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  1. The World's Fair Community

    1. Announcements

      Find out what's new at The World's Fair Community.

      1,073
      posts

    2. Introductions

      New to the World's Fair Community? Long-time reader but never posted? Take a moment and say hello!

      976
      posts

    3. Suggestion Box

      Submit ideas for The World's Fair Community here.

      813
      posts

    4. Affiliated Websites

      2,486
      posts

  2. The Great Fairs

    1. 1851, London, England - The Great Exhibition

      The Great Exhibition was held in Hyde Park, London, England from May 1 to October 11, 1851 and is considered the first world's fair. It took place in the Crystal Palace designed by Joseph Paxton.

      72
      posts

    2. 1889, Paris, France - Universal Exposition of 1889

      The Exposition Universelle de 1889 was a World's Fair held in Paris, France from May 6, to October 31, 1889. Remembered most for the Eiffel Tower.

      64
      posts

    3. 1893, Chicago, United States - World's Columbian Exposition

      The World's Columbian Exposition was held in Chicago, Illinois, United States from May 1 to October 31, 1893. It celebrated the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' discovery of the New World.

      204
      posts

    4. 1904, Saint Louis, United States - Louisiana Purchase Exposition

      The Louisiana Purchase Exposition was held in the St. Louis, Missouri, United States from May 1 to October 31, 1904. The Fair celebrated the centennial of the Louisiana Purchase.

      117
      posts

    5. 1915, San Francisco, United States - Panama-Pacific International Exposition

      Staged to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal, and drawing over 19 million visitors in only nine months, the Pan-Pacific International Expo rose like a literal jewel from the ashes of San Francisco's 1906 Earthquake and Fire.

      136
      posts

    6. 1933-34, Chicago, United States - A Century of Progress International Exposition

      A Century of Progress International Exposition was held in Chicago, Illinois from 1933 to 1934 to celebrate the city's centennial. The theme of the fair was technological innovation. Its motto was "Science Finds, Industry Applies, Man Conforms".

      584
      posts

    7. 1939-40, New York, United States - The 1939-40 New York World's Fair

      The 1939-40 New York World's Fair, located on the current site of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, was one of the largest world's fairs of all time. The fair ran for two seasons and over 44 million people attended.

      8,525
      posts

    8. 1939-40, San Francisco, United States - Golden Gate International Exposition

      The Golden Gate International Exposition was held in San Francisco, California to celebrate the opening of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge. The exposition's first season ran from February 18, 1939 through October 29, 1939 and its second season was from May 25, 1940 through September 29, 1940.

      300
      posts

    9. 1958, Brussels, Belgium - Expo '58

      Expo 58 was held in Brussels, Belgium from April 17 to October 19. It was the first major World's Fair after World War II.

      213
      posts

    10. 1964-65, New York, United States - The 1964/1965 New York World's Fair

      The 1964/1965 New York World’s Fair, located on the current site of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. The fair ran for two seasons and took place without sanctioning from the Bureau of International Expositions.

      68,864
      posts

    11. 1967, Montreal, Canada - Expo 67

      Expo 67 was held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It was considered to be the most successful World's Fair of the 20th century, with over 50 million visitors and 62 nations participating.

      3,427
      posts

    12. 1970, Osaka, Japan - Expo '70

      Expo '70 was held in Osaka, Japan from March 15 and September 13, 1970. This was the first World's Fair held in Japan, 77 countries participated and over 64 million visitors attended.

      196
      posts

    13. 2010, Shanghai, China - Expo 2010

      World Expo Shanghai 2010 will be held in Shanghai, China from May 1 to October 31. Its theme is "Better City, Better Life."

      381
      posts

  3. World's Fairs & Expositions

    1. 1840 to 1859

      89
      posts

    2. 1860 to 1879

      49
      posts

    3. 1880 to 1899

      37
      posts

    4. 1900 to 1919

      177
      posts

    5. 1920 to 1939

      348
      posts

    6. 1940 to 1959

      8
      posts

    7. 1960 to 1979

      1,093
      posts

    8. 1980 to 1999

      789
      posts

    9. 2000 to 2019

      314
      posts

    10. 2020 to 2039

      • No posts here yet

    11. World's Fair Bids

      41
      posts

  4. Something for Everyone

    1. Fairs That Never Were

      Many fairs have been proposed over the years. Projects start with great fanfare and then fade away. These are their stories.

