History
The Vet opened in April 1971 at Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, giving the Phillies and Eagles a shared artificial-turf stadium in the city's sports complex.
The Phillies won their first World Series there on October 21, 1980. The stadium held MLB All-Star Games in 1976 and 1996, Temple football, USFL and NASL teams, and 17 Army-Navy Games between 1980 and 2001.
The Eagles played their final game there in the January 2003 NFC Championship before moving to Lincoln Financial Field. The Phillies closed the stadium on September 28, 2003, and opened Citizens Bank Park the next spring. The Vet was imploded on March 21, 2004, and granite markers in the parking lot that replaced it show where the field's features stood.
Why it matters: It hosted the Phillies' first World Series title and was Philadelphia's main stadium for three decades.
Timeline
- April 10, 1971
The Phillies played their first game against the Montreal Expos.
- October 21, 1980Phillies' first World Series title[1]
The Phillies beat Kansas City 4-1 in Game 6 to clinch their first championship.
- November 29, 1980First Army-Navy Game at the Vet[1]
Navy won 33-6; the stadium hosted 17 Army-Navy games through 2001.
- January 19, 2003
The Eagles lost the NFC Championship Game 27-10 to Tampa Bay.
- September 28, 2003
The Phillies lost 5-2 to Atlanta in the last game at the stadium.
- March 21, 2004
The stadium was imploded in about 62 seconds.
The site today
| Physical status | Demolished[1,2,3] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Parking lot (built 2004-2005) serving Citizens Bank Park and Lincoln Financial Field[1,3] |
| Surviving remnants | Granite markers (2006) for home plate, the pitcher's mound, the bases and goalposts in Citizens Bank Park's Lot U; Pennsylvania Historical Marker (2005); plaque and monument (2005)[1] |
| Mapped location | Former venue parcel |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Philadelphia Eagles | NFL · 1971–2002 |
|---|---|
| Philadelphia Phillies | National League · 1971–2003 |
| Philadelphia Atoms | NASL · 1973–1975 · tenant |
| Temple Owls | NCAA · 1978–2002 · tenant |
| Philadelphia Stars | Negro National League · 1983–1984 · 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 | The Vet |
|---|---|
| Location | 3501 South Broad Street (Broad Street and Pattison Avenue), South Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania[1,2] |
| Venue type | Stadium |
| Sports | Baseball, Football, Soccer |
| Level | MLB, NFL, NCAA, NASL, USFL |
| Opened | April 10, 1971[1,2,3] |
| Last used for sports | September 28, 2003[1,2,3] |
| Demolished | March 21, 2004[1,2,3] |
| Physical status | Demolished |
| Final capacity | 65,352[1,2] |
| Capacity notes | Final capacity per Wikipedia: 61,831 baseball, 65,352 football. Ballparks of Baseball lists 62,623 (62,382 in its text). |
| Architect | Hugh Stubbins & Associates; George M. Ewing Co.; Stonorov & Haws[1] |
| Construction cost | $63 million (Wikipedia infobox); $60 million (Wikipedia text); $45 million (Ballparks of Baseball)[1] |
| Surface | AstroTurf 1971-2001; NexTurf 2001-2003[1] |
| Owner / operator | City of Philadelphia (owner); Philadelphia Department of Recreation (operator)[1] |
| Closure | Replaced by Lincoln Financial Field (2003) and Citizens Bank Park (2004), built in the same sports complex. |
Documented details
- A replica Liberty Bell from the stadium was installed outside Citizens Bank Park's third-base entrance in 2019.[1]
Connected venues
- Replaced by: Citizens Bank Park · Phillies moved in 20042004–present
- Replaced by: Lincoln Financial Field · Eagles moved in 20032003–present
- Replacement for: Shibe Park · The Phillies moved to Veterans Stadium (per Wikipedia). It is defunct and listed as a research candidate.1909–1970
- Replacement for: Temple Stadium · Temple football moved there after 19771928–1995
Sources
- Veterans Stadium, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, architect, capacity, closed, construction cost, coordinates, current land use, demolished, events, opened, owner operator, remnants, surface, teams
- Veterans Stadium, Ballparks of Baseball. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, capacity, closed, demolished, opened
- Remembering Veterans Stadium 20 years after its historic implosion, FOX 29 Philadelphia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, current land use, demolished, opened
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)
- Construction cost: $63 million / $60 million (Wikipedia) vs $45 million (Ballparks of Baseball).
- Final capacity differs between Wikipedia and Ballparks of Baseball.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.