I was 16 at the time. Dad and I had driven from eastern Nebraska to Oakland, CA to visit relatives. From there we went on to Seattle and attended the worlds fair. It was strain on a poor farmers budget, buts it is a trip I have never forgotten.
I was 16 at the time and came down all the way from Tacoma…ha! My older brother’s family drove out from Silver Creek Nebraska to see the fair, and the Million Dollar display made by his company, Behlen Manufacturing show in the building. I was so inspired I went into Architecture and had over. 40 year career.
I went to the Expo'74 in Spokane from the SF Bay Area as a kid. I don't remember it too vividly, only in passing and I have a few trinkets/mementos left. We visited Seattle in the 1990s and it seems like a broken place now.
I was also 16 when my parents and i drove up from Portland to spend the weekend in Seattle and the Worlds Fair. Mind boggling at the time. When i got home i discovered the my supposed girl friend was with a friend that weekend. Didn’t take long to figure out that i came out ahead all the way around. LOL
My lasting memory of the fair, at age 12, was of a hallway near Key Arena. The left side of this hallway was a glass window view. The right side was a painted storefront tilted as if it were on a steep hillside. The effect of this tilted view made me and my younger brother feel as if we were walking downhill - to the point where we couldn't help running, even though the actual hallway was level. He and I ran back to the 'top' of this artificial hill to walk and then run down again jubilent at the special effect. ANYBODY ELSE remember that display?
In 1962, there I was, dangling my feet off the observation deck, enjoying the view. The Space Needle was orange back then, and before the suicide fence was installed. My parents got lost that day, so I had to wait in the lost and found till they were found, an hour later. They had a wooden train set there, so after my parents showed up, I didn’t want to leave. I was an inspired 5 year old Seattleite.
@@tommydorsey5055 I got sick... My dad took me on the octopus ride, and all the spinning had me screaming for the ride to stop! It finally did, but too late! 😑😊
I never went to the fair itself but did go up about 7 years later and the grounds were still well maintained.We had a wonderful dinner at the top of the Space Needle and everything was still very clean. About ten years ago we went up and it was so different; it was almost heartbreaking. But it really is a treasure of an area. I hope they restore it and get it into some semblance of what it once was.
I was born in 1963, but my Dad came to Seattle the previous year to see if it would be a nice place to live. He went to the World's Fair and eventually decided to move the family there. I was born in Cape Cod, Massachusetts and a few months later our family drove across the country to Seattle where my Dad had been awarded a job as a professor at the UW (The University of Washington). So I basically grew up in a suburb of Seattle and have many many memories of going to the Seattle Center as a kid, playing in the fountain and the flag pavilion with my brother, eating at the Food Circus, riding the monorail, and of course going up the Space Needle which was like some kind of surreal dream for a little kid. Thanks for evoking some very pleasant memories of 1960s Seattle.
May I ask your father's name and what he taught at the UW? My cousin and later I attended the UW (she in the 60's and I was there in the 70's). My dad and my cousin's father both worked on the construction of the site. Dad was on the crew that put in the windows for the Needle, the Science Center and the Coliseum. (And numerous buildings on the UW campus and others scattered throughout downtown Seattle and beyond.) The Fair opened on my parents' 12th wedding anniversary.
I was 12. My family lived in Seattle and attended this terrific fair 3 times. It was tremendous! A really exciting experience. There was NO downside, even with the crowds. It was affordable and had something for everyone. Each time we went we spent the entire day there up until near closing, in the evening. One of my fondest memories of Seattle... along with JP Patches, of course!
I attended the Seattle World’s Fair in ‘62. I was 8 years old and remember many events and displays. I still get a chuckle over the plastic suits and hamburger shaped houses we all were expected to be living in by now. Thanks for the great memories.
The trip of a lifetime for me as a 10 year old . Parents drove from Pennsylvania to Yellowstone and on to Seattle then Oregon to visit relatives and back thru Salt Lake City and St, Louis. Gas war at one point and it was .18 cents a gallon. Made the tour in a 1961 Chevy Impala. No air. Windows down most of the way.
