Implosions are awesome.

Just ask the thousands of people who crowded into South Philly's streets, and eventually, onto Interstate 76 to watch the implosion of Veterans Stadium at 7:00 AM on March 21, 2004. Some kept their Saturday night parties raging until morning. Others got an early start to their Sundays. Both groups had their drinks to keep them going: beer in paper bags or Wawa coffee in paper cups.

Phillyist was part of the sober set and somehow found a street parking spot on Broad Street near Oregon Ave. The surprising number of onlookers there didn't prepare us for the size of the crowd gathered on the north shoulder of I76. People were packed into every spot with a view including rooftops, bleachers, and to the dismay of the Philadelphia Police, the lanes of the interstate while traffic was still trying to pass through the area. The cops were barely able to clear the highway long enough to let these cars through. Then they just gave up.



After a few moments of giddy anticipation, we heard - and felt - a low rumble. Then... HOLY SHIT.



We bring this up now because this weekend offers another Sunday morning filled with noise and dust. Pennsylvania Hall, located near the intersection of Civic Center Blvd and S. University Ave, is being imploded to make way for an expansion of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. It won't be as impressive as the fall of the Vet, since Pennsylvania Hall is only a four-story building. But we're going to try to make it, and only police barricades or an extremely soft, warm bed will keep us from bringing you the photos.

Images by author via SkyscraperSunset.com. See more photos of the Vet Implosion and surrounding chaos here.