Dedicated on April 20, 1895, Franklin Field was originally constructed as a simple, wooden structure with seating for 30,000. The stadium was built for a total cost of $100,000 – equivalent to over $3 million today. The opening of Franklin Field instantly made history as the first stadium in the country to have a scoreboard. Following the turn of the century (1903-1905), supplementary construction began, including the addition of Weightman Hall and permanent grandstands. Franklin Field remained this way until the summer of 1922, when the original wooden bleachers were demolished and the modern U-shaped lower bowl was constructed. The second-tier was added just three years later.

Like many other buildings on Penn's campus, the historic architecture has remained intact while upgrades and improvements have been made to maintain the building's integrity. The once natural grass football field was replaced with AstroTurf in 1969. In 2004, a next generation rubber-infill artificial surface known as Sprinturf was installed. Today, Franklin Field is the oldest two-tiered stadium in the country. It is also recognized by the NCAA as the oldest operating stadium in college sports. The stadium currently seats 52,593 fans.

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The First Running of the Penn Relays took place on April 20, 1895 – officially opening the doors to Franklin Field. In fact, the opening of Franklin Field took place specifically for The Penn Relays and saw an initial crowd of approximately 5,000 people. The one-day event featured only males competing in nine 4x400 yard relays; four high school, four college, and one championship level college race. Harvard University was the first team to win a Penn Relays championship, defeating the University of Pennsylvania. The Penn Relays instantly became a marquee track and field event. In 1896, just one-year following its inception, entries nearly quadrupled and prompted the creation of a comprehensive schedule to keep the meet organized. The relays expanded even more prior to the turn of the century, adding longer relays, 100- and 220-yard dashes, hurdles, and various field and throwing events.
 

During the 20th century, The Penn Relays evolved exponentially. The term "Carnival" was added in 1910 to reflect the atmosphere created by tent-camps surrounding Franklin Field. The evolution of the meet greatly impacted the sport of track and field, as the first use of the aluminum baton took place at the 1913 Penn Relays. The Relays went international just a year later with Oxford University becoming the first team outside of the United States to compete. This expanded the one-day event into two, making room for additional races such as the sprint and distance medley relays.
 

By the 40's and 50's, six more lanes were added to the track allowing more athletes to compete. The renovation led to further adjustments, moving the paddock area (where athletes are organized before their race) to the northwest corner of the stadium. In addition, the schedule was adjusted so that the more popular events were run on Saturday afternoon. In 1961, the Penn Relays was the main focus of ABC's Wide World of Sports pilot episode, hosting the show at Franklin Field. The overall culture of the carnival also shifted in the 60's. The first women's event was run during the 1962 Penn Relays, followed by the inclusion of Jamaican high schools. It wasn't until 1976 that the Relays recognized the metric system to measure race distance. Two-years later the meet expanded once again, as the addition of more women's races turned The Penn Relays into three-day extravaganza.
 

In the modern-era of The Penn Relays, over 15,000 male and female athletes compete in high school, college, Olympic development and professional races. The three-day festival welcomes over 100,000 track and field fans to Franklin Field from across the world. The Penn Relays has become a staple event to Caribbean culture, which was further intensified with the first USA vs. the World series in 2000 – bringing some of the world's most elite runners to Franklin Field each year. Today, the annual event is still the largest and longest running track and field event in the history of the sport.

Throughout the history of the Penn Relays, many notable individuals have competed on Franklin Field's track. Some of them include: Edwin "buzz" Aldrin, Jim Thorpe, Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, Luke Wilson, Wilt Chamberlain, George Steinbrenner, Bruce Dern, Bernie Sanders, and Jim Cramer.
 

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On October 1, 1895, the University of Pennsylvania football team played for the first time on their new home field beating Swarthmore 40-0. The inaugural football game also featured the use of the nation's first scoreboard. The Quakers would go 14-0 on the season after starting with ten straight shutout games and were retroactively named as the National Champion. As the popularity of attending Penn Football games continued to grow, the stadium underwent construction in 1903 in order to provide more adequate seating for fans – thus making it the first permanent horseshoe-shaped stadium in collegiate sports. The expansion (in both fans and stadium size) continued when, in 1925, Franklin Field became the first double-decker football stadium in the nation.
 

