For seven months in 1904, St. Louis was the center of the world — and the Missouri History Museum’s reimagined ‘1904 World’s Fair’ gallery lets you walk back into it. Centered on a breathtaking 1:400-scale model of the fairgrounds, the gallery surrounds you with more than 200 artifacts: ruby-glass souvenirs, construction tools, original documents and the everyday objects of a fair that drew some 20 million visitors.
The storytelling is honest and vivid — the wonder and innovation alongside the perspectives of workers, visitors and the people the fair displayed and marginalized — and free guided ‘Things You Never Knew’ tours run Thursdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. The fairgrounds themselves became Forest Park, so the museum sits inside its own exhibit.
Plan a long visit; 1904 rewards it.
The 1904 World’s Fair gallery is at the Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Boulevard. Free admission; details at mohistory.org.
