Kezar Stadium

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

In 1920, Jack Spaulding proposed an athletics stadium for San Francisco, seating 50,000. In 1922, the San Francisco Park Commission accepted a $100,000 gift from the estate of Mary Kezar to build a memorial in honor of her mother and uncles. After the City and County of San Francisco appropriated an additional $200,000, ground was broken on June 27, 1924, and the stadium was built in a year. Dedication ceremonies were on May 2, 1925, featuring a two-mile footrace between Ville Ritola and Paavo Nurmi. A little over a month later, the stadium hosted the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The stadium had many uses in the 1930s, including track and field, motorcycle racing, auto racing, rugby, lacrosse, soccer, baseball, boxing, cricket, and football. In 1928, the city high school championship game between San Francisco Polytechnic and Lowell drew more than 50,000. In 1931, a Knights of Columbus game featuring the Savoldi All-Stars was held at Kezar, separate from the East-West Shrine Game which was not played there that year. Stanford University played four of its home football games at Kezar: one in 1928 and three in 1942. Kezar Stadium was the first home of the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders. The Raiders played at Kezar for their first four home games in 1960, and at Candlestick Park during the remainder of their first two seasons. Defensive end Jim Marshall of the Minnesota Vikings had his famous "wrong way run" at Kezar in 1964. After the 1970 NFC Championship Game, the final NFL game at Kezar, 22 people were arrested. The 49ers moved to Candlestick Park for the 1971 season. In 2003 and 2016, the 49ers hosted open practices at Kezar. Kezar Stadium was also the home field of the San Francisco Stingrayz women's professional football team. Months after the 49ers' departure, several scenes from the 1971 film Dirty Harry were filmed at and above the stadium. With the loss of professional football in 1971, the stadium became a popular outdoor concert venue. In June 1989, the stadium was demolished and rebuilt with a much smaller seating capacity of 10,000. A replica of the original concrete arch bearing the name "Kezar Stadium" was built on the west side. A plaque of NFL Hall of Famer Bob St. Clair is built into the replica arch. Kezar Stadium was closed for renovations from September 2014 until March 2015. In December 2016, 4,000 additional hist

In Their Own Story

The 49ers' final game at Kezar Stadium was the 1970 NFC Championship Game on January 3, 1971, where they lost to the Dallas Cowboys 17–10. That game marked the end of an era, as the 49ers moved to the more modern and accessible Candlestick Park for the 1971 season, playing there through 2013. Kezar had been the first home of the 49ers and also hosted the Oakland Raiders for their first four home games in 1960, as well as at Candlestick Park during the remainder of their first two seasons before Frank Youell Field was built in Oakland. The stadium witnessed many NFL Hall of Famers and historical NFL games, including the first 'alley-oop.'

Reader's Guide

Kezar Stadium is located adjacent to Kezar Pavilion in the southeastern corner of Golden Gate Park. It currently seats approximately 10,000. The stadium features an eight-lane, all-weather track and a grass athletic infield suitable for soccer, football, and lacrosse. It is the home of San Francisco City FC of USL League Two and hosts numerous high school football games, including the city championship known as the Turkey Bowl.

Did You Know?

• Kezar Stadium was the original home of both the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders (for their first four home games of the 1960 AFL season only).
• The stadium hosted the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 1925, just over a month after its dedication.
• In 1928, a high school football game between San Francisco Polytechnic and Lowell drew over 50,000 fans.