I am in NY and at the site of the 1964 / 65 NY World’s Fair. This is where Walt Disney got the sponsorship from four big companies: Ford, General Electric, State of Illinois and Pepsi Cola to build amazing attractions. He created The Magic Skyway (Ford), The Carrousel of Progress (General Electric), Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln (State of Illinois), and It’s a Small World (Pepsi). The Disney videos enclosed show these attractions in their original state.
As I walk around the grounds it is very interesting to see what is still here after all these years.
I have to ask myself how in 1964 was such a massive event put together that was only for two years.
When you watch the videos you will see where Disney got the idea for EPCOT as it is today. The 1964 Worlds Fair has pavilions dedicated to the future as well as cultural buildings from many countries. This is exactly like EPCOT with Future World and World Showcase. The thing that you don’t get from watching these videos is how massive this fair was. The Uni-sphere (global) is 140 ft tall (12 stories) and cost two million dollars to build. It’s massive and still here today.
Then past the unisphere to the right The World’s Fair Observation Towers and New York State Pavilion. The two towers are the structures you might remember from the Men in Black movie. These are still here all rusted and surrounded by weeds.
They are much higher in person than I realized. Everything was built on a grand scale. Unfortunately the company that created the Worlds Fair went bankrupt in 1965 so most buildings were never used after the fair. The Queens Theatre took over the circular Circarama adjacent to the towers in 1994 but the rest of the area has been left as you see in my photos.
From here I walked past a small Queens zoo and over to the Fairs Heliport. This building is in use today as a banquet/catering facility called “Terrace on the Park” but it looks like it is in much need of maintenance. It also towers well above you.
It is amazing to me that in 1964 all these giant exhibits where built here. Today you think about all the temporary exhibits that come and go and when you watch these World Fair videos you will see where Walt Disney used ideas for Disneyland and Disney World. The dinosaurs in the Magic Skyway (Ford) pavilion remind me of the Universe of Energy, even the scenes they created look identical. The story line used in the old EPCOT World on Motion, and Horizon pillions also look very similar to some of the extinct Worlds Fair exhibits. It is also kind of strange to see these old Disney Worlds Fair Videos and see the Characters walking around these same grounds as I am today which are now mostly grassy areas and old soccer fields.
You need to watch these videos that showcase the NY worlds fair and also the Disney Exhibits. My favorite is the one that shows it’s a Small World. The first video shows photos of some of the buildings, and the futuristic architecture is very cool.
A quick view of the NY Worlds Fair
Walt Disney Getting ready for the NY World Fair 1 – The Ford Magic Skyway
Part 2 – Walt Disney Getting ready for the NY World Fair – Abraham Lincon
Part 3 – NY Worlds Fair – General Electric’s Carrousel of Progress
Part 4 – NY World’s Fair – It’s a Small World
Part 5 – NY World’s Fair – Small World part 2
