide

Airports
The most convenient airport near Baltimore is Baltimore-Washington Airport (BWI)which is roughly a $20 taxi ride away from the city. Reagan National and Dulles International airports are also located within driving distance of Baltimore, and depending on where you are coming from, they may offer more favorable fares.

Where to stay

I highly suggest staying at a hotel near the Inner Harbor area. This will put you right near or in the middle of all of the nightlife, and close to Camden Yards. I always book through expedia.com since their rates are typically lower than calling the hotels directly for a reservation.


Baltimore Nightlife & Attractions
If you are fortunate enough to be in for a few nights before the Preakness, there are plenty of things to do. If you are into the bar scene, then Power Plant Live is the place to be since it has a variety of watering holes. Also, if you are a baseball fan, you should have no problems scoring tickets to the O’s game the night before the Preakness, at Camden Yards.
Here are some links for the Baltimore attractions and nightlife:
Power Plant Live

ESPNzone

Babe Ruth Museum

Camden Yards

Tickets
Tickets to the Preakness are fairly easy to come by since they are sold through Preakness.com
View from Grandstand Concourse

grandstand outside
You should NOT need to go to a scalper, and tickets run from $20 for a SRO up to $575 for the Turf Club Tent Package.

The Preakness Infield atmosphere is a step above the Kentucky Derby Infield, as there is a stage set up by local Baltimore radio station 98ROCK, which has live bands and hot body contests in between races. Again, don’t expect to see live racing from the infield, but rather you’ll be watching from TV screens or a make shift jumbotron.

Just like the Derby, I would avoid sitting anywhere past the finish line. In 2005 I had a head on view of the race, and opted to watch the Preakness from the simulcast monitor inside the clubhouse. If you are offered Grandstand Upper Reserve seats, don’t shy away from them just because you will be indoors behind a glass wall…they offer a great view of the race.

(Infield Pictures and Grandstand Apron Box)

Infield Infield Crowd

infield beer pong View from the apron seating

SecuritySpecial Cooler Restrictions For Pimlico’s GRANDSTAND AND CLUBHOUSE on Pimlico Special-Black-Eyed Susan and Preakness Days and INFIELD on Preakness Day:

  • GRANDSTAND AND CLUBHOUSE: COOLERS, BACKPACKS AND THERMOSES WILL NOT BE PERMITTED. You must bring your beverages and food items in CLEAR, plastic bags or CLEAR, SEE-THROUGH plastic containers, not larger than 18″ by 18″.
  • TURFSIDE TERRACE AND CLUBHOUSE TURN RESERVED: COOLERS, BACKPACKS AND THERMOSES WILL NOT BE PERMITTED. No outside food or beverage items allowed.
  • TOP OF THE STRETCH: Coolers larger than 12″ x 12″ will be prohibited.
  • INFIELD: Coolers, backpacks and thermoses will be permitted – no bulk or oversized carrying devices allowed. Coolers larger than 28″L x 15″w x 17″h will be prohibited.

Items that guests may carry into Pimlico’s GRANDSTAND AND CLUBHOUSE on Pimlico Special-Black-Eyed Susan and Preakness Days and INFIELD on Preakness Day:

  • Beer, Wine & Soda, individually carried in plastic containers or regular-size cans, and Picnic Lunches (please see COOLER RESTRICTIONS above)
  • Beach blankets and suntan lotion
  • Cellular phones, cameras (up to 35mm), camcorders and binoculars
  • Lightweight plastic lawn chairs (INFIELD ONLY)

Items that are PROHIBITED anywhere at Pimlico on Pimlico Special-Black-Eyed Susan and Preakness Days:

  • Liquor or Drugs of any kind
  • Weapons of any kind
  • Tents
  • Hibachis or barbeques
  • Ladders, scaffolding or other raised devices
  • Kegs of Beer (including keg balls)
  • Bulk or oversized carrying devices
  • Non-folding, or folding metal, furniture
  • Hand carts, or wheeled carts
  • Glass containers of any type

Inspection and security measures:

  • All persons and their camera bags, purses and all containers entering Pimlico grounds are subject to direct physical search, or indirect search by wanding or magnetometers.
  • Pimlico reserves the right, without any refund of the ticket purchase price, to refuse admission to or eject any person whose conduct is deemed by Pimlico to be disorderly, or who is under the age of 21 and possesses alcohol.


Getting to the hotel from the track
I’ve always been fortunate enough to travel to and from the Preakness in a rental van with 15 people. If you have a large group this is the quickest way to get in and out of the track. If you park on one of the neighborhood front lawns, make sure you are not boxed in. One year we waited 2 hours for one car to move, and there were about 11 cars stuck behind it in the backyard.

Taxi service from Pimlico is not as reliable as the Kentucky Derby, and to be honest, you could be stuck there for hours. For this event, you are much better suited to drive yourself or hire a car service if you can afford it.

this guy needs a ride home This guy needs a ride home