14900 Pennsylvania Avenue
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
Located on the outskirts of Upper Marlboro, the historic county seat of Prince George’s County, MD, the property of the present day Prince George’s Equestrian Center and The Show Place Arena was used for horse racing since the mid-18th century. In the early 1900s, the Marlboro Race Track was constructed; races were sponsored by the Maryland Jockey Club until 1972. Today, the Equestrian Center and Arena commemorate the history of Maryland’s equestrian traditions and the importance of the horse industry to the state’s economy.
Since 1993, The Show Place Arena and Prince George’s Equestrian Center have enriched the cultural life and local economy of Southern Maryland. An adaptable entertainment and sports facility, the Arena has been the venue for college basketball tournaments, cheer and dance events, consumer shows, concerts, nationally-acclaimed equestrian events and the Prince George’s County Fair. Additionally, several counties host their high school graduations here, marking that important milestone for area youth and their families.
Equestrians from all over the world have competed in events held at The Prince George’s Equestrian Center. The facilities are available for rent to accommodate local, regional, and national equestrian events year-round in the disciplines of:
Please contact the Equestrian Manager for rental availability. Repeat clients and horse shows with recognized dates from an organization, such as the United States Equestrian Foundation or the American Quarter Horse Association, will be given priority. New clients must complete a rental application and provide references.
When facilities are available, more than one horse show may take place in the outdoor facilities, and other events may be scheduled in The Show Place Arena. The Equestrian Center Management reserves the right to assign barns for various shows in order to efficiently accommodate multiple events.
The Show Place Arena can accommodate indoor equestrian events. With the footing installed, the Arena Equestrian ring is 120 feet by 240 feet. For indoor horse shows, 10 inches of footing is installed in the arena with the option of limestone dust or Equi Fiber footing. Choice of footing is determined by event and at the facility’s discretion. For more information about the use of The Show Place Arena for horse shows, please contact us.
Local, regional, and national equestrian events are held at Prince George’s Equestrian Center between mid-March and mid-November. The events are run by various clubs and equestrian promoters. While most shows are held in the outdoor rings, several shows use both The Show Place Arena, outfitted with equestrian footing on the floor of the Arena, and the outdoor rings. The shows vary by type of equestrian disciplines and include:
Additionally, equestrian seminars periodically use the facilities. Most of the horse shows are free to spectators; exhibitors pay fees to the entity running the competitions. Seminars and rodeos have spectator and participant fees and may be ticketed through Ticket Master with advance sales.
Spectators are welcome to watch the shows free of charge. Bleacher seating is available next to each outdoor ring. If the show is held in the indoor arena, arena seating is available and entry is through The Show Place Arena lobby or through the doors on the barn side of the building.
Located inside the former Marlboro Race Track, the Infield has just under seven acres of level surface surrounded by a fence. The Infield may be used for additional temporary stables for horse shows and parking for other events. Electricity and water are available.
Spectator parking is located in the lot between The Show Place Arena and the barns, or across from the Arena, unless directed otherwise by Show Place Arena parking attendants. Exhibitors with horse trailers may park in designated areas. Additional trailer parking may be designated for larger equestrian events.
Most shows check in at the Horse Show Secretaries Office between the outdoor show rings. An attendant may be present to help direct you to the proper areas at some shows.
Food and beverages are available at the facility. An outdoor concession is open during outdoor show hours, and indoor food concessions are open for indoor shows.
Catering and bar services are available upon request. Pricing for catering is based on a minimum of 25 guests unless otherwise noted. The catering menu pricing does not include 6% sales tax or 15% service fees, which are applied at the time of final payment. All alcohol sales are controlled by The Show Place Arena staff. All bar pricing is determined by the Food & Beverage Department. All bar services end ½ hour prior to the event end time or at the discretion of the Food & Beverage Manager. For information regarding our menus and pricing, please contact our Food & Beverage Department at 301-952-7900.
Download the Catering Menu (PDF)
Camper parking with electricity only is available during equestrian events. Arrangements and fees for camper parking are handled by an event’s show promoter.
For booking and availability, please email showplacearena@pgparks.com.
The Show Place Arena is an adaptable entertainment and sports facility that can configure to accommodate a variety of event types. The Arena has been the venue for college basketball tournaments, cheer and dance events, consumer shows, concerts, rodeos, nationally-acclaimed equestrian events, graduations, and the Prince George’s County Fair.
Arena pricing is based upon a number of factors, e.g., event/client/arena requirements, event type, space and time allocations, security, safety, labor, equipment, set-up and tear down, catering, etc. The Show Place Arena can provide an event estimate and discuss possible dates after contacting the office to receive the appropriate application forms. Please note that the submission of the completed documents is necessary to provide realistic estimates, but it is not a binding contract.
The documents that must be completed are the Rental Application, New Client Business Reference, and Entertainment Assessment forms. These forms must be completed and returned before we are able to provide you with any event information. Please note that the business references submitted must be from the three (3) most recent venues that you have rented for events. Be sure to include your date(s) of interest on the application.