I grew up in Seattle and was 7 years old when the fair was held. It was an absolutely magical time in our city, and I was enthralled by it all. I became a big fan of world's fairs and have also been to three others - Spokane in 1974, Knoxville in 1982 and Vancouver, B.C. in 1986. The Twin Cities of Minnesota are in competition with several others cities worldwide to hold a world's fair in 2027, and the winner is to be announced in about six weeks. If the Minnesota bid wins, you can be sure I plan to attend their fair in four years.
I was born during BOTH the Seattle World's fair AND the Cuban Missile Crisis. 😳 A time of BOTH glorious optimism AND stark fear. 🤔 Mid-October 1962 had to be a hell of a ride for those old enough to remember it!
Yes! I was 8 years old during Sea Worlds Fair and that darn Cuban Missile Crisis. The Fair was wonderful,but the Cuban crisis not so much. I lived on Mercer Island at the time which was very rural. We not only had duck and cover drills, but we had to practice running home from school just in case a bomb was about to drop. For those of us who had younger siblings in the same school, we had to stop and get the younger sister, and get her to run along home, too. The parents were aware of this routine. It was very scary except on the days we ran home…got out of school early. I’m so glad my son didn’t have that experience and feel bad for children alive during wartime nowadays.
President Kennedy was supposed to officially close the world's fair with a personal appearance but begged off due to "illness". It was a cover story. Although not known by the public then, the missiles in Cuba had just been discovered.
This was the fair wäre my uncle Malito from Galicia, Spain, met my aunt Carlotta from North Carolina. They got married and they both lived a wonderful life in the evergreen state. For me, Seattle will be always in my heart…
I was 8 years old when the fair opened and my dad was in the Army and stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia, where our family lived at the time. We didn't make it to the fair, but we did go to the theatre the following year in 1963 and saw "It Happened At The World's Fair" with Elvis. Enjoyed the video and commentary.
Always had been amazed at the World’s Fair of the past, how much creative innovation & well…hope for the future existed. I feel we as a country have sadly lost that today.
My Dad worked for the company that built and displayed the $1 M ---Behlen Mfg in Columbus Nebraska. Such an enjoyable trip for an almost-6 year old. My Grandma, Aunt 20ish and Twin Uncles 16ish who lived in Tacoma, made it even more exciting for us!
I was 7 years old when my older brothers snuck us in through a back door in the Science Center after we walked from our house on Queen Anne Hill. It was awesome - and probably the most successful US World's Fair in the 20th century measured by how it much it elevated the host city's image. The Space Needle's identification with the Seattle is probably nearly as strong as the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Statue of Liberty in New York.
I was thinking the same thing, Seattle became a pigsty in the last 10 years or even less, trash, homeless, vandalism, graffiti, needles on the ground.... sadness, most big cities (especially on the western seaboard) are all imploding.
I was 6 years old and remember my dad covering my eyes as we road the elevator to the top of the Space Needle during the Worlds Fair. Found out later in life my dad had a fear of heights and I guess he thought I did too? So glad I was raised here and experienced life in Seattle.
Well done. Thank you. I was 6 years old. My family drove to the fair on the recently built I-5 freeway that was inspired in part by the fair. We drove from Lakewood South of Tacoma in our Plymouth station wagon. Our family of four (my brother was 3 1/2 years older) were amazed at the big open smooth freeway and it''s speed limit of 70mph. I remember there were not very many other cars traveling and we were amazed at how smooth and quick the drive was. This was in contrast to our Sunday drives to Mt. Rainier, Alder Lake or Puyallup to take in the beautiful Northwest scenery. It was amazing for this young boy to experience seeing Seattle, the Space Needle and the fair. The most memorable event for me at the fair was sitting in the stands watching the water show. I remember being amazed by the water skiers creating pyramids while being towed around the oval pool. Thanks Mom and Dad. Thanks for your excellent video.
