The 1964 New York World's Fair (also known as the 1964–1965 New York World's Fair) was an

international exposition A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition, is a large global exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specific site for a perio ...

Flushing Meadows–Corona Park Flushing Meadows–Corona Park (often referred to as Flushing Meadows Park or simply Flushing Meadows or Corona Park) is a public park in the northern part of Queens in New York City, New York, U.S. It is bounded by Interstate 678 (New York), ...

Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

, New York City, United States. The fair included exhibitions, activities, performances, films, art, and food presented by 80 nations, 24

U.S. states In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

, and nearly 350 American companies. The five sections of the fairground were the Federal and State, International, Transportation, Lake Amusement, and Industrial areas. The fair's theme was "Peace through Understanding", and its symbol was the

Unisphere The Unisphere is a spherical stainless steel Globe, representation of the Earth at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City, New York. The globe was designed by Gilmore D. Clarke for the 1964 New York World's Fair. Commissione ...

, a stainless-steel model of Earth. Initially, the fair had 139 pavilions, and 34 concessions and shows. The site had previously hosted the

1939 New York World's Fair The 1939 New York World's Fair (also known as the 1939–1940 New York World's Fair) was an world's fair, international exposition at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City, New York, United States. The fair included exhibitio ...

. In the 1950s, several businessmen devised plans for a similar event in 1964, and the New York World's Fair 1964 Corporation (WFC) was formed in 1959. Although U.S. president

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...

approved the fair, the Bureau International des Expositions refused to grant it formal recognition. Construction began in late 1960, and over 100 exhibitors signed up for the fair over the next three years. The fair ran for two six-month seasons from April 22 to October 18, 1964, and from April 21 to October 17, 1965. Despite initial projections of 70 million visitors, just over 51.6 million attended. After the fair closed, some pavilions were preserved or relocated, but most of the structures were demolished. The fair showcased mid-20th-century American culture and technology. The sections were designed in various architectural styles. Anyone could host an exhibit if they could afford to rent the land and pay for a pavilion. There were several amusement and transport rides, various plazas and fountains, and at its peak, 198 restaurants that served dishes such as

Belgian waffle In English-speaking world, English-speaking countries, Belgian waffles are a variety of waffle with a lighter batter, larger squares, and deeper pockets than North American waffles. Belgian waffles were originally leavened with Baker's yeast, yea ...

s, some of which were popularized by the fair. There were more than 30 entertainment events, 40 theaters, and various music performances. Exhibitors displayed sculptures, visual art and artifacts, and consumer products such as electronics and cars. The contemporaneous press criticized the event as a financial failure, although it influenced 21st-century technologies, and popularized consumer products such as the

Ford Mustang The Ford Mustang is a series of American Car, automobiles manufactured by Ford Motor Company, Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its Ford Mustang (seventh ...

Development

Before European settlement of the area, the site of the 1964 World's Fair,

, New York City, was a natural wetland straddling the Flushing River. In the early 20th century, the site was occupied by the Corona Ash Dumps, before it was selected as the site of the 1939–1940 World's Fair. The theme of the 1939–1940 was "the world of tomorrow"; the event was unprofitable, recouping only 32% of its original cost. After the 1939 fair, the site was used as a park, but fell into disrepair due to a lack of funds. The development of the 1964 fair coincided with social upheavals of the early 1960s, including the civil rights movement, Vietnam War protests, and the aftermath of U.S. President John F. Kennedy's assassination.

Planning

World's Fair Corporation

The idea for the 1964 fair was conceived by a group of businessmen.; Among them was Robert Kopple, a lawyer who first discussed the idea at a family dinner in 1958 before suggesting it at a meeting of the Mutual Admiration Society the following year. The year 1964 was nominally selected to coincide with the 300th anniversary of the British conquest of the Dutch colony of

New Netherland New Netherland () was a colony of the Dutch Republic located on the East Coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territories extended from the Delmarva Peninsula to Cape Cod. Settlements were established in what became the states ...

. Kopple and two friends, Charles Preusse and Thomas J. Deegan, met with 35 potential financiers at the 21 Club restaurant.; New York City mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr. and parks commissioner

Robert Moses Robert Moses (December 18, 1888 – July 29, 1981) was an American urban planner and public official who worked in the New York metropolitan area during the early to mid-20th century. Moses is regarded as one of the most powerful and influentia ...

formally endorsed the proposal in August 1959, and 75 businessmen formed the New York World's Fair 1964 Corporation (WFC) that month. Moses, who saw a 1964 fair as a means to develop the Flushing Meadows site, offered to let the WFC use Flushing Meadows for a nominal fee. The fairground would include the 1939 World's Fair site and a part of the nearby Kissena Corridor Park. The bid required approval from the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

and the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the French organization that was in charge of approving world's fairs.

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

and

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, were submitting competing bids,; so in October 1959, U.S. president

appointed a committee to review the 1964 world's fair bids,; and he approved the New York bid later that month.; By late 1959, 75 nations had informally indicated an intention to attend the fair, and the WFC began looking for a president and three additional managers in early 1960. Moses was tentatively selected as the WFC's president that March,; despite Kopple's objections that Moses was too old. In turn, Moses would not take the job unless Kopple resigned, as the two men had disagreed bitterly over the canceled Mid-Manhattan Elevated Expressway.; After Kopple quit the WFC,; Moses formally became the WFC's president that May. Moses wanted the fair to run for two years,; and consultants for the WFC predicted the fair would have 70 million visitors during that time. Moses traveled to Paris to ask for the BIE's recognition of the fair. The BIE allowed the WFC to begin planning the fair in November 1959, but its officials decided to not formally recognize the fair.; Under BIE rules, world's fairs could run for only one six-month period, though the WFC had tried to request an exemption. The New York fair would also charge rent to foreign governments, contravening another BIE rule that prevented rent from being charged to exhibitors. In addition, the BIE allowed only one exposition per country every ten years. These rules were not immutable; for example, the BIE had recognized the 1939 fair, even though the previous exposition had run for two seasons. Moses refused to negotiate with BIE officials and treated them derisively, belittling the BIE as a "bunch of clowns in Paris". Due to Moses' behavior, the BIE instead decided to approve the 1962 Seattle World's Fair, and directed its members to not host official exhibits at the 1964 New York World's Fair.

Financing and initial exhibitors

The WFC planned to issue $500 million in bonds, a figure that was later decreased to $150 million.; Moses said the 1964 fair would be a "billion-dollar" event, though this included expenses for related projects such as roads and the nearby

Shea Stadium William A. Shea Municipal Stadium ( ), typically shortened to Shea Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City.; The WFC leased about from the city government in May 1960.; Moses hired the former lieutenant governor Charles Poletti and the military engineer William Everett Potter to organize the exhibits. A design committee proposed a massive, doughnut-shaped pavilion; Moses rejected the plan and the design committee was forced out by the end of 1959. Moses did not devise a master plan for the fair; he wanted to save the WFC money by having exhibitors erect most of their own pavilions, The city government implemented a

building code A building code (also building control or building regulations) is a set of rules that specify the standards for construction objects such as buildings and non-building structures. Buildings must conform to the code to obtain planning permis ...

and health code, which Potter enforced. Nearly all of the buildings were to be temporary structures. The 1964 fair was to be themed "peace through understanding". WFC member Jerome Weinstein suggested the motto, which was inspired by an ideal Kopple had wanted for his daughters. According to Moses, the fair was intended "to assist in educating the peoples of the world as to the interdependence of nations and the need for universal lasting peace". Exhibits were to be divided into five areas, including a transportation area the Port of New York Authority would operate. The original plans called for an amusement park area, which was canceled after the WFC failed to find an operator. By August 1960, the first ten exhibitors had applied for space at the fair, and architectural blueprints for the fair's first pavilion had been submitted. The WFC began sending delegations abroad to invite foreign governments to the fair. In late 1960, the group began issuing $67.5 million in

promissory note A promissory note, sometimes referred to as a note payable, is a legal instrument (more particularly, a financing instrument and a debt instrument), in which one party (the ''maker'' or ''issuer'') promises in writing to pay a determinate sum of ...

s to fund construction; the WFC later reduced the amount to $64 million, consisting of $40 million in notes plus $24 million from the city.; The WFC's finance chairman predicted the fair would earn over $200 million. By the end of 1960, seven countries had agreed to sponsor exhibits. and one-third of the industrial pavilion sites had been leased. Early in 1961, Moses announced the

would be built as the fair's symbol,; and the WFC also hired the detective agency Pinkerton to provide security and first-aid services. A report published that January said the fair itself would cost $768 million, although individual exhibitors would pay much of the cost.

