What Remains of New York's 1964 World's Fair?

The 1964–1965 New York World's Fair was a world's fair that held over 140 pavilions and 110 restaurants, representing 80 nations (hosted by 37), 24 US states, and over 45 corporations with the goal and the final result of building exhibits or attractions at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City.[1][2][3] The immense fair covered 646 acres (2.61 km2) on half the park, with numerous pools or fountains, and an amusement park with rides near the lake. However, the fair did not receive official support or approval from the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE).

Hailing itself as a "universal and international" exposition, the fair's theme was "Peace Through Understanding", dedicated to "Man's Achievement on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe". American companies dominated the exposition as exhibitors. The theme was symbolized by a 12-story-high, stainless-steel model of the Earth called the Unisphere, built on the foundation of the Perisphere from the 1939 World's Fair.[4] The fair ran for two six-month seasons, April 22 – October 18, 1964, and April 21 – October 17, 1965. Admission price for adults (13 and older) was $2.00 in 1964 (equivalent to $17.47 in 2021 after calculating for inflation). Admission in 1965 increased to $2.50 (equivalent to $21.5 in 2021 after calculating for inflation). In both years, children (2–12) admission cost $1.00 (equivalent to $8.74 in 2021 after calculating for inflation).[5]

The fair is noted as a showcase of mid-twentieth-century American culture and technology. The nascent Space Age, with its vista of promise, was well represented. More than 51 million people attended the fair, though fewer than the hoped-for 70 million. It remains a touchstone for many American Baby Boomers who visited the optimistic exposition as children, before the turbulent years of the Vietnam War and many to be forthcoming cultural changes.

In many ways the fair symbolized a grand consumer show, covering many products then-produced in America for transportation, living, and consumer electronic needs in a way that would never be repeated at future world's fairs in North America. American manufacturers of pens, chemicals, computers, and automobiles had a major presence.[2][1] This fair gave many attendees their first interaction with computer equipment. Corporations demonstrated the use of mainframe computers, computer terminals with keyboards and CRT displays, teletype machines, punch cards, and telephone modems in an era when computer equipment was kept in back offices away from the public, decades before the Internet and home computers were at everyone's disposal.

IT’S HISTORY - Weekly tales of American Urban Decay as presented by your host Ryan Socash.

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[heru-deshet]

I went there twice as a kid. The impression it left on me affected me all my life. How I miss those years.

[cgimovieman]

I’m 43, grew up in Michigan, and have lived in Florida for over 24 years, but as a kid I grew up going to my county fair, and in 1987 first when to Disney World and visited Epcot Center. As a result and because of my strong interest in history, I’ve always been fascinated with the 1964 World’s Fair. I can imagine how amazing it must have been. It brought so many exciting concepts to the forefront, and inspired generations. To this day I’m fascinated that the original Carousel of Progress shown at the fair is just a few miles from where I live in Orlando at Disney World. And when I return to Michigan each year to visit family, the old Uniroyal tire is still near the freeway in Detroit. Just this year, I visited Flushing Meadows Park and saw the former ‘64 World’s Fair grounds. It was surreal to see a place like that in person that has connections to so many things in my life today. I wish I could have visited it back when it took place. What a sight it must have been.

[irwinloos]

I was there as a child. I have in and out memories of being there. I was 5/6yrs old at the time. Thanks for the memories 😉

[fishingjimcolon]

I was there several times as a child and have fond memories of the Worlds Fair

[twanohguy]

My father and I went to this fair. It was my first jet ride from Detroit to JFK. We spent 5 days there and saw everything. Great memories.

[MacDaddyRico]

I was five years old in 1964, and remember going to the Fair...
As an adult I collected a variety of artifacts, one subject being this fair...
When I discovered the Queens Museum (of Art)'s plans for renovation of the old skating rink, I called the curator and offered my entire NYWF collection for acquisition...It joins others in their Visible Storage exhibit...

[diane]

I remember the 1964 World's Fair. It was on the news at night. I was a kid back then. I had my 11th birthday of October 1964.

[AC-ihjc]

Back in the 1980s my family took a trip from Long Island, NY to Florida, our first time to the state. One of our destinations was Disney World, and my brother and, I went on the "Carousel of Progress." Ignoring the fact that I was hearing my beloved Jean Shepherd singing "It's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow, " I was completely freaked out by the fact that most of the exhibit looked incredibly familiar. And I mean _really_ familiar.

Then it occurred to me that some of WDW's older exhibits had started out at the 1964-65 New York World's Fair (which my family had also attended about 20 yesrs earlier and I had fallen in love with as a toddler) and were shipped down to Orlando after the Fair shut down.

So there I was, a college senior, remembering things *from when I was 2-3 years old*

What a long, strange trip it had been...

[alexius]

I went to the ‘64 World’s Fair multiple times…damn, I am old!

[RetNemmoc]

The "carousal" of progress? Whoo hoo! The Carousel of Progress got a liquor license.

[malimom]

I loved going to the '64 World's Fair!!!! We lived nearby & went there many, many times. Great memories!

[Christina-gexr]

I remember the beautiful Pieta and Belgian waffles! We were visiting from Ohio and I had my first subway ride.

[Not_Sal]

This gives me so much nostalgia. I grew up going to this park all the time. Flushing-Meadows park is easily one of my favorite parks in the city.

[Mike-zbzz]

Hi Ryan. Thanks for this video. I visited the 1964 Worlds Fair when I was 5 years old. I thought you would like to know that the Pepsi exhibit became “It’s a Small World” at Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando. The Coca-Cola exhibit was a musical carillon and is located in Stone Mountain State Park in Stone Mountain, Georgia. It still plays today.

[JeffFrmJoisey]

The 1964-64 NY Worlds Fair was amazing!! I was 7-1/2 years old on my 1st visit. We got there around 2 PM and stayed until after dark when the Fair took on a whole new ambience all lit up!!! The architecture was amazing for the time, especially in the Industrial area. Some of those interesting multi-colored light posts may still exist (they were still there a few years ago) about 20 minutes from where I live now.

[NealCMH]

I visited the site in 2005. I especially enjoyed the New York City scale model that is housed in the Queens Museum. It was a popular attraction during the fair and has been updated since then to reflect the new buildings.

[twillison]

My home here in illinois was built at the turn of the century with materials salvaged from the Chicago world's fair.

[jamesdugan]

I've enjoyed your channel so much. World Fair's fascinate me. Thanks Ryan for another interesting vlog. P.S. Carousal is pronunced Care-a-sell.

[perfpitch]

At the 1939 World's Fair it was the Trylon and PERISPHERE not "Persiphere." The footage for the 1964 Carousel of Progress (GE Pavillion) was actually from GM's Futurama. There was no mention that both the 1939-40 and 1964-65 fairs were not financially successful, and that Robert Moses was responsible for both of them (and for their financial failure). My favorite exhibit by far was the GE Pavillion. As a 7-year-old at the time I went through it three times. It was the first time I ever saw a moving sidewalk (what we see in airports all the the time).

[edwardhammer]

The Johnson Wax exabit, The Golden Rondelle, was moved to Racine, WI. It's very cool to see and be inside!