 | |
| Location | 4530 Market Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°57′29″N 75°12′42″W / 39.957959°N 75.211726°W |
| Capacity | 5,526 6,500 (76ers 1966) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | February 14, 1920 |
| Closed | August 24, 1983 (fire) |
| Demolished | August 24, 1983 |
| Tenants | |
| |
The Philadelphia Arena was an auditorium used mainly for sporting events located at 46th and Market Streets in West Philadelphia.
The address of the building, originally named the Philadelphia Ice Palace and Auditorium, was 4530 Market Street. The building stood next to what would become the WFIL TV studio that broadcast American Bandstand. It was built by George F. Pawling, of George F. Pawling & Co., Engineers and Contractors, and opened on Saturday, February 14, 1920, with a college hockey game between Yale and Princeton Tigers; the Bulldogs won, 4–0, before a crowd of over 4,000[1] despite the fact that the arena had only one small entrance at the time.
One of the first teams to make the Arena home was the Yale University men's ice hockey team. Yale did not have a suitable on-campus venue in 1920 and played home games in Philadelphia.[2] During the 1920–1921 season, Yale, Princeton, and Penn made the Arena their home ice.[3]
- ^ "YALE BEATS TIGERS AT HOCKEY, 4 TO 0; Blanks Princeton in Philadelphia Game--Ingalls and Maxwell in Star Roles" (PDF). The New York Times. 1920-02-15. p. 19. Retrieved 2009-12-29.
- ^ "DEVELOPING YALE'S ATHLETIC POLICY; Problems of Completing the Bowl and Housing the Hockey Team Engage Officials" (PDF). The New York Times. 1920-03-07. p. 20. Retrieved 2009-12-29.
- ^ "COLLEGE HOCKEY PLANS DISCUSSED; Delegates to Meeting Here Arrange Tentative Schedules Favor Six-Man Teams" (PDF). The New York Times. 1920-11-20. p. 21. Retrieved 2009-12-29.