Construction

Exhibitors designed their own pavilions and construction contractors hired members of local labor unions to build the structures. Wagner predicted 10,000 people would be employed during construction. The WFC hosted "preview days" where selected guests could view the construction.

The Travelers Companies The Travelers Companies, Inc., commonly known as Travelers, is an American multinational insurance company. It is the second-largest writer of U.S. commercial property casualty insurance, and the sixth-largest writer of U.S. personal insurance t ...

built information centers across the U.S. to promote the fair, and local chapters of the

Elks The Embeddable Linux Kernel Subset (ELKS), formerly known as Linux-8086, is a Linux-like operating system kernel. It is a subset of the Linux kernel, intended for 16-bit computers with limited processor and memory resources such as machines pow ...

Kiwanis Kiwanis International ( ) is an international service club founded in 1915 in Detroit, Michigan. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, and is found in more than 80 nations and geographic areas. In 1987, the organization ...

, and Rotary clubs promoted the fair nationwide. The WFC issued collectible medallions in bronze and silver that were manufactured by Medallic Art Company. Commemorative postage stamps were issued to celebrate the fair, both inside and outside the U.S. Some New York license plates also bore slogans advertising the fair. Several hotels were built nearby to accommodate fair visitors,; and public transit and roads linking the venue were also upgraded. The WFC opened an information office to answer visitors' questions. Private businesses promoted their products for the fair, and discounted tickets were sold in advance of the opening.

1961 and 1962

William Whipple Jr., the fair's chief engineer, said in September 1960 exhibitors would be able to begin erecting pavilions by 1962. Construction of the first building, an administration structure, began in August 1960 and was finished in January 1961. In early 1961, almost all of Flushing Meadows–Corona Park was closed to allow the fair's construction, and the

Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road , or LIRR, is a Rail transport, railroad in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County on Long Islan ...

's (LIRR) World's Fair station opened. Workers moved trees and diverted parts of the Flushing River into tunnels. By April 1961, thirty-four countries had accepted invitations to the fair, and the city agreed to spend $24 million improving the park. Moses secretly obtained additional funds from the city government; according to Moses's biographer

Robert Caro Robert Allan Caro (born October 30, 1935) is an American journalist and author known for his biographies of United States political figures Robert Moses and Lyndon Johnson. After working for many years as a reporter, Caro wrote '' The Power Bro ...

, the city government may have spent as much as $60 million on the fair. In May, the WFC announced it would proceed with the planned amusement area around Meadow Lake, hiring the billionaire H. L. Hunt to operate the rides.; By mid-1961, the WFC had privately raised $25 million and was predicting a $53 million profit. The groundbreaking ceremony for the first pavilion took place that June. The WFC had difficulty selling the remaining bonds; it had sold around $30 million in promissory notes—three quarters of the total—by the end of 1961. During the fair's construction, civil-rights activists expressed concerns the WFC's leadership included very few African Americans. Moses met with activists but he still did not appoint African Americans to leadership positions, which attracted controversy amid the ongoing civil rights movement. The WFC hired an African American executive to the fair's international division in 1962. Later that year, New York governor

Nelson Rockefeller Nelson Aldrich "Rocky" Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979) was the 41st vice president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford. He was also the 49th governor of New York, serving from 1959 to 197 ...

formed a committee to investigate persistent complaints about discrimination within the WFC. By the beginning of 1962, more than 60 nations, the governments of 30 U.S. states, and 50 companies had agreed to exhibit at the fair. The WFC also created a

scale model A scale model is a physical model that is geometrically similar to an object (known as the ''prototype''). Scale models are generally smaller than large prototypes such as vehicles, buildings, or people; but may be larger than small protot ...

of the fairground. The LIRR constructed a siding from the Port Washington Branch, allowing trains to deliver material onsite. At a luncheon in March that year, Moses said construction had fallen behind schedule. The WFC had allocated $6 million to advertise the fair by mid-1962, and Deegan predicted its participants would spend another $75 million of their own money on promotion. The WFC tried to attract Latin American countries to the fair. By late 1962, exhibits were being finalized and many pavilions were being constructed. Either 68 or 71 nations had announced plans for exhibits at the fair by then, though only 35 countries had formally leased space. Additionally, 125 businesses had expressed interest, and the WFC had finished installing utilities on the fairground. At the end of 1962, a small number of state and international pavilions were being built, while work in the industrial and transportation areas was progressing. Groundbreaking ceremonies were hosted for many of the international pavilions.

1963 and 1964

In early 1963, the World's Fair Housing Bureau was formed to coordinate the development of hotel rooms for the fair. Despite commitments from state and national governments, only some of these governments were actively constructing pavilions. The WFC wanted to hire 40 concessionaires and sell 70

intellectual property Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, co ...

(IP) licenses, which the corporation hoped would raise $130 million. On April 22, 1963, exactly a year before the fair's opening, the U.S. President John F. Kennedy activated a clock that would count down to the opening. Only 48 of the 200 proposed buildings had begun construction, even though construction of all major structures had to be underway by the following month. The press building opened that May, and the following month, an insurance syndicate was formed to protect the exhibits. By mid-1963, civil-rights groups were protesting the lack of racial diversity in the fair's development, and filed a lawsuit to halt construction. That July, Moses denied rumors construction had fallen behind schedule. Materials from overseas began arriving in August 1963, though work on 50 structures had not started by the next month. Moses became increasingly hostile toward journalists who doubted that the fair would be completed on time. There were also disagreements over discounted tickets for students; Moses opposed the plan but the city government ultimately forced him to sell discounted tickets.; The first pavilion, the Port Authority Heliport, was opened in October 1963. The same month, Hunt resigned as the amusement area's operator following disagreements over ticket prices and rides. Work on many of the pavilions was behind schedule due to funding issues, labor shortages, and poor weather. There were also labor strikes, exhibitor withdrawals, and continuing racial tensions. Despite these difficulties, many pavilions were nearly completed by late 1963, and the WFC had sold 3.8 million advance tickets by the year's end. To draw attention to the fair, the WFC displayed models of exhibits at the Time-Life Building in Manhattan. Exhibits were installed through late 1963 and early 1964, and the WFC borrowed $3 million to fund the fair's completion. In January 1964, the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

'' reported the site was filled with raw material, incomplete building frames, and unpaved roads. That month, WFC officials said work on 26 buildings was behind schedule, and they sought to demolish a pavilion that would not be ready for the fair's opening. The WFC signed a document outlining ways profits from the fair were to be used. By that February, most of the major pavilions and attractions were complete, but Whipple estimated up to 10 pavilions would not be finished before the fair's opening. The same month, the WFC stopped selling advance tickets, having sold 28 million. There were still 4,800 construction workers on site in late March, when the state government began hiring people for the fair. Before the fair opened, the WFC had spent $30 million.

