The celebration was held on 450 acres of land in South Philadelphia in the area south of Packer Ave. and between 10th and 20th Sts., where the sports complex, Roosevelt Park, and the old Naval Hospital now stand. The Main Entrance stood at Broad St. and Packer Ave.

The Exposition was open for six months, from May 31st to Dec. 1st, 1926. Thirty nations participated in the event.

Many new inventions and ideas were brought to the general public through the fair. Talking motion pictures, colored lighting, and public address systems were featured.

Liberty Bell Spanning Broad St.

A large 80-foot tall replica of the Liberty Bell marked the entrance. It spanned Broad St. at Johnston St. and cars and pedestrians passed beneath the bell to the exhibition. The bell, including the clapper, was covered with 26,000 lights. At night, when lit, the bell was a spectacular sight.

The Liberty Bell had long since come to represent Liberty and Freedom for the United States and therefore was a perfect image for the Sesqui-. While it was used repeatedly as a symbol of the exposition, it was never actually on the grounds. It remained in Independence Hall not far from the fairgrounds.

Sesqui-Centennial Stadium

Most of the buildings were meant to only last the length of the celebration, and therefore were built in a temporary manner.

The Sesqui-Centennial Stadium was one of the few structures built for the exhibition that were meant to be a permanent structure. It cost $3,000,000 to build and was equipped with a "modern loudspeaker system". The stadium was later called Municipal Stadium and even later renamed JFK Stadium. It stood on the east side of Broad St, south of Pattison Ave. until 1992.

Ben Franklin Bridge

Another permanent structure built for the Sesqui-Centennial was not even on the grounds of the exhibition. The Delaware River Bridge (now the Ben Franklin Bridge) to Camden was built to carry the increased traffic to Philadelphia that the fair was expected to bring. Before 1926, crossing the Delaware River to Camden, NJ, was by ferry only. Construction of the bridge began in 1922 and it took four years to build. At almost 2 miles long, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world at it's opening.

Pedestrian Traffic on the Ben Franklin Bridge

The bridge was opened to pedestrian traffic at 1 PM on July 1, 1926, and then to automobile traffic at midnight. 250,000 people walked across the bridge it's first day. In 1955, it was renamed the Ben Franklin Bridge to mark the 250th anniversary of the Philadelphia founder's birth.

The Exhibition -

The exhibition got off to a mixed start. On opening day, 15,000 Shriners paraded down the Parkway in intermittent showers. (Rain would prove to haunt the Sesqui.) Mayor Kendrick gave the Sesqui-Centennial proclamation in the stadium.

The second day, the Shriners staged a spectacular night parade in the Sesqui- Stadium.

Palace of Agriculture

Some of the exhibits were the Palaces of Education, Agriculture, Fine Arts, and Liberal Arts. There was the Palace of India, and a representation of the Taj Mahal. There were buildings from many states, the Swedish Blockhouse, the Administration Bldg, the Japanese Tea Pavilion and the Girl Scout House.

Along the Main Promenade were the Treasure Island exhibit and the Gettysburg rotunda, in which visitors could experience the sights and sounds of the Battle of Gettysburg. There were displays of electrical appliances, colored lighting, talking motion pictures and the Underwood Typewriter Exhibit (a new invention at the time). Because of the many colored lights, the exposition was nicknamed "Rainbow City".

Colonial Town

Colonial Town was a recreation of colonial Philadelphia's Market St. Visitors could stroll along Old High Street through a living history exhibit of 18th century American life.

The Auditorium boasted the "world's greatest pipe organ" and seated 15,000 people.

There were Egyptian and Oriental concessions. There were amusement rides.

On July 4th, President Coolidge gave an Independence Day address in the Sesqui- Stadium.

On Sept 23, Gene Tunney and Jack Dempsey fought a heavyweight prizefight at the stadium. Gene Tunney defeated Jack Dempsey with a unanimous 10-round decision. 132,000 people attended the fight in the rain.

A national gymnastic meet was held at the stadium. As was a musical pageant "America" (again, in the rain). The stupendous stage production "Freedom", with a cast of 3,000 performers, was given several times.

The Palace of Fine Arts displayed 8,000 pictures, plus sculptures, carvings, and exquisite needlework.

The Gladway was the exposition's amusement center. It covered 80 acres and was dotted with beautiful lakes and lagoons.

The Pennsylvania Railroad exhibited a full-size painting of their new all-steel passenger car. The painting was 20 feet tall by 100 feet wide. There was an inset, 10 by 30 feet, showing 4 of their trains. At the base of the paintings was a model train layout.

Financial Problems -

For many reasons, the Sesqui-Centennial proved to be financially unsuccessful. It closed with a deficit of $5,000,000.

Only 10 million of the expected 50 million visitors attended.

It rained 107 of the 184 days the exhibition was open.

Due to the inclement weather, the construction of many of the buildings was not completed in time for the opening. And much of the lawns, gardens and walkways between the buildings were uncompleted and swampy. Some of the roads remained unpaved. And some of the construction began deteriorating even before the Sesqui- was over.

Planning for the event did not begin until 1921, and then was severely under-funded by the federal government and the state of Pennsylvania. The city, in fact, provided most of the money.

The fair was built on what was, until then, swampland. Millions of yards of fill had to be brought in to "reclaim" the area.

Another factor was the continuing debate on whether the exposition should be allowed to open on Sundays. Due to the "blue laws" of the day, businesses were not allowed to open. Court decisions were overturned several times resulting in unpredictable Sunday openings.

All these factors contributed to slow participation by businesses and state and federal governments.

What's Left -

Except for the Ben Franklin Bridge, little is left of the Sesqui-Centennial.

Sesqui-Centennial Stadium

After the Sesqui closed, the stadium (later renamed JFK Stadium) went on to be the major Philadelphia stadium until the Spectrum and Veteran's Stadium were built nearby. In the late 1980's, it was found to be in an advanced state of deterioration. It stood, abandoned, until 1992, when it was demolished.

The last major event at the stadium was the 1985 Live-Aid concert, which drew over 100,000 people. The concert, which was teamed with a "sister" concert in London, raised money for the starving in Africa.

The Wachovia Center now stands on the site of the Sesqui-Centennial Stadium. Veteran's Stadium now stands on the site of many of the "Palaces". The neighborhood of Packer Park now sits on the site of much of the exhibition with the Sesqui's Gladway now being Geary St. through the middle of Packer Park.

In Roosevelt Park, the only remnants are the Swedish Museum, the gazebo, the lakes, the roads and some small structures. The lakes have changed a little, but the roads through the park still follow the same course as when first laid out for the Sesqui. The widened section of Broad St. below Packer Ave. was once the Sesqui's Grand Court, and the Main Promenade is now Pattison Ave. The spot where the 80-foot tall Liberty Bell stood is now Marconi Plaza at Broad and Johnston.

Sesquicentennial Was A Loser - 6/1/1986

When the City Tripped While On the World Stage - 9/19/1999