For well-over a century, Penn Football has called Franklin Field home and it's no question that numerous traditions have been established along the way. The earliest tradition began during its inaugural season and featured Penn vs. Cornell over Thanksgiving Weekend. The series was held at Franklin Field consistently from 1895 through 1963, with 59 of the 68 games being played on Thanksgiving Day. In 1922, the first football radio broadcast emanated from Franklin Field, featuring the Penn vs. Cornell rivalry. The final Thanksgiving game took place in 1989 before the Ivy League updated their conference football schedule. However, the rivalry lives on to this day as the Quakers and Big Red play for the Trustee's Cup.
 

The toast toss, one of the most unique sporting traditions in sports, began at Franklin Field. At the end of the third quarter, the band leads students and fans in a rendition of Drink a Highball. As the last line is sung, "Here's a toast to dear old Penn," fans would traditionally and quite literally drink a highball. However, alcohol was banned from the stadium in the late 1970s. A group of students decided to get creative, bringing toast to throw onto the track as an alternative. The tradition was quick to gain momentum with students and eventually fans, as hundreds of pieces of toast are hurled through the air. In 2013, the toast toss was rated the third-best tradition in college football.
 

Penn Football and Franklin Field were trailblazers on television, as well. In conjunction with the University's Bicentennial, Philco Radio & Television Corporation sought to televise each of Penn Football's 1940 home games. On October 5, the first commercially televised college football game took place at Franklin Field featuring Penn vs. Maryland – Penn would blow out the Terrapins with a score of 51-0. On November 16, 2002, Lee Corso and the gang brought ESPN's College GameDay to Franklin Field as Penn would play Harvard later that evening – both teams entered the game undefeated. This would go down in history as College GameDay's first broadcast from both an Ivy League and FCS school. Donning a full Benjamin Franklin costume, Corso chose the Quakers to win. Penn would go on to do just that, with a final score of 44-9.

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The Philadelphia Eagles called Franklin Field home from 1958 through 1970. The birds made the move from Connie Mack Stadium to West Philadelphia following the 1957 season in order to accommodate larger crowds. According to official records, the Eagles did not pay rent to the University. Instead, they donated up to $100,000 per-year to assist with maintenance and additional expenses. Due to the Eagles residence at the time, Franklin Field was the first NFL stadium to use artificial turf as the stadium made the switch to AstroTurf in 1969. The Eagles played their final home game at Franklin Field against the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 20, 1970 before moving to their new home in Veteran's Stadium.

The 1960 NFL Championship Game was held at Franklin Field as Philadelphia battled Green Bay. The Eagles would go on to defeat the Packers 17-13 in front of a crowd of 67,325. The 1960 Championship was Packers' coach Vince Lombardi's only career playoff loss. Of those who helped lead the team to a championship were Head Coach Buck Shaw, quarterback Norm Van BrocklinRetzlaff, and linebacker and center Chuck Bednarik – Penn Alumnus and namesake of college football's Chuck Bednarik Award.

One of the most infamous moments in Eagles fandom occurred at Franklin Field. When the Eagles played the Vikings on December 15, 1968, a special Christmas performance was planned for halftime. At the time, the birds were underperforming significantly, and fans grew increasingly frustrated with the team's quarterback and coaching staff. With the originally scheduled Santa Claus unable to attend the game due to the bad weather, a young fan was invited on field to toss candy canes with the cheerleaders as a substitute. Fans were unamused with the stand-in and with tensions already high, they continued to boo and throw snowballs at him. The Eagles would go on to lose the game 17 - 13 and Philadelphia instantly gained a reputation for having the roughest fans in (professional) sports.

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The University of Pennsylvania has hosted A LOT of football over the years. In addition to the Eagles, several professional organizations have played home games in Franklin Field. The Frankford Yellow Jackets took advantage of this opportunity during the pre-Super Bowl era of the NFL, as they hosted the Dayton Triangles on September 24, 1927. In 1958, The Canadian Football League brought the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Ottawa Rough Riders to Franklin Field. This was the first CFL game between two Canadian teams to be played on American soil. The Philadelphia Bell of the World Football League also called Franklin Field home during their 1975 season. In 1984, the United States Football League hosted two playoffs games at Franklin Field. The divisional playoff took place on June 30 between the Philadelphia Stars and the visiting New Jersey Generals. The Stars would go on to win 28-7 and advanced to the Eastern Conference championship the following weekend against the Birmingham Stallions.