If the planned event involves the sale of tickets, Ticketmaster is the only authorized ticketing service for The Show Place Arena. No other ticketing venues (brick and mortar, online, etc.) are permitted. Under our contract, we cannot process a TicketMaster event until we have verified the client’s references and accepted the client’s signed contract, deposit, and mutually agreed upon event set-up diagram. The entire process to secure a ticketed event is usually a minimum of 120 days, so please submit your documents immediately if you wish to secure an available date. Please contact us for booking and availability.
Whether you’re looking for a facility to hold a sales meeting for your associates, a cocktail reception to thank your donors, or the celebration of an anniversary, The Show Place Arena can accommodate your event in comfort. Three banquet rooms can be rented for meetings, training or receptions with variable setups to suit your event.
View the Banquet Site Plan (PDF).
The Show Place Arena has three banquet rooms that can be rented for meetings, trainings or receptions with variable set-ups to suit your event with ease. Banquet rooms may be rented separately or in conjunction with the Arena.
The banquet rooms can be booked during the week at any time; however, rentals during weekends will only be booked 60 days in advance.
| Winner’s Circle Lounge | $900 |
| Paddock Room | $900 |
| Tack Room | $900 |
$100 per additional hour
The Show Place Arena includes a lobby with box office, a concourse, and an oval arena. The concourse level has three banquet rooms; the Arena can be viewed from two of them. Private suites of varying sizes are also available. Dressing/locker rooms and production offices are located adjacent to the Arena floor on the south side. The Arena decor features burgundy, hunter green, and tan to reference the historic Marlboro Race Track that had previously operated on the property.
Three spotlights, located at center, left center, and right center.
Ground support only; the ceiling has no established stress points for hanging.
Public address system only; it is recommended that Lessee supply sound enhancement or reinforcement for live performance.
The Arena can furnish labor to include electrician, load-in and tear out, stagehands, runners, spotlight operators.
The Arena will schedule operations staff, housekeeping, ushers, parking attendants, ticket sellers and ticket takers, security, and Emergency Medical Technicians when required.
Catering and bar services are available upon request. Pricing for catering is based on a minimum of 25 guests unless otherwise noted. The catering menu pricing does not include 6% sales tax or 15% service fees, which are applied at the time of final payment. All alcohol sales are controlled by The Show Place Arena staff. All bar pricing is determined by the Food & Beverage Department. All bar services end ½ hour prior to the event end time or at the discretion of the Food & Beverage Manager. For information regarding our menus and pricing, please contact our Food & Beverage Department at 301-952-7900.
Download the Catering Menu (PDF)
Please note all ticketing and admission sales for events at The Show Place Arena, including advance, online and walk-up sales, must be handled by The Show Place Arena Box Office through TicketMaster. Clients may not have any online advance tickets sales for performances and events at The Show Place Arena on any other online source. Tickets through other sources will not be honored.
Ticketing information, indicating the Name of the Event, Ticket Price(s), and the requested On Sale Date, must be provided no less than 30 days prior to the event and at least two weeks prior to the On Sale Date.
For additional information, please contact the Show Place Arena.
View the Prince George’s Equestrian Center and Show Place Arena facilities and grounds virtually from the comfort of your own home!
The Prince George’s Equestrian Center is available for overnight stabling of transient horses with advance reservations only. Stabling is $25 per night, per stall. Please contact us to find out about availability.
Complete and return the Overnight Stabling Application (XLS). Applications may be mailed, emailed, or faxed to the Equestrian Center.
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission sponsors the Progressive Equestrian Therapeutic Services, Inc. (PETS) program at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center. Administered by volunteers, PETS is accredited by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship, International. From April through September, PETS volunteers provide skill-based riding and horsemanship lessons to youth and adults with disabilities who reside in Prince George’s County free of charge. The lessons culminate in the Annual Rider Show-off Event where students demonstrate their skills for friends and family.
For more information on PETS, to register for the program, or to learn how to volunteer and support their work, visit the PETS website or call 301-627-4308.
Program dates are subject to change.
Get ready for two days of nonstop energy, top-tier talent, and unforgettable holiday-week excitement! The In The Water Basketball Showcase is back—and it’s bigger, louder, and more electrifying than ever. This annual event brings some of the DMV’s best boys’ and girls’ high school basketball teams under one roof for a showcase…
Ticket Price: $Prices may vary
The Show Place Arena has accessible seating and entrances for your convenience.
Accessible parking is located on the right/West side of the Arena. If the event has parking attendants, please follow their directions.
Ramps are available by the doors on either side of the lobby.
At most events, accessible seating is located on the concourse level between P7 and P11. Depending on the event, accessible seating also may be available in other seating locations.
An elevator with access to the Arena floor level is located on the concourse to the right of the lobby as you enter.
For more information, call 301-952-7900 or Maryland Relay 7-1-1.
Upper Marlboro is located near Bowie, Camp Springs, Clinton, Landover, Largo, and Lothian. Hotels in these areas are less than ten miles from the facility. Please visit the Prince George’s Conference and Visitor’s Bureau website for a listing of local hotels.