Operation

The WFC originally predicted a daily attendance of 225,000. Deegan predicted at least 6.7 million foreign visitors, out of an estimated total of 70 million. Visitors 13 and older were originally charged the adult admission price of $2.00 (), while children 2–12 years old were charged $1.00 (). The WFC sold discounted tickets in packs of 20; some major companies like

AT&T AT&T Inc., an abbreviation for its predecessor's former name, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the w ...

bought hundreds of thousands of tickets for their employees. Students paid 25 cents if they visited with their teachers, and the WFC sold certificates that allowed a class of 25 students to enter the fair for $6.25. Moses predicted ticket sales of $120 million and a net profit of $40 million. Initially, city officials predicted people would spend $5 billion in the city due to the fair, an estimate that was later reduced to $2.5 billion. Though the fair employed up to 20,000 people but the WFC directly employed only between 180 and 200 people. There were 3,000 Pinkerton employees on the grounds, including firefighters, police officers, medics, matrons, and ticket sellers. Nine garbage trucks, nine

emergency medical services Emergency medical services (EMS), also known as ambulance services, pre-hospital care or paramedic services, are emergency services that provide urgent pre-hospital treatment and stabilisation for serious illness and injuries and transport to d ...

(EMS) vehicles, 25 police cars, and three fire engines traveled the fairgrounds. Nine city health inspectors examined all of the on-site restaurants.

United Press International United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th ce ...

(UPI) was the fair's official photographer, while United World Films had exclusive rights to produce and publish films about the fair. Allied Maintenance was the only maintenance firm allowed to work at the fair; it charged exorbitant fees, earning $10 million during 1964 alone. Allied also handled deliveries during the 1964 season but was replaced the following year with Rentar Corporation. Other companies, such as

Hertz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or Cycle per second, cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in ter ...

and Cities Service, sponsored free services or events. The WFC selected symbols of a boy and a girl as the fair's mascots. Exhibitors were required to operate from 10 am to 10 pm daily, although the fairground opened at 9 am. Exhibits were prepared and cleaned throughout the night; the Vatican pavilion was the only attraction with a live-in caretaker. Many exhibitors hired racially diverse staff. In addition, the WFC required each exhibitor to purchase insurance from Campo & Roberts, which earned $3 million from insurance commissions.

1964 season

Opening

The WFC did not host official press previews in the weeks before the official opening, though several exhibitors hosted previews of their pavilions. The night before the fair opened, the television series '' The Bell Telephone Hour'' broadcast an opening celebration. When the World's Fair officially opened at 9:00 am on April 22, 1964,; the first visitor was a college student from New Jersey. The opening was celebrated with speeches by Robert Moses,

, and the U.S. president

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...

. The same day, Johnson dedicated the United States Pavilion, while Rockefeller and Moses dedicated the New York State Pavilion. During the opening ceremonies, hundreds of civil-rights activists organized a sit-in and were arrested.; The civil-rights group

Congress of Racial Equality The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States that played a pivotal role for African Americans in the civil rights movement. Founded in 1942, its stated mission is "to bring about ...

(CORE) proposed a "stall-in" to block roads leading to the fair,; but few activists participated. The opening ceremony attracted 90,000 attendees, fewer than half of the predicted number, in part due to inclement weather. The WFC banned picketing on the grounds, prompting lawsuits from civil-rights groups; a federal judge later ruled protesters could give out handbills to passers-by. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' reported fifteen pavilions and three amusement attractions were not finished by opening day. One pavilion, the Belgian Village, was not completed until the end of the 1964 season, though it did operate for part of that year. Some pavilions could not open on schedule because artifacts in the pavilions had been damaged or were incomplete. Exhibitors also accused workers of delaying some pavilions' construction to collect

overtime Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways: *by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society) ...

pay. Three incomplete pavilions were abandoned, and work on other pavilions continued for several months after the opening. The rich and famous, including government officials and heads of state, visited the fairground in the weeks after it opened.

May to October

The fair needed 220,000 daily visitors to recover its operating expenses of $300,000 per day. In its first week, the fair recorded nearly a million visitors, and 150,000 daily visitors—60 percent of initial projections—in the first month. Several problems arose; disputes occurred over labor unions, maintenance fees, and a mural in the Jordan pavilion. Thefts and breakdowns regularly occurred. Exhibitors complained about high rental rates and insufficient maintenance of the fairground. The Lake Amusement Area was especially unprofitable; it had few attractions and was difficult to access. Many of the most-popular exhibits charged an additional fee, and visitors often did not bring enough money for food or for high-priced exhibits. The WFC unsuccessfully attempted to entice visitors by offering discounts to taxi drivers and improving fairground lighting, and the WFC was planning promotional campaigns by the end of June. The J. Walter Thompson Company advertised the fair in New York City–area media. By mid-1964, some exhibitors had gone out of business, including the two largest shows in the Lake Amusement Area. Employees, especially the 4,000 college students who worked the fair, faced

occupational burnout The ICD-11 of the World Health Organization (WHO) describes occupational burnout as a work-related phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. According to the WHO, symptoms include "feelings of e ...

. Despite the troubles, the WFC was able to buy back one quarter of its promissory notes in mid-1964, and to attract visitors, exhibitors publicly downplayed their grievances with the WFC. The industrial and international pavilions were more profitable than the amusement area, whose financial troubles did not bother Moses. The fair had difficulty attracting more than 200,000 daily visitors, even during July and August when students were on summer break. The fair recorded 13.4 million visitors by the season's midpoint in July 1964, and it received 5.8 million visitors that August, the highest of any month during the 1964 season. Nearly half of visitors came from the New York City area, and prospective visitors expressed fears about crime and unrest.; Attendance declined significantly in September when children returned to school. In response, Moses said journalists were tarnishing the fair's reputation and accused them of suppressing attendance. An exhibitors' committee made several recommendations for increasing attendance but Moses rejected nearly all of them. The fair closed for the season on October 18, 1964.; There had been 33 million visitors, including 27 million who paid admission. ''The New York Times'' cited several reasons for the reduced attendance figures; these included fears of crime, lengthy queues, and high prices. The WFC had significantly overpaid several contractors, and the fair's operating expenditures during 1964 amounted to $33.3 million, twice the original budget. Moses had projected a $53 million surplus, but the surplus stood at only $12.6 million at season's end, barely enough to pay back the city government. The WFC reduced its estimated total profit for both seasons to $30 million. Despite the financial problems, many industrial pavilions had long queues and tens of thousands of daily visitors, and the

General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...

and

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Geography * Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy * Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City * Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome * Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...

pavilions each saw more than 10 million visitors during 1964. ''The New York Times'' reported many international exhibitors were pleased with the fair but wanted someone else to operate it.

Off-season

Between the 1964 and 1965 seasons, the WFC hired 400 security guards to oversee the fairground, though exhibitors were obligated to maintain and guard their own pavilions. The WFC planned to spend $1.3 million on renovations, and 3,000 workers began winterizing the fairground in November 1964. The WFC planned to create a promotional film and advertisements for the fair, and it kept some of the paths and fountains illuminated. Deegan said several pavilions would be renovated and 12 new restaurants would be added. Moses also traveled around the world to persuade foreign exhibitors to display additional artifacts, such as a

Gutenberg Bible The Gutenberg Bible, also known as the 42-line Bible, the Mazarin Bible or the B42, was the earliest major book printed in Europe using mass-produced metal movable type. It marked the start of the "Printing Revolution, Gutenberg Revolution" an ...

and Spanish artwork, during 1965. WFC officials said attendance would rise during the 1965 season, and anticipated 37.5 million visitors. The prediction was unrealistic; previous world's fairs typically had fewer visitors during their second season and no new pavilions were being planned. In its

balance sheet In financial accounting, a balance sheet (also known as statement of financial position or statement of financial condition) is a summary of the financial balances of an individual or organization, whether it be a sole proprietorship, a business ...