It's no question that Franklin Field has made its mark on the college football world. In 1899, Penn Alumnus and Olympic-medalist George Orton helped bring the infamous Army-Navy series to Philadelphia. The time-honored NCAA tradition was hosted 18 times at Franklin Field, before moving to South Philadelphia's larger Municipal Stadium following in 1936. While at Franklin Field, Army tallied a total of 11 victories, while the Midshipmen won 7.

Temple University also played home games at Franklin Field sporadically over the years. When crowds were expected to exceed Temple Stadium's capacity, the Owls would make the trip to West Philadelphia. From the late 1970s to early 2000s, Temple moved their home games to Veteran's Stadium. However, when home football games conflicted with the Phillies' home schedule, Temple would play in Franklin Field. Temple Played their final home game in Franklin Field on September 28, 2002 in a loss against the Cincinnati Bearcats.

In the Fall of 2016, the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) hosted six NCAA Division III bowl games over the course of three days at Franklin Field. The bowl series provided the opportunity for select members who did not make the DIII playoffs to continue competing. 

In addition to both professional and collegiate football, high school football has also been a feature in Franklin Field history. The Philadelphia City Title high school football championship was held in Franklin Field periodically in the late 30s and early 40s. The stadium would go on to host the title game consistently from 1943 to 1972. In its early years, the high school championship was a staple Philadelphia event, bringing 40,000 to 60,000 people to Franklin Field each year.

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	Year 1961	Sport Men's Track & Field	Champion Southern California	Runner-Up Oregon	Final Score 65 - 47
	1973	Men's Lacrosse	Maryland	John's Hopkins	10 - 9 (2OT)
	1976	Men's Track & Field Men's Soccer	Southern California San Francisco	UTEP Indiana	64 - 44 1 - 0
	1983	Field Hockey Women's Lacrosse	Old Dominion Delaware	UConn Temple	3 - 1 (3OT) 10 - 7
	1985	Women's Lacrosse	New Hampshire	Maryland	6 - 5
	1988	Field Hockey	Old Dominion	Iowa	2 - 1
	1992	Men's Lacrosse	Princeton	Syracuse	10-9 (2OT)
	1998	Field Hockey	Old Dominion	Princeton	3 - 2
	2007	Women's Lacrosse	Northwestern	Virginia	15- 1

Professional Soccer made its debut in Franklin Field in 1976 when the Philadelphia Atoms relocated for their final season. The highlight of the season came on July 17 when soccer great, Pelé and the New York Cosmos came to town. The Philadelphia Fury – successor of the Philadelphia Atoms – hosted a 1979 playoff game in Franklin Field while their home field (Veteran's Stadium) was being used by the Phillies. In 1988, Franklin Field was one of fifteen United States stadia to be evaluated as a potential host site of the 1994 FIFA World Cup. One year later, the U.S. National Soccer team defeated the Soviet Dnepr (now FC Dnipro) at Franklin Field.

The Penn Relays isn't the only track and field meet to take place at Franklin Field. The Summer of 1959 brought the second USSR-United States track and field dual meet to Franklin Field, which was headlined by former and future Olympic athletes. The Bicentennial Meet of Champions took place following the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics. The event was in honor of the United States Bicentennial and allowed elite runners – who were unable to attend the Montreal games – the opportunity to compete against medal winners. Finally, Franklin Field was host to the 1980 Liberty Bell Track and Field Classic. The two-day event was a competitive alternative for the 26 countries participating in the boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics being held in Moscow.

The first Rugby League match between the United States and Australia was hosted at Franklin Field in the Fall of 2004. The U.S. lost 36-24, despite being in the lead for most of the game. In more recent years, the stadium has also been home to some more "unconventional" competition. In 2012, it was the home field for the inaugural season of the Philadelphia Spinners, an ultimate frisbee team in the American Ultimate Disc League (AUDL). As the Spinners moved to Major League Ultimate following the 2012 season, they continued to use Franklin Field periodically during the 2014 season. Major League Ultimate even used Franklin Field for the inaugural championship game in 2013, and again for the 2016 finals.

