The circuit was opened on 17 September 1933 and quickly established itself as a prominent venue for motorsport in the region. The track crosses the Pirita River twice, integrating natural geography into its layout. Motorcycle TT races took place from 1933 to 1939, drawing competitors from across the Baltic states and neighbouring countries.
Car racing was introduced in 1934, when the circuit began hosting the Estonian Grand Prix. These events attracted mainly local Estonian and Finnish entries and continued through 1936. The combination of motorcycle and car racing made Pirita-Kose-Kloostrimetsa one of the most active motorsport venues in Estonia during the interwar period.
After World War II, Estonia came under Soviet occupation and the circuit continued to operate as a venue for Soviet championship events. Racing activity persisted through the postwar decades, keeping the circuit in use long after the political transformation of the region. The track's character as a street circuit threading through forest and crossing the Pirita River gave it a distinctive identity among Soviet-era venues.
The circuit gained tragic international attention on 2 July 2000, when Joey Dunlop was killed in an accident at Kloostrimetsa during a motorcycle race. Dunlop was a five-time World TT Formula 1 Champion and one of the most celebrated motorcycle road racers in history, having won 26 Isle of Man TT races over his career. His death at Pirita-Kose-Kloostrimetsa brought worldwide attention to the circuit and left a profound mark on the global motorcycle racing community. A memorial stone was erected at the circuit a year after the accident to honour his memory.
On 3 June 2006, the circuit was closed for racing following the annual Kalevi Suursõit motorcycle race. The decision to close the venue was driven by safety concerns: in order to bring the track up to acceptable modern safety standards, hundreds of trees lining the circuit would have needed to be felled. However, these trees were protected as part of the surrounding public park, making the necessary safety modifications legally and practically impossible. The circuit has remained inactive since that final event.
The Pirita-Kose-Kloostrimetsa Circuit holds a unique place in Baltic motorsport history, representing over seven decades of racing tradition from the interwar Estonian Grand Prix through the Soviet era to international motorcycle competition. Its closure marked the end of a long chapter in Estonian motorsport, and the site retains historical significance both as a motorsport venue and as the location where Joey Dunlop, one of the greatest road racers of all time, lost his life. The memorial stone in Kloostrimets stands as an enduring tribute to Dunlop and to the circuit's role in motorsport history.