The 1904 World’s Fair Society has monthly membership meetings with programs on various topics relating to the Fair.
It has always been a tradition of the organization to have a meeting near the end of April to celebrate “opening day”, (the day the fair opened, April 30th,1904), and to have a “closing day” banquet in December (the day the fair closed, December 1st, 1904) .
Most meetings have a drawing for an attendance prize for members attending the meeting. You may register every time you attend a meeting at the reception table near the door. Attending more meetings will give you more opportunities to win. Attendance prizes will vary. Often they will match the subject of the meeting. You must be present to win.
The meetings are always well attended with people very knowledgeable about the fair. Please feel free to attend and ask questions. Visitors are always welcome.
Jerusalem in Saint Louis? Holy Monuments at the World’s Fair February 9, 2026 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm - “The most gigantic example of an open air display at St. Louis is the reproduction of the Holy City ... happily suggestive of the Palestine original ...Three hundred structures of varying sizes and appearance are separated by twenty-two streets ... encompassed ... by a wall of the same height and aged stone as the one in the Holy Land.” From Philadelphia to New Orleans: A Century of American Expositions and World’s Fairs March 25, 2026 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm From Philadelphia to NewOrleans: A Century of American Expositions and World’s Fairs – A chronologicaloverview spanning the first (1876) to the last (1984) official U.S. fair. - Lynn Duncan is teaching a 8-week OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) course at Furman University, Greenville South Carolina. This spring’s topic is “A Century of American Expositions and World’s Fairs.” The Fair’s Opening Day: Dinner and Video April 30, 2026 @ 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm - Let’s gather for a special Society dinner on Thursday, April 30, and celebrate the Fair’s Opening Day!
University City Public Library, 6701 Delmar Blvd, University City, MO 63130, USA
- This quotation from journalist Thomas MacMechen describes the Jerusalem Exhibit at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition, which reproduced the ancient holy city in near-actual scale. This program will present the first phases of investigation to ascertain the placement and layout of the Jerusalem exhibit’s buildings, decorative details, plan, and geography.
- Cathleen A. Fleck, Ph.D., is a Professor and Director at the School of Visual Studies, University of Missouri, Columbia.
via Zoom only
- We will see his opening presentation to the course, which provides an overview of the American World’s Fairs from 1876 (Philadelphia) to 1984 (New Orleans).
- Of course, he will cover the fairs of 1893 (Chicago), 1901 (Buffalo), and 1904 (St. Louis).
- Lynn Duncan is a retired history professor in South Carolina, author, and has taught OLLI history courses at Furman since 2019.
Pietro's, 3801 Watson Rd, St. Louis, MO 63109, USA
- We’ll meet at Pietro’s (on Watson) between 5:30 and 6:00 pm, and be seated in a group room.