Century of Progress Exposition

General Interest, Chicago World’s Fair

The Century of Progress Exposition was held from May 27 to November 1, 1933, in Chicago, Illinois. It was the second World Fair to be held in Chicago, the first being the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893.

The interest of a considerable part of the civilized world was focused upon 424 acres of land that lie along the shore of Lake Michigan, edging Chicago. The Fair ran for a second season, which was from May 26 to October 31, 1934. Total attendance at the 1934 fair was 16,304,906, compared with the 1933 attendance of 22,565,859. The attendance for the last day, Halloween, was a record 362,553 up to midnight.

The Chicago Century of Progress Exposition, with jagged edges and bold colors, invited visitors to take a peek at the future. Inspired by the skyscrapers of New York, the exposition buildings housed technology and machines that demonstrated what Americans could expect on the other side of the Great Depression. The Exposition proclaimed that life would be smooth and easy, and the technology to make it so would be accessible to everyone.