, the WFC counted profits from advance ticket sales as part of its income for 1964, which meant revenue would be much lower than expected during 1965. Unless the fair had at least 37.5 million visitors in 1965, it would not be profitable. WFC officials, fearing reprisal from Moses, waited weeks to tell him about the fair's financial troubles. In November 1964, Moses told Wagner the WFC might not be able to repay the city's $24 million loan. The WFC's financial advisors raised suspicions of financial mismanagement the next month. In January 1965, several of the WFC's financial advisors quit following bitter disputes,; and the WFC requested $3.5 million to reopen the fair. The city controller Abraham Beame began auditing the WFC,; and the WFC fired Deegan's public-relations firm, which had been receiving $300,000 annually for four years, following criticism over the firm's compensation. The WFC's internal audit found a $17.5 million deficit, but lawsuits delayed Beame's audit for several months. By February 1965, at least 14 exhibitors in the 1964 season had declared bankruptcy. Franklin National Bank offered to lend the WFC $3.5 million, but the WFC indicated it needed only $1 million.; Though city officials wanted to remove Moses as the WFC's president, he retained his position. When Moses said he would spend $6.4 million to renovate Flushing Meadows–Corona Park before repaying debts,; the WFC's finance chairman resigned. Two

Marine Midland Bank Marine Midland Bank was an American bank formerly headquartered in Buffalo, New York, with several hundred branches throughout the state of New York (state), New York, Pennsylvania and two branches located in Seattle, Washington (state), Washing ...

branches provided a $1 million loan to the WFC that March, which the WFC repaid two months later. During the off-season, several exhibitors renovated and modified their pavilions, spending over $7 million between them. At least 50 exhibits were upgraded and five major attractions were added, along with free entertainments and science demonstrations. New artworks and films were added to several pavilions. The struggling Lake Amusement Area became the Lake Area. The WFC asked the

New York City Transit Authority The New York City Transit Authority (also known as NYCTA, the TA, or simply Transit, and branded as MTA New York City Transit) is a New York state public-benefit corporations, public-benefit corporation in the U.S. state of New York (state), New ...

to increase subway service to the fair, and 26 exhibitors collaborated on a promotional campaign.; Fifty-three exhibitors proposed naming the first week of the 1965 season Fair Festival Week, to which Wagner agreed. The WFC produced a promotional film titled ''To the Fair'', and individual exhibitors produced their own films. To reduce its debts, the WFC decreased its budget for the 1965 season and dismissed some employees.

1965 season

More than 150,000 people attended the reopening of the fair on April 21, 1965.; The Ethiopian long-distance runners Abebe Bikila and Mamo Wolde participated in a ceremonial

half marathon A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish, or shortcu ...

, running from

Central Park Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...

in Manhattan to Singer Bowl at the fairground. Unlike the 1964 opening ceremony, no protests occurred at the fair's reopening, and almost all exhibits were completed on time. For the 1965 season, adult admission fees were raised to $2.50 (). During the first 20 days of the 1965 season, attendance declined 22 percent compared with the same time period in 1964, putting many exhibitors at risk of bankruptcy. In addition, fewer visitors were paying at the gates because more than half of them carried advance tickets. Exhibitors requested a reduction in admission fees, and that a reduced-price evening admission ticket be sold. Moses refused both proposals, and several exhibitors threatened to close their pavilions before retracting. At the beginning of the 1965 season, there were issues such as race-related protests,; Vietnam War protests, a controversy over a racially insensitive song in one pavilion, and disputes between Jewish and Arab exhibitors. Vandalism also increased due to the reduced police presence, and a fairgoer was murdered that May. WFC officials also tried to invalidate their January 1964 agreement for disbursing the fair's profits, and exhibitors continued to lose money due to lower-than-expected attendance. Fewer visitors came during the evening, but the WFC again rejected a proposal for discounted evening admission in July 1965. Despite increased attendance in mid-1965, the fair continued to record decreased revenue compared with 1964. Many exhibitors recorded substantial losses from the costs of their pavilions. By August 1965, the WFC was preparing to clear the fairground after the fair, though 13 exhibitors had declared bankruptcy and could not afford to demolish or move their pavilions. Beame's interim report, which was published at the end of August, found the WFC had squandered money by not awarding contracts through competitive bidding and by spending nearly everything it had on expenses it incurred before and during 1964. Despite Moses's denials of wrongdoing,; Queens district attorney Frank D. O'Connor opened a criminal inquiry into the WFC shortly afterward. Moses installed highway signs promoting the fair and refused to remove them, even after city traffic commissioner Henry A. Barnes called the signs a safety hazard.; By mid-September, estimates of the fair's total attendance had been reduced from 70 to 50 million. By the end of September, the fair had recorded 17 million visitors during the 1965 season, less than half the number of visitors needed to break even. At this point, the WFC had barely enough money to pay its weekly expenses. Toward the end of the 1965 season, there was a sustained increase in attendance, and the fair recorded more than 250,000 daily visitors for three consecutive weeks. Exhibitors worried potential visitors would be dissuaded by the overcrowding. The architect and writer Robert A. M. Stern attributed the increase in attendance to a prevailing feeling the 1964 fair would be one of the last lavish world's fairs.

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI (born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding John XXII ...

visited the fair on October 4, 1965, during the first-ever papal visit to the United States. The fair closed on October 17, 1965,; ; and recorded its highest-ever daily attendance of 446,953 on its final day. The fair's final day was chaotic, with reports of vandalism and theft. In total, the fair had recorded 51,607,448 admissions, seven million more than the 1939 fair and ten million more than

Expo 58 Expo 58, also known as the 1958 Brussels World's Fair (; ), was a world's fair held on the Heysel/Heizel Plateau in Brussels, Belgium, from 17 April to 19 October 1958. It was the first major world's fair registered under the Bureau Internati ...

. The GM and Vatican pavilions had been the most popular. The fair had lost an additional $1 million in 1965 and had a deficit of up to $40 million at its closing; ''The New York Times'' partly attributed the fair's underperformance to Moses's stubborn attitude and refusal to take advice.

Fairground

The fairground was divided into five regions. Exhibits for individual U.S. states and the U.S. federal government were concentrated in the Federal & State Area at the center of the fairground near the Unisphere. The international exhibits were concentrated in the International Area—a group of pavilions surrounding the Unisphere. Industry pavilions were concentrated around the Industrial Area on the eastern end near the Van Wyck Expressway. The Transportation Area was on the western side of the fairground. South of the Long Island Expressway, connected with the rest of the fair only via one overpass, was the Lake Amusement Area (known as the Lake Area during 1965). Eight gates provided access to the fairground. The 1964 World's Fair had 139 pavilions on opening day, in addition to 34 concessions and shows. Of the pavilions and shows, either 121 or 124 were free, and the rest required an additional payment. Scattered across the fairground were 5,300 trees, 3,500 benches, 1,400 telephones, and 60 mailboxes. There were also bank branches, picnic areas, and restrooms. Accessible bathrooms, wheelchair rental stands, and Braille guidebooks were provided for disabled visitors. There were also several hotels nearby, albeit few campgrounds. A spokesman for the 1964 fair said the exposition was supposed to be "cultural and sophisticated", and Deegan claimed that the exposition would be the "greatest single event in history".

Pavilions

Each section of the fair was designed in several architectural styles, and many of the pavilions were designed in a

Space Age The Space Age is a period encompassing the activities related to the space race, space exploration, space technology, and the cultural developments influenced by these events, beginning with the launch of Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957, and co ...

style. Some pavilions used experimental designs; for example, the

Bell System The Bell System was a system of telecommunication companies, led by the Bell Telephone Company and later by the AT&T Corporation, American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T), that dominated the telephone services industry in North America fo ...

Pavilion was supported by massive cantilevers, while the

IBM International Business Machines Corporation (using the trademark IBM), nicknamed Big Blue, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, and present in over 175 countries. It is ...

Pavilion was shaped like a giant egg. Most of the structures were designed so they could easily be demolished after the fair and rebuilt elsewhere. Any person or entity who could afford to rent the land and construct a pavilion could rent exhibition space at the fair. Thus, the space was dominated by large corporations. Private companies spent a combined $300 million on their pavilions. The Big Three car manufacturers—

Chrysler FCA US, LLC, Trade name, doing business as Stellantis North America and known historically as Chrysler ( ), is one of the "Big Three (automobile manufacturers), Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn H ...

