New York World's Fair 1964-1965

The 300 exhibiting companies and 66 nations at the Fair are joined by religious exhibits of many faiths in this kaleidoscopic exposition of man’s material accomplishments. His future aspirations and his spiritual yearnings. The Fair is colorful and chaotic. It has areas of rare beauty in architectural design and an equal portion of garish.

Notable is the repeated use of circular theater designs. Fair exhibitors are learning fast that their guests have come to be entertained or, at least, bemused. They also want action and they get it in the innumerable exhibit “rides” which are Robert Moses’ answer to Coney Island. The president of the Fair corporation has rare courage. His show is doing without fan-dancers and has practically exiled the paid amusement area. Instead, visitors are looking into the Futurama at General Motors, at the dinosaurs in Ford convertibles and at Michelangelo’s Pieta in the Vatican pavilion.

Highlight of the General Motors Exhibit, the Futurama Ride permits visitors to see, hear and feel the world as it may be known in the future, a lunar outpost, a permanent community in once-lifeless Antarctica, a vacation playground amid the strange beauty of the ocean floor.

Contents of this video:

00:00 - Intro (History, the 1939-40 Fair)
00:45 - Robert Moses (audio interview)
01:56 - Groundbreaking Ceremony (with Robert Moses and John F Kennedy)
03:01 - Aerodynamic Tests (The Unisphere)
04:20 - Construction of the Pavilions and the Unisphere
16:38 - The Port of New York New Jersey Exhibit Building First Official Landing
17:07 - Construction of the Pavilions
19:45 - People Arriving Collage
21:52 - Sinclair Gas Station
22:15 - Entrance and Fair Footage
26:11 - World of Chemistry
26:33 - It's a Small World
27:03 - Johnson's Wax
27:18 - General Electric
28:02 - US Pavilion
28:27 - Hall of Science
28:58 - IBM
30:32 - Bell System
32:34 - Kodak
33:32 - New York State
35:00 - New York City Exhibit
35:15 - Jaycopter Ride
35:39 - Monorail
36:21 - Flume Ride
37:14 - Spain
38:06 - Indonesia
39:03 - The Vatican Pavilion
39:55 - Japan
40:48 - Africa
42:04 - Amphicar and Montana
43:22 - Parking of Children
43:53 - Ford
45:05 - General Motors
50:17 - Avis
50:55 - Belgian Village
52:22 - Swiss Sky Ride
53:17 - Fountains Night and Day
1:05:43 Shaefer Center
1:07:25 Mexico
1:08:00 Hats
1:08:30 Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs
1:10:10 Post Cards
1:11:26 Sinclair Dinoland
1:15:39 Space Park
1:16:11 Santa Maria
1:16:34 Swiss Sky Ride
1:18:18 Better Living & Formica's World's Fair House
1:24:44 - Sinclair Gas Station & Service Facilities
1:26:59 - World's Fair Marina

[marthaperdew]

I went to the New York Worlds Fair, many times, i loved it !!

[nathanieldavis]

Quite possibly the best day of my life was at the Fair in 64. I was an 8 year old from Queens so the was in our backyard. Attended several times but this one time we stayed until nightfall and saw the fireworks after Disney's Small World. My grandmother's friend had a grandson and this kid kept me laughing so hard I cried tears of hysterical laughter. Went home put ice cream and 7 up in my Grandmother's new blender. Can it be better?

[maureen]

Thank you so much. You gave clarity to vague pictures in my mind; it was a tumultuous period in my life. My favorite President at the groundbreaking; unbelievable that I knew of this only today, April 6, 2022, another tumultuous period in the world. I was 6 years old Summer of 64, clueless. It was a beautiful day, sunny, not too hot in NYC. I had a great time with Ma. But 1964 ended in tragedy, my Dad died at 38 years old, almost to the day of Kennedy's death. This is a bittersweet film. Thank you, again. ✌️🇺🇸☘️

[The_Old_Wolf]

If I had a time machine, this would be one of the first places I would revisit. It was an amazing experience.

