The 1965 New York World's Fair

From my personal film archives is a filmed record of one of my visits to the New York World's Fair.
The 1964-65 New York World's Fair was the second World's Fair to be held at Flushing Meadows Park in New York in the 20th century. It opened on April 21, 1964 for two six-month seasons concluding on October 21, 1965.
It was the largest World's Fair ever to be held in the United States occupying nearly a square mile of land. Truly a "Universal and International" class exposition, it was not sanctioned by the Bureau of International Expositions and is often overlooked by historians because it was not an "official" World's Fair. This lack of BIE endorsement meant that many large European nations chose not to participate in the Fair. Most international exhibits were sponsored by tourism and industrial concerns and not officially sanctioned by their governments.
The Fair is now a distant memory for most who were visitors. Those who were children at the time of the Fair are nearing retirement today. After years of neglect, the Fair's legacy structures at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park are being refurbished. New York, in recent years, has begun to realize how important that Fair was to our country's and their city's history and how much it represented an era to millions of Americans. It was a time when the possibilities of the future looked so bright and seemed to be just around the corner.
Filmed: August 1965

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Kerry
• Decker
• New
• York
• World's
• Fair
• 1965
• NY
• City
• color
• television
• Florida
• water
• ski
• swiss

[fayeteville]

kerry, u have more movies about the fair?

i suppose in this movie u were filming from the observation towers area-

again its a nice movie-thanks for postin

[KKD1247]

I only have some 35mm slides I shot on a previous visit. I may make a slideshow of those & post them. Thanks!

[orangie84]

gees.. This was before I was around (born 1972) but my dad always tells me about the world's fair.

I had never actually seen any video of it till just now. Just a picture here and there and of course the ruins of it at the park.

It is such a shame they didn't just keep it going. (or had a third world's fair) it is so sad that New York doesn't have or can't keep anything beautiful. when (if) they do It always has to be destroyed right away.. Either by vandals or lack of money. That's sad.

[KKD1247]

Thanks for watching. I have another NightLife Show video about World's Fairs in general you might like. They began in London in 1851 and continue today. None are planned for NY. Theres China in 2010, S. Korea in 2012 & Italy in 2015. Back in 1965, we were hopeful for the future, today its a different world.

[Anglynn74]

We have 8mm home videos of this also but I believe ours are from 1964.

[KKD1247]

You should transfer those films to DVD before its too late (see my "Home Movies - Ruined Forever" video) and put them up here on YouTube!!

[fayeteville]

kerry thanks for posting it- its a shame u died- ( dec /09) and i had the chance to see this video and some others u posted on youtube channel

[CROWNONME]

I was about 10 years old..my family traveled from Fall River Ma....there at the fair I remember riding a conveyor like belt through a room in which Michelangelo's Pieta was so gloriously able to be viewed. how marvelous that we could see such a beauteous masterpiece......The Pieta is miraculously unforgettable....I'm so glad I could see it........does anyone else remember seeing it there?

[LorraineNYYcfl]

love it. brings back so many memories. I lived on long island and went quite a few times. Always wished they would bring back another.

[LorraineNYYcfl]

I found this by accident and Im glad I did. It brought such wonderful memories. I was 16 at the time and loved it. Always wished there would be another worlds fair.

thank you for sharing.

[bigbass421]

Thanks for posting this. I'm glad that some were smart and well off enough to have filmed the fair. It opened on my 12th. birthday in 1964. I grew up and lived in Woodside, Queens. I am 59 this week. and wow.... where did the time go.  "Amy" by the Lovin' Spoonful, (THE Quintessential New York City Band) is the perfect tune for this film. I don't know why you picked it, it has exactly the right kind of sadness and joy combined into the melody- how nostalgic and longing it made me feel.

[rayrobin05]

great video and song. thanks

[sandman19681012]

A wonderful look back at the fair my friend. Recently I was given several boxes of books and one of them was the official guide to the 1964/65 World's Fair. Since then I have been very interested in this piece of history.

[bluesjuke]

Thank you for posting this video.

My father, a teacher, had a big box og tickets and we went very often.

Some of my fondest memories from my youth are the Fair.

My Grandfather helped build it as a Heavy Equipment operator.

[binkle1]

Fantastic! Maybe we passed each other, as I recall we went in August, too! My dad, my grandfather, his second wife, and six of us Pratt kids (mom got a well-deserved rest at home). Yes, I'm about to turn 54, and doesn't this all look so OLD now! My biggest memory: having to pee so bad on the sky ride I'd thought I'd have an accident! No, seriously, it was a magic day. So COOLL!