The Hong Kong Racing Museum

Horse racing is woven into Hong Kong life, and The Hong Kong Racing Museum tells that story for free. It sits on the second floor of the Happy Valley Stand at Happy Valley Racecourse and covers more than 170 years of racing in the city, from its early days to the modern Hong Kong Jockey Club. The museum is laid out as a series of small galleries built around the horses, the history and the stories of the Jockey Club. Expect cases of artefacts and memorabilia, a wall of trophies and awards, and a milestones display that walks through the big moments in local racing. There is also a reading corner for anyone who wants to dig deeper. It explains how racing helped shape the city's economy and social life, which gives it a wider appeal than its subject might suggest. The best way to see it is on the free guided tour. It runs every day at 2:30pm, lasts about 30 minutes and is offered in Cantonese, Putonghua and English. No booking is needed: gather at the reception counter ten minutes before the start. Places are limited to ten people and handed out on a first-come, first-served basis. Groups of ten or more must apply in advance. The museum opens from noon to 6pm every day, and stays open until 9pm on night and twilight race days. Happy Valley has no MTR station of its own, so the nearest is Causeway Bay, Exit A, followed by a walk through the streets to the racecourse; several bus routes also stop close by. On a race night, the museum makes a dry, calm start to an evening at the track.