ABANDONED 1964 New York Worlds Fair

🌐 General Overview

• Location: Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York

• Years held: 1964–1965 (April–October each year)

• Theme: “Peace Through Understanding”

• Symbol: The Unisphere, a giant stainless-steel model of the Earth that still stands today.

🏢 Major Exhibits & Innovations

1. Disney’s Groundbreaking Attractions

The fair showcased four attractions developed by Walt Disney Imagineering, many of which later became Disney park classics:

• It’s a Small World – Created for UNICEF; debuted its famous song.

• Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln – Early audio-animatronic technology.

• The Carousel of Progress – Sponsored by GE; later moved to Disney parks.

• Ford’s Magic Skyway – Featured a ride in real Ford convertibles.

2. Corporate Pavilions

Dozens of major companies participated, including:

• IBM – Demonstrated early computer technologies.

• Bell System – Introduced the Picturephone (a precursor to video calling).

• General Motors (Futurama II) – Featured visions of future highways, cities, and undersea living.

🌍 International Participation

• The fair was not officially sanctioned by the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE), which led many nations to decline participation.

• Still, countries like Japan, Spain, Vatican City, Mexico, Austria, and Switzerland built popular pavilions.

🎠 Cultural & Architectural Highlights

• The Unisphere (140 ft tall) symbolized global interdependence and space-age optimism.

• The New York State Pavilion, designed by Philip Johnson, featured the elevated “Tent of Tomorrow” and observation towers (famous today from Men in Black).

• Sinclair Oil’s Dinosaur Exhibit – Life-size dinos later became traveling icons.

🚀 Technology & Future Visions

Many exhibits focused on:

• Space exploration

• Computers and automation

• Modern transportation (maglev trains, monorails, concept cars)

• Predictions of life in the year 2000 and beyond

The fair helped popularize the Space Age aesthetic and optimistic futurism.

👥 Attendance & Legacy

• Over 51 million visitors attended across the two seasons.

• Despite high attendance, the fair lost money, partly due to construction costs and lack of international backing.

• Its legacy includes:

  • The Unisphere (still a NYC landmark)

  • Lasting influence on Disney theme parks

  • Expanded highways and infrastructure in Queens

  • A cultural snapshot of American mid-century optimism