I was there. Early 20's, just married, life (and the city) was good. Today, 60+ years later, my wife is gone and so is the city. But I still reflect on, "Once upon a time".
We went to the fair--my mom, dad, brother and I. I was 9. It was amazing! Among other things the Belgian Waffles were famous, as of course was the Space Needle. Also worth noting is that many tourists like us also visited Victoria and Vancouver, so the Fair helped Canadian tourism make those cities higher profile too.
Wow! It's really hard to believe that in the picture of the space needle in 1962 of the world's fair. There are hardly any buildings in downtown Seattle back then? At least from the picture shot shows what looks like to be a picture of mount Rainier in the back ground? And there's no tall buildings in it?
I went to 1974 Spokane Fair and it was more like a huge County Fair. We drove all the way from Southern California to see it and I never even brought back a Souvenir from that event. The 5-day camper drive was actually the highlight of that Summer.
I was 14 in Seattle when the World's Fair opened and remember the excitement leading up to it; for years before we had heard how it was going to put Seattle on the map - and it did that in spades. The Space Needle was the new Eiffel Tower; the Belgian waffles were so exotic, they were a big hit and the lines were long to get one. My older sister's best friend fell in love with a flamenco dancer from the Spanish Pavilion (and married him). The fair had its own theme song, 'Meet Me in Seattle at the Fair', memorable mostly for its excruciatingly silly lyric "meet me in Seattle, that's where I'll be attle". Thanks for the memories of the days when we were joyously optimistic, even in the middle of the Cold War. I wish that simple optimism was still popular - it was way more fun!
I went to the fair with my parents and grandmother. I was 5 years old and we drove to Seattle from Houston. Although I was quite young, I still have several memories of the fair. The monorail was a favorite and going to the top of the Space Needle was another fun memory.
Thanks for this. I was there on the day of the Columbus Day Storm. As a four year old, I can remember sheer panic as the sky got dark early and everyone starting racing to the parking lot after announcements were made over the loud speakers. We were hustling to our car when my mother tripped and split her chin wide open. We had to go to the ER for stitches. I also remember a huge stuffed polar bear up on his hind legs. Very intimidating.
I was 11 when I went to the fair and I was back in 2012 for the 50th Anniversary of the Space Needle. When I told one of the waitstaff at the bar on the observation platform that I had been there for the fair, they gave me free drinks! Wow. It was a magical experience for a poor kid from New Orleans. It was a giant splurge by my grand parents that made the trip possible, and it was the first time I had ever traveled out of Louisiana.
My parents visited the fair many times and they took me on my 4th birthday. I remember quite a bit about it, the picture phone, the bubbleator, the waterskiing exhibition, the funny tracked old car ride and mostly the Wild Mouse that not only scared the crap out of me it didn't go over that well with my dad either. My only disappointment was not being able to go to the top of the Space Needle because the line was too long. I got a Space Needle insulated glass and a model kit that my dad built for me. Both are long gone now but recently I found both an unbuilt kit and a the same style glass in perfect condition to add to my collection.
I was six years old and grew up in Burien. I have a few brief memories of the fair, having a Belgian waffle with my mother, her getting a pickle pin, going on a spinning barrel ride with my dad, riding the monorail and seeing the bubbleater. There were other events around the city and I remember being on the waterfront on one of the piers and have a brief memory of seeing the Kalakala ferry. I have my mom‘s pickle pin, and a 45 record sung by Joy and the boys “Meet me at the fair”, and a couple of glasses.
I lived in Burien gardens apartments in 1966. Seahurst park was right behind them. We took the ferry boat to Bremerton and just missed the Kayla Kala ferry by 5 cars. My biggest disappointment ever.
My aunt and uncle lived in Seattle at the time. While we never went out there to visit them, my grandfather did so in 1960 and '62. He visited the fair and was impressed.
I was part of the opening ceremonies at the fair as a member of the College of Idaho travelling choir. I recall that I saw my first "dollar bill changer" in the restuarant atop the Space Needle. I also recall that the facility that was to house us during our stay was not quite ready when we arrived. What sticks in my memory is that we stayed in a warehouse with temporary partions separating the men from the women.