, Ford, and

—alone spent a combined $110 million on attractions such as Chrysler's artificial islands, Ford's Magic Skyway, and General Motors' Futurama car ride. Twenty-three state pavilions were built. The fair included exhibits from 24 U.S. states; these were

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

, New York,

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

, and the six states in

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

. New York City had its own pavilion, as did the neighborhood of

Hollywood, Los Angeles Hollywood, sometimes informally called Tinseltown, is a List of districts and neighborhoods in Los Angeles, neighborhood and district in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles County, California, within the city of Los Angeles. ...

, California. Nineteen of the state pavilions were in the Federal and State Area, and three of the other four state pavilions were clustered around Meadow Lake at the southern end of the fair. None of the state governments had to pay rent for the land, but they had to fund the buildings. Twenty states and

, did not pay for exhibits at the fair. There were 45 pavilions in the International Area, most of which featured exhibits from foreign countries. Individual exhibits were presented by 66 nations, including the United States, whose pavilion was in the Federal and State Area. If nations that were represented only by one city or region are included, the fair had attractions from 80 countries. Foreign nations rented land from the WFC, and paid for staff lodgings, food, and other expenses. Many nations from Asia, Africa, and Central and South America, though relatively few from Europe, exhibited at the fair. Some countries, such as the United Kingdom, France, and Italy, boycotted the fair because the BIE had not approved it. Because of a lack of participation from BIE members, only six major countries—Egypt, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, and Pakistan—had official exhibits at the fair. Some BIE member countries hosted unofficial exhibits or were represented by those of private companies, and several countries were represented solely by an industry exhibit. Other countries were represented by regional pavilions, such as those for the Caribbean and Africa. Many of the international pavilions sold merchandise. The Industrial Area had 43 pavilions, representing nearly 350 American companies. Most of the companies were consolidated within four exhibit buildings, though about 36 companies had their own pavilions. Corporations rented land from the WFC, while religious organizations were not required to pay for their space. Large firms such as

Bell Telephone Company The Bell Telephone Company was the initial corporate entity from which the Bell System originated to build a continental conglomerate and monopoly in telecommunication services in the United States and Canada. The company was organized in Bost ...

DuPont Dupont, DuPont, Du Pont, duPont, or du Pont may refer to: People * Dupont (surname) Dupont, also spelled as DuPont, duPont, Du Pont, or du Pont is a French surname meaning "of the bridge", historically indicating that the holder of the surname re ...

, IBM,

Kodak The Eastman Kodak Company, referred to simply as Kodak (), is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in film photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorporated i ...

RCA RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded in 1919 as the Radio Corporation of America. It was initially a patent pool, patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Westinghou ...

, and US Royal Tires participated. The 1964 fair included only a few companies in the food, chemical, tobacco, cosmetic, or pharmaceutical industries. Transportation companies, including the Big Three car makers, displayed products in the Transportation Area of the fairground. Several of the industry pavilions offered free merchandise or other sponsorships, which often attracted customers. Moses provided about of land for religious groups and invited every major sect of

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

to the fair. Eight religious pavilions were built, each of which was staffed by volunteers. Some exhibits were planned but never built, such as the Soviet and Israel pavilions, but were displayed on official maps, causing confusion among visitors.

Amusement

In addition to pavilions, the Lake Area included several rides and attractions during 1964.

John Ringling North John Ringling North (August 14, 1903 – June 4, 1985) was the president and director of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus from 1937 to 1943 and again from 1947 to 1967. Life and career North was born on August 14, 1903, in Barabo ...

operated a circus that performed in a 5,000-seat tent. Nearby was a wax museum. The amusement area also included a children's play area, a puppet show, a porpoise show, and other amusements. A lake cruise traveled off the shore of Meadow Lake and an early log flume ride was also installed at the fair. A replica of the ship ''Santa María'' was displayed in the lake. There was a 10,000-seat outdoor theater in the amusement area as well. Two

Coney Island Coney Island is a neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to the south and west, and Gravesend to ...

carousels were combined to form the Flushing Meadows Carousel.; The Florida pavilion took over much of the Lake Area in 1965, and two amusement areas called Carnival and Continental Park were added. Outside the Lake Area were the Fiesta Playground and the Sculpture Continuum Playground.

Transportation

The American Machine and Foundry Company constructed a suspended monorail with two tracks in the Lake Area.; The line had seven 80-passenger, two-car-long trains. Another transport attraction at the fair was the Swiss Sky Ride, a ski lift or aerial gondola that was sponsored by the

Government of Switzerland The Federal Council is the federal Cabinet (government), cabinet of the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. Its seven members also serve as the collective head of state and Head of government, government of Switzerland. Since World War II, the F ...

. During the 1964 season, visitors could rent one of 147

Greyhound The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a dog breed, breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Some are kept as show dogs or pets. Greyhounds are defined as a tall, muscular, smooth-c ...

Escorters, which were driven by chauffeurs. Sixty-one Glide-a-Ride trolleys also served the fairground during both seasons. The fairground was accessed via highways on

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

that had been upgraded.; An expanded World's Fair Marina provided access via Flushing Bay. The fair was also served by a short-lived ferry service to Manhattan, as well as other ferry routes to ports in New York and New Jersey. A helicopter shuttle provided services to the Pan Am Building and Lower Manhattan heliports. Local buses, airport shuttle buses, the

New York City Subway The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system in New York City serving the New York City boroughs, boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. It is owned by the government of New York City and leased to the New York City Tr ...

, and the

(LIRR) also stopped near the fairground. The subway cars R33S and R36WF were constructed for the number seven route that served Willets Point station near the fair. Although a dedicated subway line had served the 1939 fair, no such route was built for 1964. A luxury bus service carried "distinguished guests" to and from the fair. There were 20,000 parking spaces, and shuttle buses transported people from the parking lots to the main gate.

Other features

The fairground had nine fountains and eleven reflecting pools. Seven of the fountains had custom designs, although none have survived. At the center of the fair was the

, which was constructed by

American Bridge Company The American Bridge Company is a heavy/civil construction firm that specializes in building and renovating bridges and other large, complex structures. Founded in 1900, the company is headquartered in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsb ...

. Weighing , the globe was created to symbolize "man's achievements on a shrinking globe in an expanding universe". The Fountain of the Planets (Pool of Industry), which is located at the far eastern end of Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, could spray water up to high, and it hosted nightly fireworks displays and music performances. The Unisphere and Fountain of the Planets are connected via the Fountain of the Fairs, which included a five-section reflecting pool and two rectangular pools. The fairground had , , or of paths, and numerous plazas. Throughout the fairground were information booths operated by Greyhound Bus. Near the northern end of the fairground was a customs building, where customs officials examined items bound for the fair's international pavilions and concessionaires. There was a press building next to the

Grand Central Parkway The Grand Central Parkway (GCP) is a 14.61-mile (23.51 km) controlled-access parkway that stretches from the Triborough Bridge in New York City to the Queens– Nassau County line on Long Island. At the Nassau County line, it becomes t ...

, with a reporters' bullpen, offices for major news agencies, a press conference room, and offices. The on-site, 22-room Atomedic Hospital was constantly staffed, and there were five first-aid stations. About 300

closed-circuit television Closed-circuit television (CCTV), also known as video surveillance, is the use of closed-circuit television cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place on a limited set of monitors. It differs from broadcast television in that the signa ...

s (CCTVs) were installed across the fairground, and a film studio for independent filmmakers was also built. Pinkerton matrons operated a lost-child bureau with activities and games for lost children.

Culture

Foreign cultures and American technologies were featured at the fair. While WFC rules technically prevented the fair's officials from influencing the design or contents of any exhibits, the WFC retained a significant influence on the contents of exhibits. For example, developing nations were encouraged to show their art and culture rather than technology, and WFC officials pressured Islamic nations to emphasize their religion.

