Remaining structures illuminations in 1889 Most of the structures are temporary and are dismantled after the fair closes, except for landmark towers. By far the most famous of these is the
Eiffel Tower, built for the
Exposition Universelle (1889). Although it is now the most recognized symbol of its host city
Paris, there were contemporary critics opposed to its construction, and demands for it to be dismantled after the fair's conclusion. Other structures that remain from these fairs: • 1851 – London:
The Crystal Palace, from the first World's Fair in London, designed so that it could be recycled to recoup losses, was such a success that it was moved and intended to be permanent, only to be destroyed by a fire in 1936. • 1876 – Philadelphia: The
Centennial Exposition's main building,
Memorial Hall, is still in
Fairmount Park,
Philadelphia, and serving as the new home for the
Please Touch Museum. The space under the entrance to
Memorial Hall houses a scale model of the entire Exposition. • 1880 – Melbourne: The
World Heritage–listed
Royal Exhibition Building in
Melbourne, constructed for the
Melbourne International Exhibition. • 1893 – Chicago: The
Museum of Science and Industry in
Chicago is housed in the former Palace of Fine Arts, one of the last remaining buildings of the
World's Columbian Exposition. In conjunction with the fair, the
Art Institute of Chicago building was built to house conferences, as the World's Congress Auxiliary Building. The
Garden of the Phoenix, a remnant of the Japanese pavilion, also survives. The intent or hope was to make all Columbian structures permanent, but most of the structures burned, possibly the result of arson during the
Pullman Strike. The foundation of the world's first
Ferris Wheel, which operated at the Exposition, was unearthed on the
Chicago Midway during a construction project by
the University of Chicago, whose campus now surrounds the Midway. Relocated survivors include the Norway pavilion, a small house now at a museum in Wisconsin, and the Maine State Building, now at the Poland Springs Resort in Maine. • 1894 – San Francisco: The
Japanese Tea Garden in
San Francisco's
Golden Gate Park is the last major remnant of the
California Midwinter International Exposition. Large ornamental wooden gates and a pagoda from the 1915
Panama–Pacific International Exposition were brought in after the latter fair closed, making the Tea Garden a rare if not unique instance of a survivor that incorporates architectural features from two completely separate fairs. • 1897 – Nashville: A full-scale replica of the
Parthenon was built for the
Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition where it stands today in
Nashville's
Centennial Park. It features plaster reproductions of the
Elgin Marbles and, in 1990, a re-creation of the original
Athena Parthenos statue was installed inside just as it was in the original
Parthenon in ancient Greece. • 1900 – Paris: the
Grand Palais and
Petit Palais. • at
Washington University in St. Louis, the administration building of the
1904 World's Fair1904 – St. Louis: The
St. Louis Art Museum in
Forest Park, originally the Palace of the Fine Arts, and
Brookings Hall at
Washington University in St. Louis, are remnants of the
Louisiana Purchase Exposition (held a year late, as it was originally intended to be the centennial of the
Louisiana Purchase. But organizers, and President
Theodore Roosevelt, wanted the fair to be held during the Olympics which were moved from Chicago.), better known as the St. Louis World's Fair. The aviary in Forest Park gave root to the
St. Louis Zoo. • 1906 – Milan: The
Civic Aquarium of Milan built for the
Milan Exposition is still open after 100 years and was recently renovated. The
International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) was settled in Milan during the fair and had its first congress in the Expo pavilions. In June 2006 the ICOH celebrated the first century of its life in Milan. An elevated railway with trains running at short intervals linked the fair to the city center. It was dismantled in the 1920s. • 1909 – Seattle: The landscaping (by the Olmsted brothers) from the
Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition (AYPE) in Seattle still forms much of the
University of Washington campus. The only major building left from the AYPE, Architecture Hall, is used by the university's architecture school. • 1915 – San Francisco: The
Palace of Fine Arts in
San Francisco and its adjacent artificial lagoon are the only major remnants of the
Panama–Pacific International Exposition still in their original locations on the former fairgrounds (now the city's
Marina District neighborhood), but the building is almost entirely a reconstruction. The plaster-surfaced original, not intended to survive after the fair, was a crumbling ruin in 1964 when all but the steel framework was demolished so that it could be reproduced in concrete. The San Francisco Civic Auditorium, now the
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, is another major legacy of the fair but was built off-site in the city's
Civic Center. The independent
Panama–California Exposition in
San Diego left a substantial legacy of permanent buildings and other structures which today define its site, San Diego's central
Balboa Park, including the Prado walkway, the California Tower and Dome (now home to the
Museum of Us), the 1,500-foot Cabrillo Bridge, the lily pond and botanical gardens, and the
Spreckels Organ Pavilion. • 1929 – Seville and Barcelona: much survives from the two simultaneous fairs
Spain hosted that year. The most famous are the remnants of the
Ibero-American Exposition in
Seville, in which the Spanish Pavilion's
Plaza de España forms part of a large park and forecourt. Most of that fair's pavilions have survived and been adapted for other uses, with many of them becoming
consulates-general for the countries that built them. The
Barcelona International Exposition featured the famous
German pavilion designed by
Mies van der Rohe, which was demolished but later rebuilt on the original site. • 1936 – Johannesburg: The
Empire Exhibition, South Africa was built close to the
University of the Witwatersrand, and by the late 1970s the growth of the university was large enough to incorporate the permanent buildings from the exhibition. In 1985, the university purchased the South African Government Building; the two Heavy Machinery Halls, now called Empire Hall and the Dining Hall; the Hall of Transport; the Tower of Light; the Cape Dutch complex; and the Bien Donne Restaurant. • 1939 – New York City:
The New York City Building from the
1939's World Fair, was reused for the 1964 World's Fair and is now the Queens Museum.
