The 1904 St. Louis World's Fair

Every Friday AAMSE's Gateway to Discovery will be featuring interesting information about the 

2013 Annual Conference host city: St. Louis.

This past Wednesday, April 30, marked the 109th anniversary of the St. Louis World's Fair. To commemorate the remarkable event that introduced the world to such great inventions as the ice cream cone, hot dog and iced tea, here are a few interesting facts about the 1904 World's Fair.

• The fairground, designed by architect George Kessler, stretched 1,200 acres over what is now Forest Park and the Washington University campus.
• More than 1500 buildings were constructed for the fair.



St. Louis World's Fair Pavilion







• Modern day visitors can experience the fairgrounds by visiting Forest Park, where many of the World's Fair buildings now house attractions such as the St. Louis Art Museum, the St. Louis Zoo and the Missouri History Museum.

• Officially named The Louisiana Purchase Exhibition, the fair commemorated the 100th anniversary of Thomas Jefferson's acquisition of the 828,000 square mile Louisiana Territory.
• An estimated 20 million people visited the St. Louis World's Fair from when it opened on April 30, 1904 to when it closed on December 1, 1904.
• The 1904 World's Fair was such a major attraction that the 1904 Summer Olympics, originally to be hosted in Chicago, were relocated to St. Louis.

Make sure you register for the 2013 Annual Conference to enjoy an array of high quality educational sessions, invaluable networking events and the many exciting attractions of St. Louis.

To register or for more information visit the 2013 Annual Conference website.

photo courtesy of Jason Scragz's photostream