Even though I was born in November of 62 I would have never dreamed I would use memorabilia from this fair in my 1962 Plymouth display at car shows. I had so much of it I had to find a 62 camper that would reflect that time line. I found a 62 one wheel Heilite aircraft aluminum camper which became my unburied time capsule for many years. I remember at one show at the James Dean festival someone from Seattle Washington seen my rolling exhibit and comment thay never seen so much 62 world's Fair memorabilia in one spot. I had to reply your kidding I thought that city had mines of the stuff! Thay reply back a lot of it left the city! I no longer take it out on tour, vibration and sunlight destroyed some of the pieces and I had too replace a lot of the memorabilia. To this day I still look for 62 world's Fair memorabilia, it's a reminder of my birth year and a great moment in history that will be never be repeated. Great video of this fair it will become a piece of my exhibit!
Awesome! Please find a picture of Dr. Edward Teller in the Pacific Science Center....summer of '62. He and his entourage are standing behind some boys who are playing "atomic pinball" in the Center. The photo made the front page of a paper in Yakima, Wa that weekend. I am one of the boys. Would like a big photo of that instant! Great memories of the Fair!!!!!
Great memory. Thank you. I was 19 when the fair opened. My girl friend's parents let me go along on their vacation from her home in Stockton CA to Seattle. I had never been anywhere and it was a great trip. Funny, I can't remember much about the fair but I remember my girl friend and her awesome parents very well.
Elvis filmed a movie there. "It Happened At The World's Fair" The movie where a very young Kurt Russell kicks Elvis in the shins so Elvis can see the cute nurse.
We made the trip to the fair from The Dalles, Oregon. I was a month short of 16. I liked the room that made you feel real tall, then real short as you moved to the other end. It was neat seeing the big fountains spraying in the sunken area. In the main pavilion you could see all the couples dancing. The elevator ride to the top of the needle was fun and then seeing the people eating in the restaurant up there. We then walked 2-3 blocks away to our light-blue ‘59 Rambler station wagon and drove off into history.🤗🥳😳
My family drove across the American west in a camper to this. We had a blast. So did hundreds of other families traveling across the west. I still remember it.
I was 6 going on 7 and my family and I went there. My mom's Aunt and Uncle lived about an hour southeast of Seattle and we went and spent the summer with them. I remember the Monorail and having lunch at the top of the Space Needle. As I recall, the restaurant slowly rotated, taking about an hour to make a complete rotation, so we dragged out our lunch until we made it all the way around. I also remember a rocket ride. Not like a roller coaster type, but more of a flight simulator, where everyone filed inside for a "flight on an interstellar space liner". I think they actually used an airplane fuselage for it because it had that kind of doors and seats. It had a big screen up front to show us the "pilot's viewpoint". And the whole thing moved - angled up for takeoff, shook for turbulence, that sort of thing. There was a lot more to see and do, but those are the things that stand out in my memory the most. Besides the fair we went to the beach (I got to swim in the Pacific Ocean) and up into the mountains (we had a snowball fight in July!). That fall my "What I did on my Summer Vacation" essay was the talk of the 2nd grade! 😁
I was born in June of 1962 in Seattle. Me and the needle are the same age. I attended the fair from a stroller 😂. I do have very fond memories of going to the Seattle Center as a kid. My uncle was a champion dart thrower and once he won so may stuffed animals at the Fun Forrest they told him he could play anymore. The mad mouse was my favorite ride, but also loved the bubbleater and monorail. Man, that seems like a lifetime ago now?! Thanks so much for the memories.
wish I was there..This is amazing , made to love my city more .I am watching history of Seattle lately a lot , it is an amazing way to connect more to your city emotionally.But Seattle should continue this heritage today..It seems like an amazing world class energy was going on
We saw the Worlds Fair in Jr. Scholastic magazine. Every kid across the country looked at those pictures of those futuristic buildings and thought it was the coolest. Science was king and we thought we were a couple years from the Jetsons. The Space Needle is still a renowned icon and the rest of the Science Center has held up well. Come to Seattle and play in the fountain on a hot summer day. A lot of the fair is gone but you can still get the vibe by riding the Monorail. The Fair was awesome because people were enthusiastic about the future. The lack of cynicism made for something that has had great staying power. If you come and see the Seattle Center think back about a time when folks could actually come together and cooperate for a common good.