      150
      posts

    2. Events

      Do you have a free world's fair related event you'd like to publicize? A picnic or get together? Post your event here.

      2,678
      posts

    3. Community Chat

      General discussion, something for everyone.

      16,607
      posts

    4. Festival of Laughing Gas

      It's a cavalcade of comedy! A parade of parody, delightful deadpan and silly slapstick. Something funny for everyone.

      3,565
      posts

  5. Commerce Zone

    1. The Souvenir Shop

      Have a Fair collectible you would like to sell? Are you trying to find a buyer for a one-of-a-kind item? Do you buy and sell world's fair memorabilia? The Souvenir Shop is the place for you.

      1,507
      posts

    2. Commercial Events

      Want to promote a world's fair related commercial event? Are you having a collectibles show? Is there an admission fee? Commercial Events is the place for you.

      310
      posts

  • Posts

    • Ragaje
      Why are you interested in the 1964-1965 World's Fair?

      By Ragaje · Posted

      I visited the fair in 1965 when I was six years old. Some of my most vivid earliest memories are of the fair, I distinctly remember IBM, Bell Tel, GM, US, GE, and of course Small World and eating at some restaurant in the Belgian Village. These pictures are pretty much burned into my brain as one of the most amazing places and times I've experienced. So I come here, like so many of us, to re-visit my past.
    • xl5er
      Why are you interested in the 1964-1965 World's Fair?

      By xl5er · Posted

      The fair was the single most formative experience in my life. Dad worked adjacent on the river in Flushing and would be aware of any new aspect of construction and take me for a drive around the highways that bisected and encircled. Week by week the steel girders formed unreal shapes.  Then the finished pavilions were lit and we started taking rides at night. Dad had been to the 1939 fair and wanted to make sure I fully experienced this one. Even the lamposts in that place were otherworldly! Don’t get me started on the monorail!!  For a solid two years I was a kid waking up Christmas Morning. You know those geese that follow ultralights, or any animal that has a substitute parent imprinted on them during an impressionable phase in their development? Well, the fair had that kind of impact on me. What was the question? Oh yeah.  It would take me a long time to explain my interest and then I am sure I could not express my feelings adequately. I feel like I’m grasping a handful of water; the tighter I squeeze the more it leaks away. Like a quasar, the fair pulsates as one of those childhood memories shining just at the limits of comprehension and recollection. I joined PTU probably to learn more about Futurama specifically, but other members shared experiences awakened memories long forgotten.  Born in 1957, I was lucky enough to catch the tail end of Freedomland too.  So my interest is pure nostalgia for a happy period in my life when I became aware that people were devoting their lives to this thing called The Future. I won’t be authoring historical examinations on Moses or pursuing budget breakdowns, but if any hint of the fair is dangled before me I will happily waddle and flap my wings in pursuit. 
    • xl5er
      Does This Remind Anyone of Something That Was At The Fair?

      By xl5er · Posted

      Wayne, thanks for posting that Life magazine link. I’m moving, and digging through ancient strata of belongings including magazines. I’ve always enjoyed old ads but was struck this time through by the ubiquity of reel to reel home tape machines. I believe it was a 1969 mag. Not only were there numerous ads for the players but they even appeared prominently in the cartoons. No 1969 home was complete apparently without the twin circles of a reel to reel sketched in background. 
    • xl5er
      Looking back one last time?

      By xl5er · Posted

      I remember feeling a combination of sadness and puzzlement. At 8 yrs old I could not understand why they had to take all those spectacular space age buildings down. They looked right out of the sci fi tv and movies I was watching. Close the Fair, sure, but destroy everything? Seemed almost spiteful.  What might’ve added insult to injury was leaving the sweeping entranceway intact. You could still take the train and get off at the elevated prospect and your eye follow the plaza ramps pictured down and delivering you to... nothing. 
    • Bill Cotter
      Two NYWF icons in one shot!

      By Bill Cotter · Posted

      The famous Serpentine Phone Booths and a NYWF trash can. Taken from a contact sheet.

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