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Location DB > United States > Pennsylvania > Philadelphia > Convention Hall
 Name
Convention Hall
 Viewing Options
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 Database Info
created by shadowbat on 3/23/2005 2:17 AM
last modified by Emperor Wang on 3/20/2024 3:24 PM
 Viewability
Publically Viewable Publically Viewable
This location has been labeled as Demolished, and therefore can be viewed by anyone.
 Overview
 Description

 Basic Information
Type: Building
Status: Demolished
Accessibility: Difficult
Recommendation: forget it, it's been razed
 Physical Information
Address
Was at 3400 Civic Center Boulevard
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
United States
Owner: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
  • See a map of this location
  •  Hazards
     Interesting Features
    The main auditorium:
    - Impressive backstage facilities
    - Dressing rooms
    - Rigging loft

    Beneath:
    - Exhibition hall directly beneath
    - Large basement
    - Partial sub-basement (flooded area)
    - Power / utility / mechanical rooms galore!

    Above:
    - Massive attic between the auditorium ceiling and roof trusses with catwalks threading through
    - Spectacular organ loft (since dismantled)

    Front:
    - Lobbies / concourses on the first level
    - Restaurant in the ground level
    - Ballroom on second level
    - Eerie looking mechanical rooms
     Security Measures
     Historical Dates
    Built: 1930
    Closed: 1996
     Required Equipment
     Recommended Equipment
    camera
     History
    More history than you could shake a stick at.....

    Constructed in 1929-1930.

    Held the:
    - 1936 Democratic National Convention (Franklin D. Roosevelt).
    - 1940 Republican National Convention (Wendell Wilke defeated by Roosevelt).
    - In the 1948 election (y'know, when Dewey defeated Truman), the Republican (Thomas Dewey), Democrat (Harry Truman) and Progressive (Henry Wallace) parties held their nomination conventions in the same venue, which was... you guessed it!

    Commencement exercises for UPenn, Temple, Drexel, LaSalle, and Medical College of Pennsylvannia, as well as Philadelphia's public and private schools were held here.

    Bands that performed here included the Beatles, Grateful Dead, Phish, and Green Day.

    When the Pennsylvania Convention Center opened in 1993, the Philadelphia Civic Center complex was rendered obsolete and it closed shortly thereafter.

    Convention Hall itself continued to be used by the La Salle college basketball team and the Mummers as a practice space until they got the boot in 1996. Afterwards the building sat silent and empty with the power still on to make it look like it was still in use. During this time the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) took over the site with plans to build a hospital expansion on the site.

    In 2002, the producers of the TV series "Hack" chose to film in Philadelphia. As camera crews turned the streets of Center City, Convention Hall served as an impromptu soundstage. The series was cancelled in 2004.

    In November of 2004 HUP recieved approval to demolish the building along with the Commercial Museum to build a new cancer research center. Despite the efforts of the preservation group philadeco.com to secure a court injunction to block it, official demolition began in March, 2005 (although salvage work and asbestos removal had been going on several months prior). Demolition was completed by June, 2005.
     Media Coverage

     Future Plans
    The Center for Advenced Medicine is currently under construction on the site (parking garage at this point).
     Stories


    Add your own story
     Photo Galleries
    Click to view gallery
    First trips
    Wed, Mar 23rd, 2005
    posted by shadowbat
    67 pictures
    Click to view gallery
    Outside shots
    Wed, Mar 23rd, 2005
    posted by shadowbat
    30 pictures
    Click to view gallery
    In the dark
    Thu, Mar 24th, 2005
    posted by shadowbat
    29 pictures
    Click to view gallery
    Injunction denied
    Mon, Mar 28th, 2005
    posted by shadowbat
    36 pictures
    Click to view gallery
    Salvage continues
    Tue, Mar 29th, 2005
    posted by shadowbat
    25 pictures
    Click to view gallery
    The attic
    Tue, Mar 29th, 2005
    posted by shadowbat
    13 pictures


    Add your own photos

    Mark all galleries as Seen
     Web Links
    https://en.wikiped...l_and_Civic_Center

    -----Links below this line were broken or dead on 3.19.2024-----

    http://www.philadeco.com

    http://www.oldegoo...om/newsletter7.htm
     Contribute

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     Moderator Rating
    The moderator rating is a neutral rating of the content quality, photography, and coolness of this location.

    This location has not yet been rated by a moderator.
     Validation
    This location's validation is current. It was last validated by Emperor Wang on 3/20/2024 3:25 PM.

     Latest Changes
  • on Mar 20 24 at 15:25, Emperor Wang validated this location
  • on Mar 20 24 at 15:24, Emperor Wang changed the following: History
  • on Mar 20 24 at 15:23, Emperor Wang changed the following: History
  • on Mar 20 24 at 15:19, Emperor Wang changed the following: History
  • on Mar 20 24 at 15:01, Emperor Wang changed the following: Interesting Features
  • on Mar 20 24 at 14:59, Emperor Wang changed the following: Owner, History, Interesting Features, Future Plans
  • on Mar 19 24 at 18:39, fr00tCake changed the following: Street Address, Web Links
  • on Apr 12 07 at 15:59, nostra-YOUPPI! validated this location
  • on Mar 1 07 at 18:41, nostra-YOUPPI! validated this location
  • on Mar 1 07 at 18:41, nostra-YOUPPI! changed the following: Web Links
  •  Forum Threads about this Location
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     SubjectStarted ByRepliesViewsLast Post
    You must log in for this feature to work.RestraintEmperor Wang619146/1/2009 5:21 PM by Charlie_Dunver
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