I was a junior in High School in Seattle and my grandfather, Benjamin Franklin Snook= Ben Snook, was the Safety Engineer for the fair. He had to have everything oked by him and he put a few dampers on the Space needle. He was so proud of that needle and the monorail that were just two of the biggest things he was in charge of at the fair. My mom wrote a song for the fair, and it can be heard on you tube today. The song ended up becoming a record with the Worlds Fair Seattle song on one size and she wrote the National Elks song on the other side of the record. She was a hit and I sang that song many places for the Elks and Seattle. It was a fun time, and I loved visiting gramps at the fair. For my 17 birthday he got us tickets for the Spanish Dancers that came Folkloric. I was the first, and I believe the only senior class that graduated right on the stage you have on your film, from the Seattle Science Pavilion. The class was 1964 from Franklin High School. I don't believe anyone else's graduating class could boast that. The bubblelator and the food court were my favorites and I still can taste that "Mongolian" steak that you could get from that booth. It was a grand time and made Seattle very, very, famous. The population grew from that fair and so did the skyscrapers. I go back to Seattle now and recall those 6 months of being on the fair grounds with my grandparents. Ben Snook, gramps, did not have ONE fatality or serious injury. That was something that was talked about because no other World Fair to say that. It was wonderful.
I grew up in Seattle. Born in ‘64 in Ellensburg, raised in Federal Way. In the late 60s or possibly the early 70s dad took me and my two little sisters to the Seattle Center on Christmas Eve (we did this every year till we were in high school) and the Bubbleator was still in the original building. I don’t know what year that ended. But in 1988-89I lived with a friend in a house that had the actual Bubble-ater in the front yard. A terrarium on Redondo Beach. I still visit the space needle and am in awe of this beautiful structure so many decades later. ❤
We came up I-5 from Oregon City. This video brings back all kinds of memories including the futuristic cars an top of space needle took my breath away, but the ride going up was terrifying too me! Dad an I both loved all science, mom & brother loved the food. First time in Sturgis reminded me of Seattle Worlds Fair.
When I was a kid our family went one summer on this big west coast vacation where we started with Disney World and worked our way up the coast going to different cities and ending in Seattle before returning the rental car and flying back to Illinois. Seattle was the city, of all the cities, that my ten-year-old self could see living in. A few years ago I went there as an adult and because of the circumstances basically had several days to myself with no particular obligation. The monorail was kind of weird because it had a very limited route with pretty much a singular start an endpoint. I used it once, but it wasn't something that I used to randomly get around the city as I had expected to. I mainly took the bus from the motel we were staying in into downtown Seattle, and then just walked around Seattle all the time.
My Dad worked for the company that made that display! That corrugated steel wall was patented and withstood an atomic blast in tests. Not involving the money tho😂
I was there as a 10 year old and I still remember all these features and buildings. The monorail was my favorite as a kid. ..OK, the space needle was amazing too!
Went to the fair in the summer of 1962 at age 7 with my family from Texas. The thing I remember most was the AT&T exhibit with a video telephone. You could see a black and white picture of the person you were talking to who just across the room. We had to wait 40 years to get finally get a video phone.
My parents were there for that, my mother remembers seeing Elvis coming off the monorail and a group of girls going crazy for him, and scrambling to get a gum wrapper Elvis had thrown on the ground!
Glad they never tore the Space Needle down. I thought it was tacky at the time; now I see it as a modern classic and a fitting symbol for Seattle. Much more beautiful than the Eiffel Tower, btw.
