The 1893 World’s Fair
Welcome Columbian Exposition enthusiasts!
This educational, non-profit website is dedicated to the history and legacy of the 1893 World’s Fair held in Chicago. We aim to explore details of its buildings and lesser known corners of the fairgrounds, to rediscover the countless attractions ranging from the astounding to the mundane, and to document stories about the people who built and experienced the fair.
The Columbian Exposition remains alive today through research and reprints; learning about news and events; exploring sites and exhibits; cataloging World’s Fair fiction, drama, art, and other media; and collecting antiques and products. Enjoy our “nerds-eye” view of the Fair!
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Reaching the fairgrounds by cable car, cattle car, steamboat, or L?
Visitors to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition had many options for transportation to (and within), the fairgrounds. The poem below, about various transportation modes, may have been a sly advertisement for the company mentioned [...]
“The crush was terrible”: A firsthand account of Opening Day at the 1893 World’s Fair
A correspondent to the Russell Record in Russell County, Kansas, offered this account of Opening Day of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. Despite having a rather unpleasant time adrift in the “Surging Sea of [...]
Angels in the Spandrels: The Winged Decorations of Louis Sullivan’s Transportation Building
Critics glorified and reviled Louis Sullivan’s renegade design for the Transportation Building at the 1893 World’s Fair. The polychromatic color scheme and the grand Golden Door received the most commentary at the time of [...]
Maps
Explore maps of the fairgounds and a map of existing sites associated with the 1893 World’s Fair, visit Columbian Exhibition exhibits, or discover vestiges of the fair.
Curiosities from the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair
The University of Illinois has shared some interesting artifacts from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition that are held in the University Archives and campus libraries. The article by Nicole Cazley and Kim Schmidt features [...]
May 14, 2024: “L Car No. 1 First Look” (Chicago)
The Guild of the Chicago History Museum will host an exclusive first look at the newly renovated elevated train car that took visitors to the 1893 World’s Fair. Attendees will peruse World’s Fair artifacts [...]
May 10, 2024: “MEET ME AT THE FAIR!: Music from the Great World’s Fairs” (Clarks Summit, PA)
Paragon Ragtime Orchestra will present MEET ME AT THE FAIR!: Music from the Great “World’s Fairs” on May 10, 2024, in Clarks Summit, PA. A spectacular musical celebration of the legendary world’s fairs, including [...]
Greetings from a Transportation Angel
We were delighted to hear from several readers about the lovely images featured in our recent post “Angels in the Spandrels: The Winged Decorations of Louis Sullivan’s Transportation Building” We’ve made the image available [...]
1893 World’s Columbian Exposition “Construction Team” clothing
None of the thousands of workers who built the fairgrounds of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition ever got a souvenir insignia apparel, but that doesn't mean you can't! The Walt Disney Birthplace project offers [...]
Columbian Cocktails at The Meadowlark in Chicago
A secret bar sits along a quiet side street in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood, nestled inside an unassuming brick building. Look for the door underneath the small bird cut-out sign and step inside the [...]