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From commencement to concerts and cinema, Franklin Field has played host to a plethora of special events and historical moments. During the first and second World War, Franklin Field was used as a training location for United States Military units prior to deployment. A portion of the 1936 Democratic National Convention was also held in Franklin Field. On June 27, Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his speech accepting the Democratic nomination for his second presidential term. A crowd of over than 100,000 people filled Franklin Field that evening.

Since 1986, The University of Pennsylvania Commencement Ceremonies have been held in Franklin Field. Over 30 graduating classes have had their degrees conferred inside the historic stadium. Commencement has brought many notable speakers to Franklin Field including Barbara Bush (1990), Ted Koppel (1991), Hillary Rodham Clinton (1993), Tom Brokaw (1996), Jimmy Carter (1998), John McCain (2001), Archbishop Desmon Tutu (2003), Bono (2004), Jodie Foster (2006), Denzel Washington (2011), Joe Biden Jr. (2013), John Legend C'99 (2014), and Andrea Mitchell CW'67 (2018).

A beloved Penn tradition since 1973, Spring Fling features a carnival-like celebration by day and a lively musical performance at night. The concert has originally been held on College Green, with occasional appearances in Franklin Field. However, from 2008 to 2016, the annual Spring Fling concert was hosted consistently in Franklin Field to accommodate more prominent headliners. During this time, featured performances included:
 

	Year 2008	Headliner Ludacris and Gym Class Heroes	Opener OK Go
	2009	Akon	Guster
	2010	Snoop Dogg	Kid Cudi and Shwayze
	2011	Lupe Fiasco	Flo Rida and Ratatat
	2012	Tiësto	Passion Pit
	2013	Tyga	Janelle Monae and Girl Talk
	2014	David Guetta	Magic Man and Ra Ra Riot
	2015	Ke$ha	Kygo
	2016	Chance the Rapper	DJ 3LAU

In addition to Spring Fling, the University of Pennsylvania has hosted several other performances. Verdi's Grand Opera Aida was performed to a crowd of over 30,000 in Franklin Field on June 6, 1916. At the time, this was the first large-scale, open-air opera in America. In 1975 and '76, Drum Corps International held its annual Drum and Bugle Corps World Championships on the field. Finally, Bono stopped by on June 8, 1997 as the popular Irish band U2 hosted the first leg of their Pop Mart Tour in Franklin Field.

Franklin Field's big break came in 2000 as one of the primary film locations for M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable. Part one of the sci-fi trilogy features Bruce Willis' character as a security guard in the stadium. In 2006, Franklin Field was used to portray Veteran's Stadium in Disney's Invincible – the true story (featuring Mark Wahlberg) of former Philadelphia Eagle Vince Papale and his unorthodox journey to the NFL. At the time of production, Veteran's Stadium had already been imploded. Therefore, special effects and CGI transformed were used to transform Franklin Field on screen.

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Over the years, Franklin Field has played host to many historic firsts:

	1895	Penn Relays Penn Football game & National Championship Stadium in the United States with a scoreboard
	1899	Neutral-site Army-Navy football game
	1903	Permanent collegiate horseshoe stadium
	1913	Aluminum baton used in a track meet
	1916	Large-scale, open-air opera performance in America (Verdi's Grand Opera Aida)
	1922	Football radio broadcast (WIP)
	1925	Two-tiered football stadium in the nation Stadium capacity over 78,000 people
	1940	College football telecast (PhilCo)
	1958	Canadian Football League game between two Canadian teams held in the US
	1961	NCAA Outdoor Men's Track & Field Championships to be held on the East Coast Episode of ABC's Wide World of Sports (The Penn Relays)
	1963	Use of instant replay
	1969	NFL stadium to use artificial turf
	2002	ESPN College GameDay broadcast at an FCS school
	2004	Rugby League match between the US and Australia
	2010	Ivy League Women's Lacrosse Tournament

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