Expo '74

1974 Spokane, Washington
The Expo '74 logo design,
based on the Möbius strip.[1]
Overview
BIE-classSpecialized exposition
NameExpo '74
MottoProgress without pollution
Area100 acres (40 ha) [2]
Visitors5,600,000[3]
Participant(s)
Countries10[2]
Location
CountryUnited States
CitySpokane, Washington
VenuePresent-day Riverfront Park, the legacy site of Expo '74
Coordinates47°39′43.9″N 117°25′8.4″W / 47.662194°N 117.419000°W / 47.662194; -117.419000
Timeline
OpeningMay 4, 1974 (1974-05-04)
ClosureNovember 3, 1974 (1974-11-03)
Specialized expositions
PreviousExpo 71 in Budapest
NextExpo '75 in Okinawa
Universal expositions
PreviousExpo '70 in Osaka
NextSeville Expo '92 in Seville
Horticultural expositions
PreviousInternationale Gartenbauausstellung 73 in Hamburg
NextFloralies Internationales de Montréal in Montreal
Simultaneous
Horticultural (AIPH)Wiener Internationale Gartenschau 74

Expo '74, officially known as the International Exposition on the Environment, Spokane 1974,[3] was a world's fair held May 4, 1974, to November 3, 1974, in Spokane, Washington in the northwest United States.[2] It was the first environmentally themed world's fair[4] and attended by roughly 5.6 million people.[3] The heart of the fair park grounds was located on Canada Island, Havermale Island, and the adjacent south bank of the Spokane River, comprising present-day Riverfront Park, in the center of the city.[5]

With the exception of two pavilions, all of the major buildings were modular structures assembled on the site. The fair had 5.6 million visitors[3] and was considered a success, nearly breaking even, revitalizing the blighted urban core, and pumping an estimated $150 million into the local economy and surrounding region.

In proclaiming itself the first exposition on an environmental theme, Expo '74 distanced itself from the more techno-centric world's fairs of the 1960s. The environmental theme was promoted in several high-profile events, such as a symposium on United Nations World Environment Day (June 5) attended by more than 1,200 people including many international representatives, and ECAFE Day for the United Nations Economic Council for Asia and the Far East (June 14) that discussed regional environment issues.[6]

  1. ^ "Expo '74 symbol selected". Spokesman-Review. March 12, 1972. p. 1.
  2. ^ a b c d "1974 Spokane". Bureau International des Expositions. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  3. ^ "1974 Spokane - The Expo". Bureau International des Expositions. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  4. ^ Butler, Marv (March 6, 1979). "Pavilion still focal point". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (aerial photo). p. 1.
  5. ^ Bowers, Dawn (1974). Expo '74 World's Fair Spokane: Official Commemorative of the Spokane World Exposition 1974. Expo '74 Corporation.