In the mid sixties New York City was really changing. At the time, entire neighborhoods of brownstones were being razed. Philharmonic Hall was recently built, as was Shea Stadium and The Guggenheim Museum. But the big draw was the 1964-65 World’s Fair, which took place in Flushing, Queens. We visited there twice. I particularly liked the Ford and General Motors exhibits. I recall getting a little glow-in-the-dark badge at the Ford exhibit that had my state on it and having a ride in a new Ford Galaxy convertible. I recall the Unisphere (which is still there today), GE, Travelers Insurance, and for the first time hearing, “It a Small World” at the Coca Cola exhibit.  Everybody I knew went there, and had a story to tell about their experiences. From the larger companies there was a lot of effort letting visitors in on what the world of tomorrow will bring. We were exposed to futuristic cities with flying cars, moving sidewalks, and vacations on the moon. We even had an opportunity to look into how an average family would live in 2014, with pre-prepared food, robotic servants, and 3D color TV. One thing I learned is that it IS a small world. The country exhibits really exposed me for the first time to different cultures, different food, and a variety of ethnic races and religions. The state exhibits really allowed me to travel around the USA without leaving the big apple. I vividly recall seeing the Hall of Presidents at the Illinois Pavilion. These animatronic leaders talked about the history of the country and our human rights using advanced technology. This ended up being more of a predictor of the direction we’re going than any futuristic display. In fact, the Hall of Presidents is still being featured, along with It’s a Small World, at Disneyland and Disney World. After the success of this World’s Fair, I know there were others that followed, Seattle and Knoxville to name a few, but the greatest in my mind was New York.

NEXT UP – The Jersey Shore