History
Baseball was played on the lot at 24th Street and Ridge Avenue by at least 1860, and the Athletics and the Pythians used it in the 1860s. After a period as a horse market it became Recreation Park, and the new Phillies played their first home game there on May 1, 1883.
Charlie Ferguson threw the franchise's first no-hitter there on August 29, 1885. The Phillies moved to a new park after 1886, the grounds fell out of use after 1888, and housing now covers the site.
Why it matters: It was the first home of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Timeline
- June 16, 1860Early game[1]
The field hosted a game that one author called the first baseball game in Pennsylvania.
- May 1, 1883Phillies' first home game[1]
The Phillies played their first regular-season home game, against Providence.
- August 29, 1885First Phillies no-hitter[1]
Charlie Ferguson threw the first no-hitter in Phillies history.
- 1886
The Phillies moved to their new ballpark after the 1886 season.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Housing and a mini market[1] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Philadelphia Athletics | American League · 1861–1870 |
|---|---|
| Philadelphia Pythians | 1865–1871 |
| Philadelphia Centennials | National Association · 1875 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | National League · 1883–1886 |
| Penn Quakers football | 1882–1884 · tenant |
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Other names | Recreation Park; Centennial Base Ball Grounds |
|---|---|
| Location | Block bounded by 24th Street, Ridge Avenue, Montgomery Avenue, 25th Street and Columbia Avenue (now Cecil B. Moore Avenue), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Venue type | Ballpark |
| Sports | Baseball |
| Level | MLB, College |
| Opened | c. 1860[1] |
| Last used for sports | 1888[1] |
| Demolished | c. 1890[1] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Final capacity | 6,500 |
| Capacity notes | Advertised as 2,000 in 1876; the Wikipedia infobox gives 6,500. Reported crowds reached nearly 10,000 in 1885. |
| Closure | The Phillies left for a new ballpark after 1886; the lot was built over by about 1895. |
Documented details
Sources
- Recreation Park (Philadelphia), Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, coordinates, current land use, demolished, events, opened, teams
- Recreation Park (park PHI04), Baseball Data Hub. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: coordinates, teams
Research confidence
Key facts on this page (opening, closing, status and location) are each supported by sources, with key dates corroborated by at least two independent sources. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (2)
- Wikipedia's infobox lists the Phillies there from 1881, but its text says Alfred Reach leased and renamed the park in 1882.
- Capacity of 2,000 or 6,500 conflicts with reported crowds of nearly 10,000.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.