Cuisine

The fair had a large number of restaurants and eateries. When it opened, there were between 110 and 114 eateries, 61 of which were within pavilions. There were six specialty restaurants and 25 fine-dining restaurants operated by Brass Rail. Restaurant Associates was contracted to operate several of the restaurants but its contract was canceled because of a dispute over signage, and Brass Rail instead received the contract. Ten of Brass Rail's restaurants were designed by Victor Lundy and had canopies shaped like bunches of white balloons. For the 1965 season, the fair was expanded to include 198 restaurants. Cuisine sold at the fair included

s, 7 Up drinks, dumplings, pizza, tacos, kimchi, Turkish coffee, tandoori chicken, and hummus. Many of these dishes became popular in New York City and in the U.S. after the fair closed. The Thailand pavilion included North America's first Thai restaurant, while the Malaysia pavilion served Tiger Beer and

satay Satay ( , in the US also ), or sate in Indonesia, is a Javanese cuisine, Javanese dish of seasoned, skewered and grilled meat, served with a sauce. Satay originated in Java, but has spread throughout Indonesia, into Southeast Asia, Europe, ...

. During the 1964 season, many meals cost 99 cents because any food below $1 could not be taxed. Brewers spent millions of dollars persuading exhibitors to sell their beers.

Performances

There were more than 30 entertainment events at the fair. Moses disdained carnival-style attractions, saying there would be "no whiskered women, tattooed giants, nudes on ice ... The appeal of a world's fair should not be entirely below the Adam's apple". As the WFC's president, Moses reserved the right to ban any project from the fair. Shows that appealed to prurient interests, like semi-nude dancing, were excluded. An exception was the adult-only, musical puppet show '' Les Poupées de Paris'' (The Dolls of Paris). The lack of adult shows may have contributed to the amusement area's unpopularity in 1964. The ban on adult shows was relaxed in 1965, and nine discotheques opened at the fair during that season. That May, a

striptease A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner. The person who performs a striptease is commonly known as a "stripper", "exotic d ...

show in the Louisiana pavilion lasted two performances before it was canceled. Musical and theatrical performances took place at several pavilions, and there were fireworks and water shows at the Pool of Industry. Among the theatrical shows were the

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...

s ''To Broadway With Love'',; '' Wonder World''—which lasted two months— and ''Summer Time Revue''.

presented a musical revue in its own pavilion, '' The Wonderful World of Chemistry''. A controversial

minstrel show The minstrel show, also called minstrelsy, was an American form of theater developed in the early 19th century. The shows were performed by mostly white actors wearing blackface makeup for the purpose of portraying racial stereotypes of Afr ...

in the Louisiana pavilion was canceled after two days. International pavilions, such as the African, Indonesia, and Spain pavilions, also hosted dance and other live shows. Sporting events, such as wrestling, boxing, gymnastics, fencing, judo, and weightlifting, took place at the fair. Some of these events were presented as part of the

1964 Summer Olympics The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subseq ...

tryouts in New York City. Other shows included the ice-skating show ''Dick Button's Ice-Travaganza'' at the New York City Pavilion, and the Auto Thrill Show in the Transportation Area. ''To Broadway With Love'' and the ''Ice-Travaganza'' closed within a few months of the fair's opening. A parade traveled across the fairground every day. The evangelist

Billy Graham William Franklin Graham Jr. (; November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American Evangelism, evangelist, ordained Southern Baptist minister, and Civil rights movement, civil rights advocate, whose broadcasts and world tours featuring liv ...

gave daily sermons at the Billy Graham Pavilion.

Music and film

The fairground did not emphasize music, although a "World's Fair Festival" took place at

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 ...

in Manhattan. Popular and classical music was broadcast from 800 lampposts on the fairground. The fair also had an official band; Cities Service's World's Band of America, a 50-piece ensemble, was headed by the conductor Paul Lavalle. Other ensembles, including

Guy Lombardo Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo (June 19, 1902 – November 5, 1977) was a Canadian and American bandleader, violinist, and hydroplane racing, hydroplane racer whose unique "sweet jazz" style remained popular with audiences for nearly five decade ...

, the

United States Marine Band The United States Marine Band is the premier band of the United States Marine Corps. Established by act of Congress on July 11, 1798, it is the oldest of the United States military bands and the oldest professional musical organization in the ...

, and the United States Navy Steel Band, performed throughout the fair. During 1964, the amusement area hosted rock-and-roll concerts that were popular among local youth; Moses, who abhorred the genre, canceled these concerts when he learned about them. The fairground contained about 40 movie theaters, most of which were housed within pavilions, for which fifty films were produced. These included several religious films: ''

Parable A parable is a succinct, didactic story, in prose or verse, that illustrates one or more instructive lessons or principles. It differs from a fable in that fables employ animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature as characters, whe ...

'' at the Protestant and Orthodox pavilion; '' Man in the 5th Dimension'' at the Billy Graham pavilion; and '' Man's Search for Happiness'' at the LDS pavilion. The Johnson's Wax pavilion screened a film titled '' To Be Alive!'', which later won an Academy Award. The WFC produced a film promoting the fair in seven languages in 1964.

Art and artifacts

Originally, the WFC made no effort to coordinate art exhibitions at the 1964 World's Fair, and Moses did not wish to subsidize art exhibits on the fairground, nor did he want to pay for an art pavilion himself. After commentators spoke about the lack of art at the fair, Moses changed his mind and allowed states to display art in their pavilions. Ten pop artists designed art for the

New York State Pavilion The New York State Pavilion is a pavilion at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City, New York. Constructed for the 1964 New York World's Fair, it was designed by the architects Philip Johnson and Richard Foster, with Lev Zet ...

's Theaterama, and the Fine Arts pavilion displayed 250 contemporary artists' work. Foreign nations also displayed art and artifacts at the fair. Spain displayed works from artists such as

Francisco Goya Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; ; 30 March 1746 – 16 April 1828) was a Spanish Romanticism, romantic painter and Printmaking, printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Hi ...

El Greco Doménikos Theotokópoulos (, ; 1 October 1541 7 April 1614), most widely known as El Greco (; "The Greek"), was a Greek painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance, regarded as one of the greatest artists of all time. ...

Joan Miró Joan Miró i Ferrà ( , ; ; 20 April 1893 – 25 December 1983) was a Catalan Spanish painter, sculptor and Ceramic art, ceramist. A museum dedicated to his work, the Fundació Joan Miró, was established in his native city of Barcelona ...

Pablo Picasso Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...

, and

Diego Velázquez Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (baptised 6 June 15996 August 1660) was a Spanish painter, the leading artist in the Noble court, court of King Philip IV of Spain, Philip IV of Spain and Portugal, and of the Spanish Golden Age. He i ...

. The United Arab Republic displayed artifacts from several historical eras; the Sudan pavilion displayed a 1,300-year-old Madonna fresco; the Jordan pavilion showed the

Dead Sea Scrolls The Dead Sea Scrolls, also called the Qumran Caves Scrolls, are a set of List of Hebrew Bible manuscripts, ancient Jewish manuscripts from the Second Temple period (516 BCE – 70 CE). They were discovered over a period of ten years, between ...

; and the Republic of China pavilion displayed Chinese jade. During the 1965 season, the Mexico pavilion displayed art, including

Mesoamerica Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area that begins in the southern part of North America and extends to the Pacific coast of Central America, thus comprising the lands of central and southern Mexico, all of Belize, Guatemala, El S ...

n pieces and works by

José Clemente Orozco José Clemente Orozco (November 23, 1883 – September 7, 1949) was a Mexican caricaturist and painter, who specialized in political murals that established the Mexican Mural Renaissance together with murals by Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siquei ...

Diego Rivera Diego Rivera (; December 8, 1886 – November 24, 1957) was a Mexican painter. His large frescoes helped establish the Mexican muralism, mural movement in Mexican art, Mexican and international art. Between 1922 and 1953, Rivera painted mural ...

David Alfaro Siqueiros David Alfaro Siqueiros (born José de Jesús Alfaro Siqueiros; December 29, 1896 – January 6, 1974) was a Mexican social realist painter, best known for his large public murals using the latest in equipment, materials and technique. Along with ...

