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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The biggest building in the world was at the 1893 Columbian Exposition
How big was the Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building at the 1893 World’s Fair? The MLAB was the largest building in the world and the largest roofed building that had ever erected at that [...]
The Myth of Marble: A Roman Statue of “Minerva” at the 1893 World’s Fair
Chicago is abuzz about “Myth and Marble,” a fabulous new exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago running from March 15 to June 29, 2025. On display are fifty-eight magnificent sculptures of gods and [...]
“Isn’t it hideous?” Cleveland Caricature is a Columbian Claptrap
A flower arrangement made of immortelles (everlastings) at the 1893 World’s Fair intended to depict President Grover Cleveland. The floral display in the Horticultural Building turned heads and turned stomachs. This article in the [...]
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.
Apr. 26, 2925: Help clean up Jackson Park (Chicago)
Jackson Park is hallowed ground for 1893 World’s Fair enthusiasts. To honor Earth Day, Friends of the Parks is sponsoring a clean-up day in Jackson Park and other Chicago parks on Saturday, April 26, [...]
Apr. 8, 2025: “Perspective of Wonder: A Tour of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition” (Hinsdale, IL)
Author Cindy Angell Keeling will offer a fascinating introduction to the spectacular Chicago World’s Fair in her presentation “Perspective of Wonder: A Tour of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition” on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, [...]
Mar. 27–29, 2025: World’s Fair Women in “The Mammy Project” (Blue Lake, CA)
Nancy Green and Ida B. Wells, two women who played important and diverse roles in the 1893 World’s Fair, are the subject of a performance by Michelle Matlock playing in Blue Lake, CA, on [...]
Jan 14, 2025: World’s Fair Auction #46 closes
World’s Fair Auction #46 is now open, and online bidding closes at 10:00 PM EST on Tuesday, January 14, 2025. The auction catalog can be viewed at: http://www.worldsfairauction.com/cgi-bin/catalog.cgi. Lots 6 through 36 are items [...]
Jackson Park Prints to Support Block Club Chicago
Block Club Chicago—a nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering reliable, nonpartisan, and essential coverage of Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods—has two gorgeous poster prints depicting remnants of the 1893 World’s Fair. The 6-by-20-inch limited-edition prints by [...]
Season’s Readings: 2024 Books about the World’s Columbian Exposition
Relatively few new books were added to the Columbian Exposition bookshelf this past year, but the small selection does cover several interesting topics. Three new academic works explore the Woman’s Building, model Haida Village, [...]
