God Bless the Spectrum: America’s Showplace in Philadelphia: 1967-2009

“Looking through the the pages of this amazing book brings back a flood of emotions and personal memories of a wonderful place,” begins the introduction of this full-color celebration of a storied arena that has hosted moments in history as well as cherished once-in-a-lifetime events in entertainment and sports.

When it opened in 1967, the Spectrum was Philadelphia’s first modern arena. Built as the home for the Flyers NHL expansion franchise, and the new home court of the 76ers, the building quickly became a hot spot for college hoops, tractor pulls, boxing and wrestling matches and, over the next four decades, more than 2300 concerts — earning it the moniker “The House That Rock Built.”

Relive the history of this amazing venue through stories by Daily News reporters — and more than 200 rarely seen photographs. It’s all here in this must-have book.