About Aiken

Unique to Aiken is a 2,100-acre forest preserve – Hitchcock Woods – within the city’s limits, with 70 miles of sandy trails open to public use, particularly equestrians. An indication of the priority given to horses and riders is found at a stoplight at an intersection near the woods along the city’s busy Whiskey Road, where a special signal change button is located on its pole well above the normal height. Its unusual placement enables riders mounted on horseback to reach it easily to stop vehicular traffic so they can cross and enter the wooded enclave without dismounting.

In many ways, Aiken feels like a southern version of Saratoga Springs, both in the size of its population and its long history of horse-centric culture. Indeed, the two cities share a legacy of racing families, including Vanderbilts and Whitneys, among other influential residents who helped shape their respective racing, cultural and architectural landscapes in the late 19th and 20th centuries.

Like Saratoga Springs, Aiken has many historic Victorian-era buildings, homes and attractions, including the historic Willcox Inn, which opened in 1900 and remains a popular hotel and meeting spot. A drive down South Boundary Avenue, under its stunning canopy of arched oak trees, reveals an array of stately older homes similar to those found along North Broadway and Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs.

Aiken also has its own racing museum, the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum. More modest in scale and scope than the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, Aiken’s facility houses a wonderful small collection of images, art and artifacts in the former carriage house of Hopelands Gardens, the former estate of Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin, who was one of the grand dames of American racing in the 20th century. The hall’s displays and exhibitions celebrate the champion horses who have trained in Aiken over the years along with their accomplished connections.

Along with a handful of other southeastern towns like Camden and Ocala, long popular with the racing crowd as mild and restful winter retreats, Aiken’s fabled winter colony, initially populated by well-heeled thoroughbred owners, has evolved over the past century into a draw for a variety of residents and visitors involved in racing, steeplechasing, polo, foxhunting, eventing, dressage and driving. Its temperate winter climate, superb sandy footing and long heritage as a haven for horses have made the genteel community a growing magnet for many horse enthusiasts.