Parque Vila Guilherme – Trote

About this place

Parque Vila Guilherme, also known as the «Trote» park, is a park of about 185,000 square metres in São Paulo's North Zone, laid out on the grounds of an old riding club founded in 1937, which built stables, grandstands, ticket booths, a jumping track and a covered arena. After the owner's death in 1944 his heirs sold the land to São Paulo's harness-racing society, and in the 1950s and 1960s it was a meeting place for the city's elite and trotting fans as well as a leisure spot for local residents. Attendance fell in the 1980s and racing stopped; the southern part became a park in 1986, and the rest joined it after passing to the city in 2005. The park was listed as city heritage in 2012. Today it has a running track, a cycle path, sports courts and children's play areas, and some of the old club buildings still stand. Entry is free.