I was there three times - once with a bunch of Cub Scouts. My dad made the mistake of being a chaperone with the Scouts. Before we went in, he told us all, "Now everybody stick together." As soon as we had gone in, everybody scattered. Remember seeing the water skiing show at Memorial Stadium - and riding the Bubbleator.
I was 16. My family drove from Washington, DC in a 1958 Chevrolet, towing a trailer that opened up into a tent. The trip, which ended in San Antonio, Texas took weeks. I remember that my major demand was that every Friday, a television had to be available so that I could watch Route 66. I remember very little about the Fair; I imagine I spent most of my time at the British exhibit, as I was super anglophile at the time. Thanks for sharing this.
I was twelve when my family, living in San Leandro, California, drove north to Seattle. I most clearly remember our trip up the Space Needle -- what a thrill! It was a real adventure for the family, culminating our first trip outside the country -- to Vancouver. What an adventure. Thanks for this trip down memory lane!
Thanks! Brings back a bunch of great memories. Grew up on the hill right behind the center and much of my childhood and teenage years were centered around the venue. I even worked as a ride attendant during my high school years after the fair left town. Attended many concerts and sporting events there. Amazing place, even today!
I was only 5, but remember bits and pieces of my visit. The Seattle Center, which is what the location was renamed, became a destination for decades after.
KJR - listened to it nonstop from preteen until I left for college. Thanks for reminding me about Pat O'Day and the days when a DJ could make or break a song.
This was the year my younger brother was born (he was born on April 3rd). Surprisingly he now lives in Seattle! I finally got to visit Seattle & my hubby & I celebrated our 25th anniversary at the restaurant at the top of the space needle.
I was there as a toddler with my family. I don't remember a thing, but I still have my little stuffed green and blue rabbit with images of the space needle on it :)
I was 7 from across the state in Spokane, WA. Came over with parents and older brother. The Bubbleator was a big deal. Saw Carol Channing riding down in it!
I was 8 years old when the Sea Worlds Fair opened. It was very exciting. I don’t remember much about the exhibits; the Bubbleator sounded thrilling, but was over rated; the Space Needle was super cool; and the rides were awesome. Well I was just a kid…
I was born in 1960 in Billings, Montana. I don't remember when the World's Fair was in Seattle but I have been to the fair grounds in the Early 80's. They are still fantastic and the Space Needle is still amazing. The monorail is still functional from the downtown to the fair grounds. Seattle is a pretty town.
We traveled up from So.Calif. in Aug. 1962 to see this fair in my Dad's '61 Dodge Power Wagon. I was 12 and had never been out of the county. We ate lunch in the Space Needle Restaurant. My Father left a $ 5.oo bill on the table for a tip. It was the first time I had ever eaten in a restaurant and didn't know about tips. I snatched it up and gave it back to him in the car. Yes, I had to take it back. I'll never forget that trip.
Hi everyone! Well, i was born in december of 59. And i REMEMBER going up to the top of the "Space Needle" with my two older brothers,age 7 and 10, and well it was free for me but i think they asked David and Steve for a dime apiece. Could be wrong. Anyway, 7 year old David held me up right on the edge of the lookout level so i could see everything and i sure was thankful and happy! I was 3 i think😊 and boy do i remember rhar experience. Elvis was there, up near the flag oavlion and we have actual photos of him! What a gas!😊
God, I remember being about 7 when this fair occurred. In the years before and after, I would pour over magazine articles and a National Geographic pictorial about the construction of the Space Needle and the Monorail. Never would have though they'd still be around 61 years later.
Seattle child here as a member of Camp Fire Girls we performed with other troops to sing there. It was also the day that Roy Rogers became an honorary member of some Washington tribe? I have no idea why we sang state songs at this event but one was On Wisconson., loyal to you Illinois? It would have made sense to sing the state song of Washington but we didn't! I also remember the Bubbleeator?? The elevator that impressed me as as a child. I am pretty sure I still have the felt badge we earned from singing at the fair. I was about 10. In grade school they would have class trips to the Science Center. Oh, and you mentioned the Tatoo I went to that too! Reliving my youth!
