Displays about the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition can be found in museums, restaurants, hotels, and other public spaces around the globe. Exhibits about the Fair are listed below, organized by location (alphabetically).
A separate pages lists vestiges from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.
Plan your visit using our map of sites associated with the Fair.
UNITED STATES
CALIFORNIA
The West Coast Clock and Watch Museum in Vista, CA
COLORADO
Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave in Golden displays about the Wild West show outside the WCE
FLORIDA
The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake has some decorative art in the Main Street U.S.A. shops, as an homage to Elias Disney’s time working for the WCE.
ILLINOIS
The Bahai Temple in Wilmette has wall displays explaining the introduction of the Bahai faith in the U.S. at the WCE.
The Berghoff restaurant in Chicago has a display of Berghoff’s Beer and the WCE and many WCE photos
The Chicago History Museum in Chicago has permanent displays of the Chicago Crossroads exhibit and the Court of Honor diorama.
FEW Spirits in Evanston is a distillery steeped in WCE imagery.
The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago has a large collection of artifacts that were on display at the 1893 Fair
The Glessner House Museum in Chicago has displays about the Glessners and the WCE
Harry’s Sandwich Shop in the historic Monadnock Building in Chicago is decorated with WCE photos.
Hayden Hall in Chicago features original art inspired by the WCE.
The Marquette Building in Chicago has a display about the WCE in the first-floor lobby
The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago features the 999 Steam Locomotive and the Empire State Express
The Newberry Library in Chicago houses an extensive collection of WCE papers.
The Oak Park River Forest Museum in Oak Park houses displays a stock certificate from the WCE and an original painting associated with the Fair.
Osmium coffee bar in Chicago features a fantastic wall mural of a supernatural WCE Grand Basin.
The Union League Club in Chicago has a display case of WCE memorabilia in their first-floor lobby.
The Viking Ship (website) in Geneva is maintained by the Friends of the Viking Ship with a display of memorabilia from the WCE.
The Westclox Museum in Peru displays a clock sold at the WCE.
INDIANA
The Studebaker Museum in South Bend exhibits their 1893 Columbian Carriage along with wall displays about the Studebaker company at the WCE.
IOWA
The Buffalo Bill Museum (website) in Le Claire has a display of memorabilia from the Wild West Show next to the WCE
NEW YORK
The Corning Museum of Glass in Corning
The Richard Hunt Memorial in New York City honors the architect of the Administration Building at the WCE with a statue depicting a model of it.
PENNSYLVANIA
Hershey Story Museum in Hershey has exhibits about Milton Hershey and the WCE
The Pittsburgh Convention Center in Pittsburgh has a display about hometown engineer George Ferris.
WISCONSIN
Christopher Columbus Museum in Columbus
RECENT POSTS ABOUT WORLD’S FAIR EXHIBITS
Apr. 12-Aug. 11, 2024: Arte Diseño Xicágo II-From the World’s Fair To The Present Day (Chicago)
The National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago is hosting an exhibit that explores art from the time of the 1893 World’s Fair. Arte Diseño Xicágo II (Art Design Chicago II) runs from April 12 through August 11, 2024. This exhibition examines the 1893 World’s Fair as a platform for expressions of cultural identity and reveals how many Chicago and Mexican artists had similar objectives. The exhibition features 19th-century works of art from both Chicago and Mexico by some of the leading artists participating in the World’s Fair, along with contemporary artworks by Mexican-born, Chicago-based artists whose art reflects [...]
Feb.-Oct., 2024: “World’s Fairs, Expositions, & Centennial Celebrations of the Victorian Era” (Ames, IA)
The Farm House Museum at Iowa State University in Ames is hosting an exhibition on “World's Fairs, Expositions, & Centennial Celebrations of the Victorian Era” from February through October, 2024. This exhibition illustrates through objects and narrative the earliest World’s Fair in 1851 London, through several in Paris, and the Centennial and World’s Columbian Exhibitions in the United States. The University Museums’ permanent collection includes several objects that were souvenirs of some of the fifteen major World’s Fairs or Expositions held between 1851 and 1910. Souvenirs ranged from booklets, paper fans, buttons, and ribbons, to commemorative glassware and ceramics produced [...]
Jan-Dec, 2024: Dress worn at the 1893 World’s Fair on Display (Ripon, WI)
The small city of Ripon, Wisconsin, sent 1,375 of its citizens to experience the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. This was one-third of the city’s population at that time, reports the Ripon Press. A dress worn by one Ripon visitor to the World's Fair is a part of the collection at the Ripon Historical Society and is on display through the end of 2024 as part of its “The Stories We Wear” exhibit. The Society, located at 508 Watson Street in Ripon, is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 am to 1 pm. Ripon was the birthplace of [...]
May 26, 2023: “Chicago’s Legacy Hula” opens
A limited-time exhibition “Chicago's Legacy Hula” opened on May 26, 2023, at the Field Museum. Set inside the entrance to the Regenstein Hall of the Pacific, the exhibit includes the story of a Hawaiian musical group that made their way to the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. Queen Lili‘uokalani sent Hui Lei Mamo, a royal chorus and Hula troupe, from the island kingdom to perform at the Columbian Exposition. Soon after, pro-American forces in Hawaiʻi overthrew the Queen. The Volcano of Kilauea Cyclorama concession on the Midway Plaisance was run by businessman Lorrin A. Thurston, an American settler who [...]
