Louisiana Purchase Exposition
The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federal funds totaling $15 million (equivalent to $489,000,000 in 2022) were used to finance the event. More than 60 countries and 43 of the then-45 American states maintained exhibition spaces at the fair, which was attended by nearly 19.7 million people.
| 1904 St. Louis | |
|---|---|
Poster for the Exposition painted by Alphonse Mucha | |
| Overview | |
| BIE-class | Universal exposition |
| Category | Historical Expo |
| Name | Louisiana Purchase Exposition |
| Area | 1,270 acres (510 hectares) |
| Visitors | 19,694,855 |
| Participant(s) | |
| Countries | 62 |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| City | St. Louis |
| Venue | Forest Park, Washington University in St. Louis |
| Coordinates | 38°38′18.6″N 90°17′9.2″W |
| Timeline | |
| Opening | April 30, 1904 |
| Closure | December 1, 1904 |
| Universal expositions | |
| Previous | Exposition Universelle (1900) in Paris |
| Next | Liège International (1905) in Liège |
| History of Missouri |
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| United States portal |
Historians generally emphasize the prominence of the themes of race and imperialism, and the fair's long-lasting impact on intellectuals in the fields of history, art history, architecture and anthropology. From the point of view of the memory of the average person who attended the fair, it primarily promoted entertainment, consumer goods and popular culture. The monumental Greco-Roman architecture of this and other fairs of the era did much to influence permanent new buildings and master plans of major cities.