This ticket is in remarkable condition for being 132 years old! The 1893 World’s Fair, officially known as the World’s Columbian Exposition, was held in Chicago to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas (1492). It ran from May 1 to October 30, 1893, and is considered one of the most influential events in American history.

Key Facts:

• Location: Jackson Park, Chicago

• Size: Over 600 acres

• Visitors: Over 27 million people

• Architectural Style: Beaux-Arts, with many buildings painted white—earning it the nickname “The White City”

• Organizers: Led by architect Daniel Burnham, with landscape architecture by Frederick Law Olmsted (of Central Park fame)

Major Firsts and Innovations:

• Debut of the Ferris Wheel, created by George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. (America’s answer to the Eiffel Tower from the 1889 Paris Fair)

• Introduction of products like:

  • Cracker Jack

  • Juicy Fruit gum

  • Pabst Blue Ribbon beer

  • Shredded Wheat

• Early use of AC electricity, thanks to a system designed by Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse, which helped AC win over Edison’s DC

Cultural and Historical Impact:

• Showcased the United States as an emerging industrial power

• Celebrated modernity, progress, and innovation

• Had exhibits from 46 countries

• Influenced American architecture and urban planning (inspired the City Beautiful movement)

• Included an extensive Midway Plaisance, featuring amusements, food, and international pavilions (also where the term “midway” for fairground attractions originated)

Legacy:

• The fair left a lasting impact on Chicago and the country—many credit it with shaping the American Century

• Writers like Mark Twain and L. Frank Baum (author of The Wizard of Oz) were inspired by it

• Only one major building remains today: the Museum of Science and Industry, originally the Palace of Fine Arts