The Century 21 Exposition (also known as the Seattle World’s Fair) was a world’s fair held April 21, 1962, to October 21, 1962, in Seattle, Washington. Nearly 10 million people attended the fair.
As planned, the exposition left behind a fairground and numerous public buildings and public works; some credit it with revitalizing Seattle’s economic and cultural life. The fair saw the construction of the Space Needle and Alweg monorail, as well as several sports venues (Washington State Coliseum, now Climate Pledge Arena, currently under redevelopment) and performing arts buildings (the Playhouse, now the Cornish Playhouse), most of which have since been replaced or heavily remodeled. Unlike some other world's fairs of its era, Century 21 made a profit.
The site, slightly expanded since the fair, is now called Seattle Center; the United States Science Pavilion is now the Pacific Science Center. Another notable Seattle Center building, the Museum of Pop Culture (earlier called EMP Museum), was built nearly 40 years later and designed to fit in with the fairground atmosphere.
These wonderful color photos from Cardboard America Archives that show what the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair looked like.
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| Buying flowers at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair |
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| “Poodle or Death Every Time” - the monorail during the 1962 Seattle World's Fair |
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| A sailor walks by as a man on crutches enters the Pavilion of Electric Power at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair |
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| A view of the gateway from the Union 76 Skyride at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair |
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| Chun King Chinese food stand on the World's Fair grounds during the 1962 World's Fair |
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| Coliseum 21 and the Space Needle at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair |
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| Entrance gate at Night at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair |
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| Fiesta Restaurant on a foggy night at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair |
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| Monorail Ticket Booth at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair |
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| Patron's walking the World's Fair near the Alaska Exhibit on a summer's day in 1962 |
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| Railroad Transport Building at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair |
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| The Christian Pavilion as the sun sets on a June day at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair |
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| The fair at night at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair |
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| The fairgrounds at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. The building on the left in the very front is the Christian Pavilion |
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| The interior of Washington State Coliseum (now known as Key Arena) during the 1962 Seattle World's Fair |
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| The Science Pavilion arches during the 1962 World's Fair in Seattle, Washington |
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| The Skyride at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair |
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| The Space Needle at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair |
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| The Union 76 Skyride at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair |
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| Tourists wander the grounds of the Century 21 Exposition at the 1962 World's Fair in Seattle, Washington |
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| Trade Dollar Booth at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair |
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| U.S. Science Pavilion arches and Space Needle at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair |
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| U.S. Science Pavilion arches at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair |
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| Under the Space Needle on a foggy night during the 1962 Seattle World's Fair |
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| Visitors walk the fairgrounds at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair |