New York World's Fair 1964-1965
the Fair opened April 22, 1964. 45 years ago today.
I was 4 years old when the Fair opened. I remember going twice, once in 1964 and a second time in 1965. somewhere in my mom's closet there's a box of slides showing the whole family at various places around the Fair. I don't think we have any snapshots, and we haven't looked at the slides in years.
I remember the Unisphere:
Sinclair Oil's Dinoland:
and, of course, Disney's "It's a Small World":
I had a "45" with the "Small World" song, which I played on my portable record player until the vinyl wore out, and I had a book that showed how the dolls were made for the ride -- very innovative technology in 1964.
After the Fair was over...well, the Disney exhibits all made their way to disneyland, of course. My ex and I had to see "Small World" and "Carousel of Progress" on our Disneyworld honeymoon in 1987. Dinoland made a reappearance at Roosevelt Field shopping Center (before it was a mall) in 1966, I think -- I remember visiting the dinosaurs there. and there are remnants of the fair still found in Flushing Meadow Park -- the Unisphere, of course, the New York Hall of science,
the Queens Museum, which houses a World's Fair exhibit (my ex and I went to see the Exhibit years ago, it covered both the 1939-1940 and 1964-1965 Fairs)
and the New York State Pavillion:
"Men in black" fans will remember these towers, part of the Pavillion:
Do you see those funky streetlights at the bottom of the photo? I'm not sure where they wound up, but for many years after the Fair closed, a bunch of thse streetlights were in a parking lot right off the Long Island Expressway, we used to see them whenever my parents took us into Queens to visit my grandma.
my ex...well, he's two years older than I am, and his parents took him to the Fair many, many times, so he can tell you all about exhibits at the Fair that I have long since forgotten, about souvenirs, and food, and all the things that went into the Fair.
my memories are not nearly as complete.
but the Fair made a huge impression on me. it's a memory I will cherish always.
I was 4 years old when the Fair opened. I remember going twice, once in 1964 and a second time in 1965. somewhere in my mom's closet there's a box of slides showing the whole family at various places around the Fair. I don't think we have any snapshots, and we haven't looked at the slides in years.
I remember the Unisphere:
Sinclair Oil's Dinoland:
and, of course, Disney's "It's a Small World":
I had a "45" with the "Small World" song, which I played on my portable record player until the vinyl wore out, and I had a book that showed how the dolls were made for the ride -- very innovative technology in 1964.
After the Fair was over...well, the Disney exhibits all made their way to disneyland, of course. My ex and I had to see "Small World" and "Carousel of Progress" on our Disneyworld honeymoon in 1987. Dinoland made a reappearance at Roosevelt Field shopping Center (before it was a mall) in 1966, I think -- I remember visiting the dinosaurs there. and there are remnants of the fair still found in Flushing Meadow Park -- the Unisphere, of course, the New York Hall of science,
the Queens Museum, which houses a World's Fair exhibit (my ex and I went to see the Exhibit years ago, it covered both the 1939-1940 and 1964-1965 Fairs)
and the New York State Pavillion:
"Men in black" fans will remember these towers, part of the Pavillion:
Do you see those funky streetlights at the bottom of the photo? I'm not sure where they wound up, but for many years after the Fair closed, a bunch of thse streetlights were in a parking lot right off the Long Island Expressway, we used to see them whenever my parents took us into Queens to visit my grandma.
my ex...well, he's two years older than I am, and his parents took him to the Fair many, many times, so he can tell you all about exhibits at the Fair that I have long since forgotten, about souvenirs, and food, and all the things that went into the Fair.
my memories are not nearly as complete.
but the Fair made a huge impression on me. it's a memory I will cherish always.
That is so cool. We drove by the Unisphere and the NY Pavillion numerous times heading into NYC as a kid. I'd always wanted to stop and see what was left.
ReplyDeleteThe two NY expos made such a positive impression on my Dad that we planned two summer vacations around Expos (world's fairs). The first was in Knoxville in 1982 and the second was in New Orleans in 1984.
there's not mich left. when the ex and I went to the Queens Museum to see the exhibit, we walked around the park a bit. the NYS pavillion is literally falling apart.
ReplyDelete