We visited THE WORLD’S FAIR exhibit at the Missouri History Museum, with Phil Taxman being our docent guide.
The 1904 World’s Fair was a complex, fascinating event that continues to evoke a range of emotions. Now, 122 years after it opened in St. Louis, the 1904 World’s Fair exhibit reintroduced you to the Fair and its legacy in a way you never experienced before.
St. Louis was the center of the world in 1904. With multicultural exhibitions and architectural marvels that swept across nearly 1,200 acres of Forest Park, the 1904 World’s Fair (also known as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition) was truly larger than life. Twenty million visitors attended this pivotal event in St. Louis history—one that continues to attract both awe and criticism over a century later.
After viewing the exhibit, we took a short driving tour, showing buildings and sites from the Fair that are still around today, then head for lunch. Lunch was ‘order from menu’ and pay your own tab at Rigazzi’s on the Hill. There was a $5 per car fee for JAGSL.
Planning and Preparation:
Our team at JAGSL decided on taking advantage of highlighting the highly regarded ‘1904 World’s Fair’ exhibit at The Missouri History Museum. The overall plan was to spend time with the exhibit, then drive around the actual expansive area of over 1200 acres, viewing the remaining buildings, finishing up at another historical well-known local eating establishment, Rigazzi’s on the Hill! Imagine that we have in our backyard not only this history being recognized but also the lasting legacy of Forest Park! This year, we wanted to look at things that are, as they say; ‘right under our noses’! We took the opportunity to include/invite the AACA and CCCA clubs for this event so you can now pass along this St. Louis historical highlight to others.
Event day:
Our group gathered at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday March 8th in the parking lot of the Missouri History Museum. We all signed-in, mingled and enjoyed assorted donuts and pastries with bottled water. Philip Taxman welcomed everyone and did a short introduction about the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, then we all entered the Museum. The Missouri History Museum sits on the ground that was the grand entrance to the Fair.
The weather was glorious! Members of JAGSL, AACA and CCCA totaled 44 participants driving 25 cars with some classics included, both cars and people, haaa…. It was a beautiful day with a brisk morning leading to a shedding of layers as the day progressed. Just like last year there had been days of rain preceding this Sunday’s 60 degrees with sunny skies, a welcome reprieve from what we had been experiencing.
We entered the Museum at 10 am and proceeded to the 1904 World’s Fair display with a masterful presentation by Philip Taxman. Philip & Lupe are Donors to the Museum and well versed on the Fair, having been members of the 1904 World’s Fair Society for over 35 years. An interesting tidbit is that Philip & Lupe’s home is located on the grounds where the Floral Clock was located! The exhibit is amazing with many details and memorabilia surrounding the diorama layout, which is 1:400 scale. The majority of the buildings were temporary, more on that later, as the Fair opened in April and closed in December. Many of the attendance, financial and other details are indicated in the group of pictures that accompany this recap. Our Fair is considered to be the largest and grandest World’s Fair ever held!
The next part of the event was to get back into our cars at 11:15 and tour the actual sites where buildings from the Fair were placed. Descriptions were provided along the route about landmarks and points of interest as we leisurely drove around Forest Park, the city of St. Louis and even parts of Clayton. There are a few buildings that were permanent structures from the 1904 World’s Fair that survive to this day. These include The Art Museum, The Bird Cage at the Zoo, Brookings Hall at Washington University, and Lindell Pavillion in Forest Park. The World’s Fair Pavillion and the original building of the Missouri History Museum (aka the Jefferson Memorial), were built after the Fair ended with profits from the Fair.
Our driving tour ended by taking us to Rigazzi’s for lunch. Its location is on “The Hill”, a historical area with many fine dining as well as casual restaurants. We arranged for a private room with plenty of space for the 35 that stayed for lunch. Many members said they hadn’t been to Rigazzi’s for many years and it was a treat!
This was a relatively short Sunday activity due to staying in St. Louis so we all had time for family gatherings. Thank you to all that attended!!
Your hosts: Jim & Lisa, Philip & Lupe, Mark & Glenda
