Veterans Stadium

Plans for a new Philadelphia stadium date back to 1959, when Phillies owner R. R. M. Carpenter Jr. proposed building a new ballpark for the Philadelphia Phillies, who were playing at the ageing Connie Mack Stadium (originally Shibe Park, built in 1909). After years of planning and political negotiation, ground was broken on October 2, 1967, and Veterans Stadium opened on April 10, 1971. Designed by Hugh Stubbins & Associates, George M. Ewing Co., and Stonorov & Haws, the stadium cost US$63 million, equivalent to about $501 million in 2025. It was a classic multi-purpose stadium of its era, with a circular design that allowed it to host both baseball and football. The Vet hosted the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball from 1971 to 2003 and the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League from 1971 to 2002. It also hosted the Philadelphia Atoms and Philadelphia Fury of the North American Soccer League, the Philadelphia Stars of the United States Football League, and the Temple Owls college football team. The 1976 and 1996 Major League Baseball All-Star Games were held at the venue, and it hosted the annual Army-Navy football game between 1980 and 2001. The stadium was known for its artificial turf, first AstroTurf and later NexTurf, which was notoriously hard and contributed to numerous player injuries over the years. The Vet was also infamous for its rowdy fans, including the infamous 700 Level, and a courtroom and jail cells were built beneath the stadium to process unruly spectators. By the late 1990s, the stadium had become outdated and the trend in sports had moved towards sport-specific venues. The Eagles played their final game at the Vet on December 28, 2002, and the Phillies played their final game on September 28, 2003, a 5-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves. Veterans Stadium was demolished by implosion on March 21, 2004, and a parking lot now sits on its former site. It was replaced by the adjacent Citizens Bank Park for the Phillies and Lincoln Financial Field for the Eagles, both part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex.

Veterans Stadium, known as The Vet, was a classic multi-purpose stadium that hosted both the Philadelphia Phillies and Philadelphia Eagles for over 30 years. It had a capacity of 65,352 for football and 61,831 for baseball. The stadium cost US$63 million to build in 1971, equivalent to about $501 million in 2025. It hosted the 1976 and 1996 MLB All-Star Games and the annual Army-Navy football game between 1980 and 2001. The Vet was notorious for its hard AstroTurf surface, which contributed to numerous player injuries and was widely disliked by athletes. The stadium was also infamous for its rowdy fans, particularly those in the 700 Level, and a courtroom and jail cells were built beneath the stadium to process unruly spectators on game days. It hosted not only baseball and football but also the Philadelphia Atoms and Philadelphia Fury of the NASL, the Philadelphia Stars of the USFL, and the Temple Owls college football team. The Eagles played their final game there on December 28, 2002, and the Phillies on September 28, 2003. The stadium was demolished by implosion on March 21, 2004, an event that drew large crowds. A parking lot now sits on the site, with Citizens Bank Park and Lincoln Financial Field built nearby as sport-specific replacements.