Dec. 2, 2022 – Feb. 1, 2023: A Columbian Exposition quilt on display (Woodland, CA)
“Expressions in Cloth,” a new exhibition at YoloArts’ Gallery 625 in Woodland, California, includes a beautiful quilt by artist Sherry Werum that features images inspired by the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. World's Fair enthusiasts might see Louis Sullivan's iconic Golden Door entrance to the Transporation Building or William Le Baron Jenney's stunning glass dome of the Horticultural Building among Werum's intricate design. “Expressions in Cloth” runs from December 2, 2022, to February 1, 2023, at Gallery 625 (625 Court St. in Woodland). Sherry Werum's quilt featuring the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition is part of an exhibition [...]
Oct. 8, 2021: “City on Fire” opens at the Chicago History Museum
Embers of the Great Chicago Fire continue to smolder. Stories of tragedy and triumph from October 8–10, 1871, and the years of rebuilding that followed have been cause for somber remembrance and jubilant celebration throughout the years, including at “Chicago Day” held at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Fire, the Chicago History Museum has opened a new permanent exhibit, “City on Fire: Chicago 1871." Several displays and artifacts connected to the 1893 World’s Fair are featured. “City on Fire” focuses on the experiences of several survivors of the conflagration, including ten-year-old Fannie [...]
A visit to the Elmhurst History Museum
We had the pleasure of visiting the Elmhurst History Museum's new exhibit, “Worlds of Wonder: Remembering Chicagoland’s Amusement Parks”, which we described here. The story of amusement parks in Chicago begins at the great 1893 World's Columbian Exposition and continues through today. The exhibit is free and runs through August 18, 2019.
Finding the Fair at the Field
In terms of quantity and quality, one of the greatest collections of objects from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition resides in the Field Museum in Chicago. The permanent collection is a treasure trove of unique and fascinating items from the 1893 Exposition. We visited the museums several times recently to take in some of the temporary exhibits having World’s Fair materials on display and share a few photos here. Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation ran from July 29, 2017, through January 7, 2018. The exhibit, created by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center and the Smithsonian Institution [...]
Meat Free Since ’93: National Vegetarian Museum tours Chicago
Did you know that Chicago became an epicenter for vegetarianism in the late 1800s? This question open the display of the National Vegetarian Museum exhibit currently touring the Chicago region. Did you also know that it happened at the 1893 World’s Fair? In early June of 1893, vegetarians from around the world gathered in Chicago, "hog butcher for the world," as part of the World's Congress program of the Columbian Exposition. “Fresh countenances and sturdy frames characterized most of the vegetarians who met in a World's Congress,” reported the Chicago Daily Tribune (“Live on Vegetables” June 6, 1893) “Some [...]
Vienna Beef History Museum opens in Chicago
We have not yet reached the dog days of summer, but Chicago is already celebrating its most famous dog, with the opening of the Vienna Beef History Museum. The 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition launched the careers of many now-famous food items, including shredded wheat, Aunt Jemima pancake mix, chili, brownies, and one of Chicago’s iconic bites: the hot dog. The Vienna beef hot dog made its debut at the World’s Fair at a stand operated by Austrian-Hungarian immigrants Emil Reichel and Samuel Ladany. They sold their Vienna sausages for 10 cents in “Old Vienna” on the Midway. Also known [...]
Sep. 14, 2023 – Jan. 13, 2024: Harriet Monroe & the Open Door (Chicago)
The temporary exhibition Harriet Monroe & the Open Door at the Poetry Foundation in Chicago showcases the fascinating line connecting today’s world-renowned poetry magazine back to a poem written for the 1893 World’s Fair. Archival documents and photographs on display with accompanying descriptive texts tell the story of Harriet Monroe, her “Columbian Ode” poem, and the landmark copyright lawsuit that helped launch Poetry magazine. Part of the exhibition display for Harriet Monroe & the Open Door at the Poetry Foundation in Chicago. In 1891, the Committee on Ceremonies of the Columbian Exposition invited Harriet Monroe to write [...]
Aug 8-Oct. 31, 2023: “World’s Finest: Fly-Fishing Tackle” (Monee, IL)
A temporary exhibit featuring some historical fishing from the 1893 World’s Fair will open this fall at the Monee Reservoir Visitor Center in Monee, Illinois. Their exhibit “World’s Finest: Fly-Fishing Tackle” highlights influential anglers, all of whom exhibited at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. This ongoing program runs from Tuesday, Aug. 8, to Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023, at the Visitor Center (27341 S Ridgeland Ave in Monee) and is free. Paintings on display in the Angling Pavilion of the Fisheries Building at the 1893 World's Fair. [Image from Bancroft, Hubert Howe The Book of the Fair. The [...]
