1930's Municipal Auditorium + Conventional Hall Postcard Philadelphia PAc1930 Arena + auditorium in Philadelphia PA postcard. Originally known as the Municipal Auditorium, the Convention Hall hosted many events, including the 1936 and 1948 Democratic National Conventions, and the 1940 and 1948 Republican National Conventions. Thus the building became known as Convention Hall. Pope John Paul II, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela all spoke there, and The Beatles and the Philadelphia Mummers both performed there. The