Opening Day at the World’s Columbian Exposition, May 1, 1893, brought “the greatest crowd Chicago has ever seen or probably ever will witness” into Jackson Park. The tally of total visitors inside the fairground, was close to 400,000, with 242,000 people buying tickets at the gate and another 150,000 arriving with pre-purchased souvenir tickets. The event may have been the greatest crowd Chicago had ever seen, but the record soon would be broken.
Imagining such a “surging sea of humanity” from the perspective of May 1, 2019, is strange and sobering. We hope our readers are staying safe and healthy. If you would like to take a vacation to May 1, 1893, we offer a day packed with incredible events, including:
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