, and Rufino Tamayo. Though art was also displayed in gift shops throughout the fair, WFC officials generally only publicized artwork that was exhibited in pavilions. There were 95 sculptures at the fair, including five permanent sculptures, four which remain in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park: ''Forms in Transit'' by Theodore Roszak, ''Freedom of the Human Spirit'' by Marshall Fredericks, ''Free Form'' by José de Rivera, and '' Rocket Thrower'' by Donald De Lue. ''Armillary Sphere'' by

Paul Manship Paul Howard Manship (December 25, 1885 – January 31, 1966) was an American Sculpture, sculptor. He consistently created mythological pieces in a classical style, and was a major force in the Art Deco in the United States, Art Deco movement. ...

, was vandalized and the remaining pieces were stolen in 1980. The temporary sculptures included ''Pietà'' by

Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6March 147518February 1564), known mononymously as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was inspir ...

at the Vatican pavilion, which was one of the fair's most-popular exhibits.

Consumer products

The 1964 World's Fair introduced and showed many consumer products, in what one magazine called "the ultimate marketing bonanza of tstime".

Color television Color television (American English) or colour television (British English) is a television transmission technology that also includes color information for the picture, so the video image can be displayed in color on the television set. It improv ...

was popularized at the fair, and the

was launched just before its appearance at the fair. The fair also displayed technologies such as Picturephones and IBM computers, as well as electronic devices that could display personalized data to visitors. Some pavilions incorporated

personal computer A personal computer, commonly referred to as PC or computer, is a computer designed for individual use. It is typically used for tasks such as Word processor, word processing, web browser, internet browsing, email, multimedia playback, and PC ...

s into their exhibits, and many visitors saw touchtone phones for the first time while at the fair. Other innovations, such as

thermonuclear fusion Nuclear fusion is a reaction in which two or more atomic nuclei combine to form a larger nuclei, nuclei/neutron by-products. The difference in mass between the reactants and products is manifested as either the release or absorption of ener ...

power plants, undersea hotels, underground houses, jet packs, and Corfam synthetic leather, never became popular.

Aftermath

Site usage

Site clearing

Moses predicted the WFC would need to spend $11.6 million to clear Flushing Meadows–Corona Park after the fair closed. He recommended the demolition of most of the pavilions.; By mid-1965, the WFC proposed the preservation of 19 structures, while the remaining pavilions were offered to anyone who could afford to relocate them. Several exhibitors, including U.S. Steel and Thailand, chose to sell their buildings due to the high cost of demolition, while others sold the contents of their pavilions, and people offered to salvage parts of some buildings. Any other buildings had to be demolished within 90 days of the fair's closure. Each exhibitor was supposed to have placed money in

escrow An escrow is a contractual arrangement in which a third party (the stakeholder or escrow agent) receives and disburses money or property for the primary transacting parties, with the disbursement dependent on conditions agreed to by the transact ...

or posted a bond to cover the demolition costs, but most exhibitors had not done so. The WFC feared exhibitors would abandon their pavilions. Demolition began the day after the fair closed and the rubble was dumped into Flushing Bay. By November, the site was filled with rubbish and rats. Scientists temporarily preserved three of the fair's buildings for structural testing. The deadline for demolition was extended to December 1966, and by the middle of that year, about 24 structures remained. Moses suggested his Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority should provide funding to convert the fairground into a park. The city government took over Flushing Meadows–Corona Park from the WFC in June 1967. Few improvements were made to the park for several years and many of the remaining structures were vandalized. According to a 1986 report, the city government had to spend $107 million ($ million in ) to turn the fairground into a park. In the 1980s, a 1989 World's Fair was proposed for the site to mark the 25th Anniversary of the 1964 fair, but the proposal was unsuccessful. The paths remain almost unchanged into the 21st century.

Remaining structures

Some of the structures from the 1964 World's Fair, including the fair's symbol the

, remain in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. Near the Unisphere is the Column of Jerash from Jordan's pavilion, a stone bench marking the site of the Vatican pavilion, and a plaque on the site of the Garden of Meditation. The New York City Pavilion houses Queens Museum, and the

New York Hall of Science The New York Hall of Science, branded as NYSCI, is a science museum at 4701 111th Street, within Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, in the Corona, Queens, Corona neighborhood of Queens in New York City, New York. It occupies one of the few remain ...

is also preserved as a museum. The western side of the fairground site includes the Port Authority pavilion, which became the Terrace on the Park banquet hall; the Winston Churchill Tribute, which became an aviary for Queens Zoo; and the Flushing Meadows Carousel. The

is largely unused , but its former Theaterama is used by Queens Theatre in the Park. The World's Fair Marina along Flushing Bay still operates. Other buildings, including the Travel and Transportation Pavilion, the United States Pavilion, the Aquacade amphitheater, and the Singer Bowl remained for several years before their demolition. Other structures were relocated after the fair closed; among these were the Austria, Christian Science, Denmark, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mormon, Parker Pen, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, and Wisconsin pavilions. the Uniroyal Giant Tire and Golden Rondelle Theater. In some cases, only parts of buildings were preserved due to the high cost of full preservation. The LIRR, Mormon, Socony Mobil, and West Berlin pavilions, as well as the monorail, Poupees des Paris, and the wax museum, were preserved within New York. Other objects, including parts of the Hollywood and Ireland pavilions, the Coca-Cola pavilion's

carillon A carillon ( , ) is a pitched percussion instrument that is played with a musical keyboard, keyboard and consists of at least 23 bells. The bells are Bellfounding, cast in Bell metal, bronze, hung in fixed suspension, and Musical tuning, tu ...

, the

It's a Small World It's a Small World (stylized in all lowercase and in quotations or with exclamation mark) is an Old Mill boat ride located in the Fantasyland area at various Disney theme parks around the world. Versions of the ride are installed at Disney ...

ride, Progressland carousel, and the Swiss Sky Ride, were sent further afield. Some pavilions, such as Clairol's "color carousel" and Sinclair Oil's dinosaur exhibits, became traveling exhibitions.

Profitability and effect on other world's fairs

Profits from the fair would have been used to improve Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, and many of its restaurants broke even. On the fair's closing day, the WFC had $11.58 million in cash. Moses anticipated the WFC would not be able to repay the remaining $22.4 million in promissory notes, and the WFC was expecting to default on 60 percent of the bonds it had issued. In December 1965, Beame determined the fair had lost $20.1 million in 1964 due to improper management. The WFC later agreed to pay noteholders another $4 million in mid-1966, although it struggled to fulfill its obligation to restore the fairground. During the late 1960s, the WFC was separately investigated on charges of financial mismanagement regarding the Belgian Village pavilion, and the New York state government opened a

racketeering Racketeering is a type of organized crime in which the perpetrators set up a coercion, coercive, fraud, fraudulent, extortionary, or otherwise illegal coordinated scheme or operation (a "racket") to repeatedly or consistently collect a profit. ...

investigation into the fair's construction. The city government received $1.5 million in profits from the fair in 1972, following several years of legal disputes. The fair recorded a net loss of $21.1 million,; and bondholders received back about one-third of their original investments. In total, the WFC and other public agencies had spent $83.832 million on permanent improvements to the site during the 1964 fair. In part because of the 1964 fair's unprofitability, many industrial exhibitors were reluctant to sponsor major exhibits at the next world's fair,

Expo 67 The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, commonly known as Expo 67, was a general exhibition from April 28 to October 29, 1967. It was a category one world's fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is considered to be one of the most s ...

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, Canada, and two other American cities withdrew proposals for world's fairs in the 1960s and 1970s. Citing the 1964 fair, Expo 67's organizers heavily invested in amusement attractions, sought and received BIE approval, and constructed pavilions ahead of schedule. Expo 67 officials also sought positive press coverage for their fair, a significant departure from Moses's negative reaction to every perceived criticism.

