White Stadium, located in the Playstead section of Franklin Park, seats 10,000 people and is run and used by Boston Public School athletics for sporting events, primarily track and football. Friday night football games have become a popular outing for nearby residents and players’ families throughout the fall. To reach the BPS Athletic Department, housed at the Stadium, call 617-635-8143. To rent the Stadium for an event, contact BPS facilities at 617-635-9162. The stadium is open for public use from 7am-4pm on Monday through Thursday.
In the summer there is a White Stadium Sports Camp that is free for children ages 7-14. For more information, call the Boston Centers for Youth & Families at (617) 635-4920 x2218. (This number may change, call the Mayor’s Hotline at (617) 635-4500 for updated contact information.)
White Stadium, formally known as George Robert White Schoolboy Stadium, was erected in 1945 and cost $2m to build. The first game was played in 1949 between Roxbury Memorial and Boston Latin School in a packed stadium of 10,000 fans.
In the 1960s and 70s, White Stadium was the site of Black Panther rallies and big concerts. Produced as “Uptown in the Park” by the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts, a 1974 soul concert included Sly and the Family Stone, the Tower of Power, and the Hues Corporation (“Don’t Rock the Boat”), along with comedian Richard Pryor and jazz artist Donald Byrd with his group the Blackbyrds. Tickets were $5.50.
