Expo '74

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Expo '74 was an environmentally themed World's Fair hosted in 1974 by Spokane, Washington, at the time the smallest city ever to host a World's Fair until Knoxville, Tennessee held one in 1982. The theme for Expo '74 was "Celebrating Tomorrow's Fresh New Environment." There were 5.2 million visitors.

Several structures built for the Fair are still standing. The United States Pavilion still houses the IMAX theater built for the fair, as well as a winter ice rink that is put to other varied uses in the warm months; the Washington State Pavilion became the convention center. The Expo site itself became the 100 acre (400,000 m²) Riverfront Park, containing the U.S. Pavilion and a clock tower (part of a Great Northern rail depot that was demolished for Expo '74), which are prominently featured in the park's logo. The "Sky Ride" chairlift from Expo '74 still stands as well, but not in its original place. It has since been moved to Adventureland theme park in Altoona, Iowa. The Carousel remains a popular attraction. It originated in Natatorium Park, which closed in 1967, and was restored for the World's Fair.^[1]

The original covering of the US pavilion was a thick vinyl sheeting that was not designed to last. It was allowed to remain until it began to deteriorate, become unsightly and was thought a safety hazard. When the city opted to remove the covering, chunks of the thick vinyl could be purchased as keep-sakes. The tent design itself with its heavy cables was not intended to stay up, however the people of Spokane voiced the opinion that it should remain as a unique architectural statement, and a monument to the 1974 Exposition.