[Loulovesspeed]

My Mom and I visited 3 times in 1964 and saw the new Mustang displayed on a rotating turntable with floodlights at night. As a 15 year old, I remember the fair quite well! Had my first of many soft pretzels here!

[beanotraffini]

I was there as an 11-year old boy; I remember hearing them playing "Dancing In The Streets" by Martha (Reeves) and The Vandellas as I walked through the exhibits- A very magical memory...
They should have left it all where it was built: It was the best thing that ever came out of Queens (other than the Ramones, that is...😎)

[rbm]

I was 4 years old and got seperated from my family at the fair. I remember a nice couple helped me out and I hooked up with my family at the customer service area a short time later. All of these years later, I remember the smells and aromas of the food at the fair. My most vivid memory is the monorail station. Oh the days.

[alphonsocarioti]

I was 4 and 5 years old at the time but we visited the fair 7 times. I remember it pretty well. We lived in Brooklyn so it was convenient enough. Six years later, I returned to Flushing Meadows Park with a school trip. A beautiful experience.

[NHSUKFan]

The 64 worlds fair is quite possibly the best worlds fair I’ve ever seen it looks amazing from the photos, and Robert Moses was very intelligent at building this stuff in queens.

[williamlove]

The Unisphere was an engineering marvel. I’m glad that it’s still there.

[thomasalton]

I attended 'both' years of the Fair as a six-seven year old kid. I would stay at my maternal grandparents in Greenwich and then my entire family would spend a day at the Fair. To this impressionable kid, the Fair was quite a show. I remember the pavilions such as those of GE, GM, Pepsi-Cola with its 'It's a Small World' boat ride, Vatican City with its Pièta statue, the AMF Monorail, and the New York State Pavilion. Following lunch at the Schaefer Center, it was off for a catnap at a sleeping alcove at Simmon's pavilion. This is a wonderful survey of that Fair!

[pfmmodule]

I remember the IBM exhibit. A computer in every home, like that will ever happen.

[bryanswilik]

I visited this fair with my mother, father, and older brother. I was 11 or 12 years of age. It was s magical experience to me, we visited at night on a week day and surprisingly it wasn't that crowded! I could not understand, when my parents tried to explain to me that most of the structures were temporary . To me everything seemed as if it were there for a long time.

[apsetiadi]

Thank you for uploading the footage. My grandparents visited the Fair all the way from Indonesia. I also loved the music, illustrating the 1960s zeitgeist with Bernstein/Copland-ish vibe.

[gmpny]

Thank you for sharing this wonderful piece of history. I went there several times in 64 and 65. It was a magical time being at the WF. A bygone era that I wish I can relive.

[P.Galore]

I attended this fair as achild with my Greandmother. I remember the Ford, GM and Vatican (Pieta) exhibits very clearly. The fairgrounds were enormous and we got tired often in the summer heat. I enjoyed it immensely. My favorite was the Unisphere with music coordinated dancing fountains. It's a shame more of the exhibit was not preserved or better taken care of now.

[geralderdek]

My favorite memory was sitting behind the wheel of a shiny 64 Ford convertible as a 8 year old with my younger brother in the passenger side and my mom and dad in the back seat at it glided along through the Ford motor co. Pavillion. Unforgettable!!!😂😊

[SophieBird]

I was about 12 yrs when we went to this Worlds Fair. I remember finding out that “someday” we would be able to make a phone call and actually see the person we were talking to! My younger sister and I were horrified at the idea of answering the phone in our pajamas!

[cannon]

I was 9 & 10 years old, lived in Flushing, a mere 3 miles away. I went with my parents many, many times.
My father spoke of the 1939-1940 worlds fair very highly. I used to take my bike there by my self.
I absolutely loved the strawberry waffles with whip cream.
In the day time it was fantastic, but at night it was magical. The sights, the sounds and the smells, oh Lord you were in heaven.
I could not believe when it was over most of the buildings were torn down.

[richierugs]

i went many times and fully expect to see myself in this one!