this post was submitted on 06 Sep 2026
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Mildly Interesting

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Need some escapism? Bored with a few hours to kill? Like Gene Wilders voice?

Then you might find this documentary about the 1893 Chicago Worlds Fair mildly interesting.

EXPO: Magic of the White City

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[–] cardboardboxfort@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago

They still have Expo's but they are nothing like they were in the glory days. Times and technology have changed so much I don't think we could make one of the old fashion fairs work. Disney built EPCOT to be like a never ending worlds fair, albeit with the usual Disney touch, and that's probably the best we'll ever get (and sadly some aspects of EPCOT like the focus on sciences is already giving way to more profitable rides.)

But this documentary is a great way to experience a slice of it. The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago is one of the only surviving buildings from the fair so you can in theory dip your toe in the past. And lots of the centerpieces of fairs survive, like the Eiffel tower for example. There's even a recreation of the Parthenon in Tennessee that was built for a fair.