Course Highlights — Have fun while you run

Let your mind race back in time as you pass over a century’s worth of historic sites on your way down the longest, straightest, urban street in the world. Here are a few highlights of what you’ll see.

Temple University Hospital — Mile 2.2

(3401 N. Broad Street)

Established in 1892 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University Hospital has grown from a 20-bed facility to a hospital of national and international reputation. Today, Temple University Hospital cares for more than 175,000 patients annually and has one of the busiest emergency departments in the region.

Temple University — Mile 3.5

(Broad and W. Norris streets)

Founded in 1884 with the mission to provide tuition-free higher education to the working class of Philadelphia, Temple University has grown to be the 28th-largest university in the United States and sixth-largest provider of professional education in the country, as well as known for its diverse student population and alumni and programs in law, education, media, business, and health sciences. Go Owls!

The Uptown Theater — Mile 3.54

(2040 N. Broad Street)

From when it was built in 1928 until 1978, The Uptown hosted big-name R&B and Motown acts, like James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Otis Reading, and The Isley Brothers. Though it sat empty for many years, The Uptown is now being restored and will once again be a live-performance venue.

The Freedom Theatre/Edwin Forrest Mansion — Mile 4.3

(1346 N. Broad Street)

The Freedom Theatre, Pennsylvania’s oldest African-American theater, was built as a residence for Edwin Forrest — best known as the first American-born actor — in 1855.

The Legendary Blue Horizon — Mile 4.34

(1314 N. Broad Street)

In a building that dates back to 1865, boxing first came to The Blue Horizon in 1961. Home to 36 World Champion boxers, including Curtis Barker, Imamu Mayfield, Ivan Robinson, and Yusef Mack, the Blue Horizon has been named by Ring magazine the #1 boxing venue in the world.

Metropolitan Opera House — Mile 4.6

(858 N. Broad Street)

Built by Oscar Hammerstein Sr. in 1908, the Metropolitan Opera House was the 11th (and arguably, the grandest) of the 13 opera houses he built worldwide. In 1928, the building was converted to a movie house, then later (and is today) to a church.

The Divine Lorraine Hotel — Mile 4.8

(699 N. Broad Street @ Fairmount)

At the epicenter of social life in Philadelphia, The Divine Lorrain (circa 1890) was the most popular residential location for the nouveau-riche in Philadelphia. Today, plans are underway to restore and renovate this historic landmark into luxury apartments.

Rodeph Shalom Synagogue — Mile 4.9

(615 N. Broad Street @ Mt. Vernon)

Inspired by the great synagogue of Florence, Italy, the Rodeph Shalom Synagogue was built in 1928. Its congregation was founded in 1795 in Philadelphia and is the first and oldest Central European congregation in continual existence in the Western Hemisphere.

Philadelphia Inquirer-Daily News — Mile 5.3

(400 N. Broad Street)

Home to the third oldest surviving daily newspaper in the United States, the 18-story Philadelphia Inquirer-Daily News building was built in 1925, and was completely self-sufficient with offices, printing presses, and two floors of luxurios living quarters for the paper’s owner, Col. James Elverson, Jr., and his wife.

The Packard Building — Mile 5.37

(317 N. Broad Street)

This dramatic building once stood at the heart of Broad Street’s “Automobile Row.” Built in 1924, The Packard Building served as both the showroom and assembly plant for The Packard Motorcar. In 1940, it became a newspaper publishing plant and in 1985 was renovated into luxury apartments.

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts — Mile 5.63

(118 N. Broad Street)

It’s only fitting that a building as beautiful as the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts would have been home to so many of our nation’s best artists. Founded in 1805 and built 1876, teachers and alumni of this legendary school include Thomas Eakins, Mary Cassatt, Henry Ossawa Tanner, and Robert Henri.

Masonic Temple Grand Lodge — Mile 5.73

(1 N. Broad Street)

As you pass by the Masonic Temple’s Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania — considered one of the great wonders of the Masonic world and one of the most magnificent buildings in the city — it’s hard not to wonder who exactly the Masons were. A simple union of builders, a fraternal organization dedicated to helping their communities, or a secret society of our founding fathers?

City Hall — Mile 5.89

(Broad and Market streets)

He’s your biggest fan… quite literally. At 548 feet, William Penn is the tallest statue on any building in the world! And since 1871, he’s kept a watchful eye over our city from his perch at the top of the nation’s largest municipal building (it’s even bigger than the U.S. capitol).

The Union League — Mile 6.13

(140 S. Broad Street)

This 250,000-square-foot brownstone has its roots deep in the character of our country. Built at the height of the Civil War, The Union League was founded as a patriotic society to support the policies of President Abraham Lincoln and still thrives today. With 3,000 members, it is the oldest private club of its kind.

The Bellevue — Mile 6.18

(Broad and Walnut streets)

Since it opened in 1902, The Bellevue has been Philadelphia’s preeminent hotel, hosting kings, queens, celebrities, heads of state, and several of the nation’s premiere society galas.

Academy of Music — Mile 6.26

(Broad and Locust streets)

Let the infamous bronze gas lanterns outside the Academy of Music light your way down South Broad. Built in 1857, The Academy is the oldest known continuously operating opera house in the United States.

The Ridgeway Library (High School of the Creative and Performing Arts) — Mile 6.81

(901 S. Broad Street)

This magnificent building started as a branch of the Library Company of Philadelphia in 1878. By 1960, it operated as a branch of the Philadelphia Free Library and, after about a decade of abandonment, in 1997 it became home to the High School of Creative and Performing Arts — Go Pegasus!

South Philadelphia Sports Complex and Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) Park — Mile 9.1

(Broad Street and Pattison Avenue)

The intersection of Broad and Pattison is home to both FDR Park (to your right) and the South Philadelphia Sports Complex (to your left). The 348-acre FDR Park includes a 146-acre golf course, about 125 acres of buildings and managed landscapes, and about 77 acres of natural land, including ponds and lagoons. Just on the other side of Broad Street is the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, home to Philadelphia's sports teams and the site of the Wachovia Center, the Wachovia Spectrum, Lincoln Financial Field, and Citizens Bank Park. The sports complex was also home to now-gone John F. Kennedy Stadium and Veterans Stadium.

The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard — Mile 9.52

(League Island)

Sitting at the confluence of the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, League Island became the first U.S. naval station and shipyard in 1801. In 1995, the station closed and the site became a commercial shipyard. Today, The Navy Yard is undergoing an enormous revitalization project. It is home to more than 70 businesses, including Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, Barthco International, Rotem, Urban Outfitters, VITETTA, Tastykake Tasty Baking Co. (in 2009), and the U.S. Navy.