PTR: Flushing Meadows Corona Park 1/20/16

[ThemeParkRider]

After years of being so close to it, my family decided we finally wanted to take the time to visit the grounds for the New York World’s Fair. We spent a lot of time looking up the old maps and attractions and literally penciling it in on the areas of the modern park map. We arrived around noon and were surprised at how massive the place really is. We started off by circling the perimeter of the park and catching the major features.

This concrete footing that I'm standing by was just a few meters away from where the Swiss Sky Ride was back in the 1964/65 fair. Originally we thought this the footing to the sky ride, but a second glance of the map seemed to prove otherwise. Perhaps it was left over from the 1939 fair.

If you go to 4:38 of this video, he rides and discusses the Swiss Sky Ride. It’s funny, even back then the one-way trip policy was an issue for people. That whole series is very informative, I recommend watching the videos before going.

These fountains were in front of the General Electric pavilion. In fact you can find photos online where both the fountains (and some much younger trees) can be seen in front of the Carousel of Progress.

By the way the car in the back is ours. We were delighted to find how easy it was to drive around the park. There were no signs that prohibited driving, parking or stopping. To our surprise a park ranger found us later and told us to move. What was weird was how perplexed he seemed at how we had gotten to where we were. We didn’t understand why he was so confused, there were no signs or barriers anywhere. Parking is free, but walking around from the parking lot wasn’t so fun in the cold.

This was the main entrance.

The time capsule. I always had a hunch that it would be opened earlier than 5,000 years from now.

The New York State Pavilion had just received a fresh coat of paint. Further work is budget-pending, I believe.

 

For comparison, here's four original photos my family has had of the fair back in 1964.

 

Queens Museum of Art, which served as the NYC pavilion for both Worlds Fairs. The outside is similar but the interior has clearly received some renovation over the years.

The panorama model of New York City was built for the 1964/65 fair, and the last time it was updated was in 2009. I was once again amazed at how huge this things was. You could really spend a lot of time in there. I recommend looking up the history on the museum’s site, it’s really amazing. Worth the trip alone.

Upstairs there were all kinds of artifacts, souvenirs, signs, and models from both fairs as well as signage and posters for some other related events.

They had maps of both fairs too. Next time we won’t need to write up our own maps, this will come in handy.

In the gift shop they were giving away original guidebooks and postcards from the fair’s second year. At first I thought it was too good to be true but a quick Google search proved it right. You can get them online for about 7 dollars. The fair was very expensive and was ultimately somewhat of a failure. They must have made so many of these that they’re practically worthless. Didn’t stop me.

After the museum, we went back to the car and drove across the highway to catch a few more things.

This pavilion served as the landing pad for The Beatles when they played at Shea Stadium.

This trip was fantastic. Just loads of fun and just interesting. We saw too much to even share every element, and we didn’t even see all of it. I look forward to returning when it’s a bit warmer (and the fountain is working) so I can really spend my time catching all the details and beautiful things this park has to offer. My dad and I said that if time travel was possible, we would use it for things like this to see the Fair in its prime. If you’re into theme parks or history, this is a nice trip you can take that will probably be a little more unique.

 

 

Edited January 25, 2016 by ThemeParkRider

[scott]

Nice report. Its sounds like a nice day. I have never thought about visiting the Worlds Fair site but I have been so close to it when visiting Shea and now City Field. I think I will have to go take a look. You made it sound interesting. I thought the bug took some of those attractions out when he tried to leave the planet.

[29yrswithaGApass]

Great trip report and nice pictures! It is almost as if part of the park is stuck in a time warp with buildings still standing for visitors to admire their impressive architecture and size. It is like being able to visit the last remaining dinosaurs.

 

If you want to make a return visit when the fountains are running, you may need to go when they are having the US Open. At least that is what someone told me when I made my visit back in 2008.

[The Master]

The one photo looks like a poster of the Seattle Worlds Fair.

[Mrpq]

I live ten mins from the park when there is no traffic. I used to go there back in my bmx days

 

 

 

 

This pavilion served as the landing pad for The Beatles when they played at Shea Stadium.

 

 

 

 

I used to work for a florist back in high school and used to make flower deliveries there. That round area under the main floor is off limits to the public but I used to go in there as part of setting parties up. There are still all the original paintings and pictures on the walls from when the fair was around I wish I took pictures.

[ThemeParkRider]

The one photo looks like a poster of the Seattle Worlds Fair.

 

Yeah I believe you're right. They also had promotional art for Expo 71 and even some antique renderings of the World's Fairs over in Europe.

 

There are still all the original paintings and pictures on the walls from when the fair was around I wish I took pictures.

 

That's awesome, I would have loved to see that. It shocked me as to which structures they left intact and which ones they decided to demo. Do you know if the place has been remodeled since the fair, or is it relatively the same?

[Mrpq]

Well I mean its an active catering hall so I am sure they have done some upgraded since the fair (space they actually have parties in) At least I think its still an active catering hall. it looked pretty modern last time I was in there ten years ago lol

[Mrpq]

I guess living so close and going past the park almost every day of my life, its easy to take the park for granted. I haven't been inside the museum, what did you think? Worth it?

 

I also wonder what they did with the elevator cars that went up the towers. I think its been at least 5 years now since they removed them

[ThemeParkRider]

Yeah definitely worth it, I didn't see the rest of the museum but there were a lot of little things that you don't really run into just by looking around the internet. Its small though, just a room and a hallway. But the New York model is really cool. I recommend touring the park for artifacts and making a day out of it like I did. And yeah I believe the elevators are gone, although it did look like there was a frame or some kind of elevator structure sitting at the bottom. But not the original, and this too hadn't operated in some time.

[The Master]

Back in the late 90s I was in Seattle, and a lot of stuff from their world's fair was still up and operating, besides the space needle, their monorail was still operating, and some of the pavilion buildings were still standing and in use. There is a nice science museum in one of the old pavilions and a small amusment area near the space needle.