In the 1950s, Philadelphia was a busy city of skyscrapers, suffering sports teams, and booming growth. Independence Mall was recognized as a National Historic Park, the city’s population peaked at more than 2 million residents, and both the Phillies and the Athletics dragged their fans through losing seasons, sharing Shibe Park for the first half of the decade, and calling their home Connie Mack Park after the legendary “Old Man of Baseball” passed away.

Check out this incredible footage of the ’50s in Philadelphia for a real throwback to college football at Franklin Field and a time when the Ben Franklin Parkway wasn’t jammed with traffic at all hours of the day.

What’s your favorite memory of Philadelphia from way back when? If you’re anything like me, it might be visiting the oldest candy store in the country, Shane Confectionary. Visiting the candy store, and the adjacent Franklin Fountain, will make you feel like a kid again, and bring you back in time to a vintage soda fountain and penny candy days.

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