Parachute jump was a ride from the fair. It was moved to the
Coney Island boardwalk in
Brooklyn. • 1942 – Rome: A special case is the
EUR quarter in
Rome, built for a World's Fair planned for 1942 but cancelled because of
World War II. Today it hosts governmental and private offices, and several museums. • 1958 – Brussels: In
Brussels, the
Atomium still stands at the exposition site. It is a 165-billion-times-enlarged iron-crystal-shaped building. Until June 2012, the "American Theatre" on the Expo grounds was frequently used as a television studio by the
VRT. – World's Fair sign at 47th and Aurora, 1962 • 1962 – Seattle: The
Space Needle theme building of the
Century 21 Exposition commonly known as the Seattle World's Fair still stands as a
Seattle icon and landmark. The
Seattle Center Monorail, the other widely known futuristic feature of the fair, still operates daily. The US pavilion became the
Pacific Science Center. The original exterior and roof of the Washington State Pavilion has been preserved as a landmark, and now is part of
Climate Pledge Arena. • 1964 – New York City: many structures still stand • The
Unisphere, built for the
second New York World's Fair, stands on its original site in Flushing Meadows, Queens •
New York Hall of Science, built for the fair, continues to operate as a science museum, similar to its original role • The Port Authority Heliport and Exhibit is now the
Terrace on the Park event and catering venue • The
New York State Pavilion is mostly derelict, but is still an icon, with its observation towers prominently featured in 1997's
Men in Black. The Theaterama building is the only portion still maintained, and is used by the
Queens Theater. The Tent of Tomorrow building and observation towers are being restored . • The New York City Pavilion, a holdover form the
1939 fair, continues to serve as the home of the
Queens Museum • Other artifacts remain throughout the park, and many buildings were transported for use elsewhere and continue to function. • 1967 – Montreal: Among
the structures still standing from Expo 67 in Montreal are
Moshe Safdie's
Habitat 67,
Buckminster Fuller's American pavilion the "
Montreal Biosphere", the Jamaica Pavilion, the Tunisia Pavilion, and the French pavilion (now the
Montreal Casino). • 1968 – San Antonio: San Antonio kept the
Tower of the Americas, the
Institute of Texan Cultures and the Convention Center from HemisFair '68. • 1970 – Osaka: The
Tower of the Sun was left standing, but was neglected after the conclusion of the
Expo '70. After restoration to the structure was completed, the museum inside the tower was re-opened on 18 March 2018. • 1974 – Spokane:
Spokane still has its
Riverfront Park that was created for Expo '74—the park remains a popular and iconic part of Spokane's downtown. • 1982 – Knoxville: The
Sunsphere from the
Knoxville World's Fair remains as a feature of
Knoxville's skyline. • 1984 – New Orleans: The main pavilions of the
1984 New Orleans World's Fair became the
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, which is also known for its use as a shelter of last resort during
Hurricane Katrina and later hosted the
Miss Universe in
2022. • 1986 – Vancouver: In
Vancouver, many
Expo 86 projects were designed as legacy projects. Of note are the
Skytrain,
Science World and
Canada Place. • 1988 – Brisbane: The
Skyneedle, the symbol tower of
Expo '88 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, still stands. Other survivors are the
Nepalese Peace Pagoda of the Nepalese representation, now at the transformed World Expo '88 site South Bank Parklands, and the Japan Pond and Garden from the Japanese representation, now at the Brisbane Mount Cooth-tha Botanic Gardens. In 2018 the World Expo 88 Art Trail was re-birthed and dramatically expanded as part of the 30th Anniversary of World expo 88, now forming a Major tourist attraction in its own right. • 1992 – Seville: The pavilions of
Expo '92 in Seville had been converted into a technological square and a
theme park. • 1998 – Lisbon: The main buildings of
Expo '98 in
Lisbon were completely integrated into the city itself and many of the art exhibition pieces still remain. • 2005 – Nagoya: The
home of Satsuki & Mei Kusakabe, built for the 2005 Expo in
Aichi, remains operating at its original site in Morikoro Park and is a popular tourist attraction, eventually being incorporated into
Ghibli Park in 2022. at the
Expo 2010; repurposed as a museum • 2010 – Shanghai: The
China pavilion from
Expo 2010 in Shanghai, the largest display in the history of the World Expo, is now the
China Art Museum, the largest art museum in Asia. • 2015 – Milan: The Italian Pavilion of Expo 2015 remains on the original site.