May 3-Aug 27, 2023: “The World Is Changing Exhibit” (Molly Brown House Museum, CO)
Among the amazing array of famous (or soon-to-be-famous) people walking the fairgrounds of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago was the Margaret “Molly” Brown. Posthumously known as “The Unsinkable Molly Brown,” she was a survivor of the tragic sinking of the Titanic, while her shipmate Francis (“Frank”) Millet, Director of Decoration and Function at the Columbian Exposition, went down with the ship. A new temporary exhibit about the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition has opened at the Molly Brown House Museum in Denver, Colorado. "The World Is Changing Exhibit" explores the summer when the Brown family visited the World’s Fair [...]
Feb. 4 – Dec. 23, 2023: “Viking’s Voyage” (Geneva History Museum, IL)
One of the largest surviving display artifacts of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition sits in a park in Geneva, Illinois. The Viking ship, a replica of the ancient Viking ship Gokstad, was built in Norway in 1892 and sailed to Chicago in 1893, surviving a long and dangerous non-stop crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. Since 1995, the ship has stood in Good Templar Park in Geneva, Illinois, and now is managed and preserved by the Friends of The Viking Ship (FOVS). A newly restored nine-foot-tall dragon head and tail of the ship will be on display for the first [...]
Nov. 3, 2022–Oct. 28, 2023: “The City Beyond the White City” (Charnley-Persky House Museum, Chicago)
A new exhibition explores the history of race and the built environment in Chicago through archaeology connecting the “White City” of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition to the material, spatial, and social histories of two 1892 structures—the Charnley-Persky House and the Mecca Flats—located respectively on Chicago’s privileged Near North and disinvested Near South Sides. The City Beyond the White City: Race, Two Chicago Homes, and their Neighborhoods, sponsored by the Charnley-Persky House Museum Foundation and Society of Architectural Historians Present the Exhibition has two components. A physical exhibition at the Charnley-Persky House runs from November 3, 2022–October 28, 2023, [...]
Aug. 20-Dec. 22, 2022: An exhibit of Korean Fashion from the 1893 World’s Fair (Washington, D.C.)
After centuries of relative isolation, Korea opened its borders to international trade and diplomacy in 1876, but for years the country remained little known outside of Asia. Korea’s participation in the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 changed that. Visitors to the Korean pavilion were dazzled by the colorful displays of traditional clothing (hanbok), such as embroidered silk jackets and robes made for the Joseon royal court. South Korea's emergence as a pop culture powerhouse and one of the most fashion-forward nations in the world is revealed in a new exhibit Korean Fashion: From Royal Court to Runway, on view [...]
Feb. 25-Jun. 25, 2022: “Crossings: Mapping American Journeys” (Newberry Library, Chicago)
A map of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition fairgrounds is part of a new exhibit at the Newberry Library in Chicago. Maps, guidebooks, travelogues, postcards, and more from the Library’s collection recreate travelers’ experiences along the northern and southern borders of the US, across the continent’s interior, and up and down the Mississippi River. “Crossings: Mapping American Journeys” includes an enlarged print of the Indexed Guide Map and Key to the World’s Fair Buildings, Grounds, and Exhibits from the Rand, McNally and Company for the Old Times Distillery Company. The Old Times Distillery Company of Louisville, Kentucky, sponsored a [...]
Jan. 28-Nov. 1, 2022: “No Compact of Silence” exhibit (Indianapolis)
The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site in Indianapolis has a new special exhibit highlighting national and local Black civil rights activists during President Benjamin Harrison’s term in office (1889–1893). “No ‘Compact of Silence’: Black Civil Rights Advocates in the Harrison Era” explores the complex dynamics of race in late 19th century America, including the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Prominent individuals who will be featured include Frederick Douglass and Ida B. Wells. April 1890, President Harrison officially signed an act providing for an “international exhibition of arts, industries, manufactures, and the products of the soil, mine, and sea" to [...]
Sept. 24, 2021: “Romanticism to Ruin: Two Lost Works of Sullivan and Wright” (Chicago)
An exhibit at Wrightwood 659 in Chicago explores two lost architectural masterworks: the Garrick Theatre Building in Chicago designed by Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Larkin Building in Buffalo. Curated by John Vinci, Tim Samuelson, Eric Nordstrom, Chris Ware and Jonathan D. Katz, “Romanticism to Ruin: Two Lost Works of Sullivan and Wright” uses fragments, drawings, photography, and narrative to elucidate the life and death of these two iconic buildings. The first section of the exhibit, “Reconstructing the Garrick,” highlights the many connections between the Adler and Sullivan’s design of the Garrick Theatre Building, which [...]
Jun. 19, 2021–Jan. 9, 2022: “Chicago: When the Comics Came to Life” (Chicago Cultural Center)
Chicago’s role in the development of the early comic strip is the focus of a temporary exhibit at the Chicago Cultural Center. Curated by artist and author Chris Ware, and Chicago Cultural Historian Emeritus, Tim Samuelson, “Chicago: When the Comics Came to Life” features the works of prominent Chicago artists and publishers from circa 1880 to 1960, with most artifacts coming from the curators’ personal collections. The vibrant and colorful story of the history of comics runs through the White City of the 1893 World Fair in Chicago. The first appearance of color comics printed in the United States [...]