Impact

Reception

Contemporaneous

Before the fair opened, ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' called it a "mixed boon" to New York City because BIE members had boycotted the fair. In late 1963, just before the fair opened, an

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

reporter called it "a big city cousin to the familiar county fair" and said it was becoming one of the United States' most comprehensive exhibits of industries and businesses. A British newspaper called the fair "a great big grown-up Disneyland". After the fair's opening, ''Life'' and ''Ebony'' magazines called it one of mankind's largest expositions, and ''Newsweek'' wrote the attractions and pavilions were "hard to resist". Several writers criticized the large number of industrial exhibits at the fair, and observers complained about the wastefulness of the pavilions' temporary nature. During the second season, ''Time'' magazine wrote the fair was unsuccessful because of long queues, meager exhibits, high prices, and the overwhelmingly large number of attractions for visitors. When the fair closed, a ''Wall Street Journal'' reporter wrote it had failed because it "lacked coordination, a common purpose that could be transmitted to the community". Russell Lynes said the concept of the fair was flawed because instant communication between countries was already possible. There was also commentary on the conflicting architectural styles,; which were controversial even before the official opening. In 1961, John Canaday of ''The New York Times'' wrote he would be surprised if the fair were not "a mess and disaster architecturally". After the fair opened, Ada Louise Huxtable of ''

'' wrote the fair was architecturally "grotesque", while other critics criticized the structures as befitting

or a

street fair A street fair celebrates the character of a neighborhood. As its name suggests, it is typically held on the main street of a neighborhood. The principal component of street fairs are booths used to sell goods (particularly food) or convey informa ...

. The critic Vincent Scully Jr., in a ''

Life Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...

'' magazine article, wrote: "If This Is Architecture, God Help Us". In June 1964, ''Time'' said the fair had "grace and substance" despite the presence of some "tacky" attractions, a sentiment repeated in ''

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' (''AJC'') is an American daily newspaper based in metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger ...

''. The

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...

gave awards for excellence in design to several pavilions. A ''

Newsday ''Newsday'' is a daily newspaper in the United States primarily serving Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI" ...

'' reporter described the fair as "both garish and subtle, tawdry and tasteful, ephemeral and lasting". After the fair closed, architectural critic Wolf Von Eckardt said the fair was "a frightening image of ourselves" because of its "chaotic" architecture.

Retrospective

In 1967, ''New York Times'' reporter Robert Alden wrote the 1964 fair benefited from "participation of private industry on a massive scale" and that more countries were participating in Expo 67. Another ''Times'' writer said in 1989: "The 1964 fair was not as self-conscious a portrayal of the future so much as a display of contemporary American achievements". The same year, a ''Newsday'' reporter wrote the 1964 fair had occurred at a time when audiences were no longer awed by cultural and technological innovations. Robert A. M. Stern wrote in 1995 the 1964 fair had been so attractive in part because "it was out of place amid the realities of life in the nuclear age". David W. Dunlap wrote in 2001 the 1964 fair was still ingrained in the public imagination, even though it had been "a tailfin-tacky celebration of jet-age technological hubris" and an "unhappy final chapter" to Moses's career as New York City's main urban planner. According to the author Lawrence R. Samuel, the fair's motto "peace through understanding" was overshadowed by the fair's focus on profits, and a ''Bloomberg'' reporter wrote in 2013 the fair had been dominated by corporate exhibitors. In the same year, Joseph Tirella wrote although "peace through understanding continues to elude us", the United States had become more ethnically diverse due to the

Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, also known as the Hart–Celler Act and more recently as the 1965 Immigration Act, was a federal law passed by the 89th United States Congress and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The ...

, which was enacted just before the fair ended. According to ''

New York Daily News The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...

'' in 2012, the remaining structures from the fair "have provided lushing Meadows–Corona Parkwith some of its most striking structures". For the fair's 50th anniversary, '' Smithsonian'' magazine wrote the fair's "limitless faith in material and social progress" had been counteracted by the social upheaval in the U.S. that took place during the mid-1960s. In 2018, ''The New York Times'' wrote the fair was a showcase for futuristic technology and a place where "foreigners could broadcast their best wares and fairgoers could catch a glimpse into their far-off cultures".

Influence

Economic and regional influence

The fair was credited with increasing

tourism in New York City New York City received a ninth consecutive annual record of approximately 65.2 million tourism, tourists in 2018, the busiest tourist city attraction, and one of the world's overall busiest tourist attractions, counting not just overnight visit ...

, even before the formal opening. The city's hotels and garages were often overcrowded during the fair's 1964 season.

Broadway theater Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), many of the extant or closed Broadway venues use or used the spelling ''Theatr ...

s recorded increased ticket sales, as did other visitor attractions such as the

Empire State Building The Empire State Building is a 102-story, Art Deco-style supertall skyscraper in the Midtown South neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, United States. The building was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and built from 1930 to 1931. Its n ...

and

Radio City Music Hall Radio City Music Hall (also known as Radio City) is an entertainment venue and Theater (structure), theater at 1260 Sixth Avenue (Manhattan), Avenue of the Americas, within Rockefeller Center, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York C ...

. Though major department stores and restaurants saw increased business, other merchants reported the fair had not had a measurable effect on their businesses. To avoid crowds, many residents left the city during the fair. Attendance at local amusement parks declined during the fair and some parks, such as Freedomland U.S.A., permanently closed. At the end of the 1964 season, the city's Convention and Visitors Bureau estimated the city had earned $400 million due to the fair. ''

The Christian Science Monitor ''The Christian Science Monitor'' (''CSM''), commonly known as ''The Monitor'', is a nonprofit news organization that publishes daily articles both in Electronic publishing, electronic format and a weekly print edition. It was founded in 1908 ...

'' wrote in 1965 the fair had only partially benefited the area's economy. After the fair ended, ''The New York Times'' estimated it had increased local restaurant profits by eight percent, while stores in

Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan, serving as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Building, the ...

saw their profits increase by approximately four percent. The highways leading to the fairground remained in use after the fair's closure, and residential development in Queens increased.

Cultural influence and media

At the fair's 50th anniversary, a writer for '' amNewYork Metro'' wrote it helped influence 21st-century technologies and highlighted Flushing Meadows–Corona Park as an attraction in itself. The fair helped popularize several consumer products such as Belgian waffles and the Ford Mustang. The 1964 World's Fair included several exhibits and technologies that were later included in Disney parks; for example, the Illinois Pavilion's

Audio-Animatronic Audio-Animatronics (also known simply as AAs) are a form of Mechatronics, mechatronic animatronics puppetry created by Walt Disney Imagineering and Trademark, trademarked by The Walt Disney Company for use in designed shows and attractions at Disn ...

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

was so popular Audio-Animatronics were later added to many Disney rides.

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...

designed exhibits at the World's Fair;

, the Progressland carousel, and the Magic Skyway were later incorporated into Disney parks. The fair has been the subject of documentary films such as ''The 1964 World's Fair'' (1996), ''After the Fair'' (2014), and ''Peace Through Understanding: The 1964–65 New York World's Fair''. The fair and its structures have been depicted in popular media; for example, the New York State Pavilion and the Unisphere appear in the films ''

Men in Black In popular culture and UFO conspiracy theories, men in black (MIB) are government agents dressed in dark suits, who question, interrogate, harass, and threaten unidentified flying object (UFO) witnesses to keep them silent about what they have ...

'' and '' Iron Man 2''. Historians have created websites and written books about the fair. The fair has been the subject of several exhibitions at venues including the Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts, Queens Museum, Flushing Town Hall, and the Long Island Museum of American Art, History, and Carriages. The fair's 50th anniversary in 2014 was celebrated with six months of parties, exhibits, and other events across Queens. Hobbyists have collected memorabilia from the fair,; and several collectors have founded the World's Fair Collectors Society. Collectors have preserved objects such as bracelets, medallions, ponchos, purses, and pocketknives. The

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

and Queens Museum also own objects from the World's Fair, and there have been efforts to develop a World's Fair museum.

References

Notes

Citations

Sources

* * * * * * * * * *

External links

1964/1965 New York World's Fair website – nywf64.com

*
1964–65 New York World's Fair groundbreaking and dedication booklets
{{Authority control 1960s in Queens 1964 in New York City 1964 in science 1965 in New York City Flushing Meadows–Corona Park Futurism New York (state) historical anniversaries Robert Moses projects 1965 in science