Reuse of sites Some world's fair sites became (or reverted to) parks incorporating some of the expo elements, such as: •
Audubon Park, New Orleans: Site of New Orleans's
World Cotton Centennial in 1884 •
Jackson Park, Chicago and the
Chicago Midway: Site of the 1893
Columbian Exposition •
Centennial Park,
Nashville:
Tennessee Centennial Expo in 1897 •
Forest Park, Saint Louis: Home of the
Saint Louis Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904 •
San Diego:
Panama–California Exposition (1915) and
California Pacific International Exposition (1935) •
Seattle Center:
Century 21 Exposition in 1962 •
Flushing Meadows Park,
Queens,
New York City: Site of both the
1939 New York World's Fair and the
1964 New York World's Fair •
Montreal:
Expo 67 •
San Antonio:
HemisFair '68 •
Expo Commemoration Park,
Osaka:
Expo '70 •
Riverfront Park,
Spokane:
Expo '74 •
World's Fair Park,
Knoxville:
1982 World's Fair •
Vancouver:
Expo 86 •
Brisbane:
Expo '88: now represented with the
South Bank Parklands •
Seville:
Expo '92 •
Daejeon (Taejŏn):
Expo '93 •
Lisbon:
Expo '98 was divided into several structures:
Pavilhão Atlântico,
Casino Lisboa,
Oceanário and . •
Shanghai Expo Park:
Expo 2010 • Rho,
Milan,
Lombardy District:
Expo 2015 Relocation of pavilions Some pavilions have been transported overseas intact: • The Argentine Pavilion from the
1889 Paris was relocated to
Buenos Aires, Argentina until its demolition in 1932. • The Chilean Pavilion from
1889 Paris is now in
Santiago, Chile, and following significant refurbishment in 1992 functions as the Museo Artequin • The
Peruvian Pavilion from
1900 Paris was partially rebuilt in
Lima, as home to the Military Academy of History. • The
Japanese Tower of the 1900 World's Fair in Paris was relocated to
Laken (Brussels) on request of King Leopold II of Belgium. • The
Belgium Pavilion from the 1939 New York World's Fair was relocated to
Virginia Union University in
Richmond, Virginia. • The
USSR Pavilion from
Expo 67 is now in
Moscow. • The
Sanyo Pavilion from
Expo '70 is the Asian Centre at the
University of British Columbia in
Vancouver. • The Portugal Pavilion from
Expo 2000 is now in
Coimbra, Portugal. • The United Arab Emirates Pavilion from
Expo 2010 is now in
Saadiyat Island in
Abu Dhabi in UAE • The Bahrain Pavilion from
Expo 2015 was relocated to Bahrain. The Azerbaijan Pavilion is in that country's capital
Baku. The Chinese Pavilion was brought back to
Qingdao and is on the site of the 2014 horticultural exhibition. • The
Save the Children Italy pavilion from Expo 2015 was dismantled and re-built as school for Syrian refugee children in
Lebanon. The Brussels
Expo '58 relocated many pavilions within
Belgium: the pavilion of Jacques Chocolats moved to the town of
Diest to house the new town swimming pool. Another pavilion was relocated to
Willebroek and has been used as dance hall Carré ever since. One smaller pavilion still stands on the boulevard towards the
Atomium: the restaurant "Salon 58" in the pavilion of Comptoir Tuilier.
Other legacies Many exhibitions and rides created by
Walt Disney and his
WED Enterprises company for the
1964 New York World's Fair (which was held over into 1965) were moved to
Disneyland after the closing of the Fair. Many of the rides, including "
It's a Small World", and "
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln", as well as the building that housed the
Carousel of Progress are still in operation. The concept of a permanent world's fair came to fruition with the Disney
Epcot theme park at the
Walt Disney World Resort, near
Orlando, Florida. Epcot has many characteristics of a typical universal exposition: national pavilions and exhibits concerning technology and/or the future, along with more typical amusement park rides. Meanwhile, several of the 1964 attractions that were relocated to Disneyland have been duplicated at the
Walt Disney World Resort. Occasionally other mementos of the fairs remain. In the
New York City Subway system, signs directing people to
Flushing Meadows–Corona Park remain from the 1964–1965 event. In the
Montreal Metro subway at least one tile artwork of its theme, "Man and His World", remains. Also, a seemingly endless supply of souvenir items from fair visits can be found, and in the United States, at least, often turn up at garage or estate sales. Many fairs and expos produced
postage stamps and commemorative
coins. ==See also==