Having been born in Seattle and living in the area ever since, I was 3 years old at the time of the fair and still have some fond memories of it. Having visited the Seattle Center (the grounds of the worlds fair) hundreds of times since then up to the present day, especially the Pacific Science Center, the 'Food Circus' (now called the Armory) where the Bubblelator used to be, and the International Fountain, the spirit of the fair still lingers.
Not really part of the World's Fair, but during that time the British ocean liner Dominion Monarch was docked in Seattle as an hotel ship. The pilot for detective TV series was filmed aboard the liner. After the Fair the Dominion Monarch was scrapped and, to the best of my knowledge, the TV pilot was never shown and its whereabout are unknown. Maybe that pilot will yet turn up and we can see an ocean liner of the past as well as enjoy the mystery show.
Check out our video on the 1964/65 World Fair here! ruclips.net/video/wc8wez5ylbg/видео.html
I was 16 at the time. Dad and I had driven from eastern Nebraska to Oakland, CA to visit relatives. From there we went on to Seattle and attended the worlds fair. It was strain on a poor farmers budget, buts it is a trip I have never forgotten.
That's great!
You had a GREAT dad doing that for you two. Nice.
I was 16 at the time and came down all the way from Tacoma…ha! My older brother’s family drove out from Silver Creek Nebraska to see the fair, and the Million Dollar display made by his company, Behlen Manufacturing show in the building. I was so inspired I went into Architecture and had over. 40 year career.
I went to the Expo'74 in Spokane from the SF Bay Area as a kid. I don't remember it too vividly, only in passing and I have a few trinkets/mementos left. We visited Seattle in the 1990s and it seems like a broken place now.
I was also 16 when my parents and i drove up from Portland to spend the weekend in Seattle and the Worlds Fair. Mind boggling at the time. When i got home i discovered the my supposed girl friend was with a friend that weekend. Didn’t take long to figure out that i came out ahead all the way around. LOL
My lasting memory of the fair, at age 12, was of a hallway near Key Arena. The left side of this hallway was a glass window view. The right side was a painted storefront tilted as if it were on a steep hillside. The effect of this tilted view made me and my younger brother feel as if we were walking downhill - to the point where we couldn't help running, even though the actual hallway was level. He and I ran back to the 'top' of this artificial hill to walk and then run down again jubilent at the special effect. ANYBODY ELSE remember that display?
In 1962, there I was, dangling my feet off the observation deck, enjoying the view. The Space Needle was orange back then, and before the suicide fence was installed. My parents got lost that day, so I had to wait in the lost and found till they were found, an hour later. They had a wooden train set there, so after my parents showed up, I didn’t want to leave. I was an inspired 5 year old Seattleite.
me too. fun time!
Nice way to put it: "My parents got lost". If only adults would behave themselves and stay with the group! 😂😂😂
@@johnfourteensix5398 Me too! I got ice cream though.
@@tommydorsey5055 I got sick...
My dad took me on the octopus ride, and all the spinning had me screaming for the ride to stop! It finally did, but too late!
😑😊
I never went to the fair itself but did go up about 7 years later and the grounds were still well maintained.We had a wonderful dinner at the top of the Space Needle and everything was still very clean. About ten years ago we went up and it was so different; it was almost heartbreaking. But it really is a treasure of an area. I hope they restore it and get it into some semblance of what it once was.
I was born in 1963, but my Dad came to Seattle the previous year to see if it would be a nice place to live. He went to the World's Fair and eventually decided to move the family there. I was born in Cape Cod, Massachusetts and a few months later our family drove across the country to Seattle where my Dad had been awarded a job as a professor at the UW (The University of Washington). So I basically grew up in a suburb of Seattle and have many many memories of going to the Seattle Center as a kid, playing in the fountain and the flag pavilion with my brother, eating at the Food Circus, riding the monorail, and of course going up the Space Needle which was like some kind of surreal dream for a little kid. Thanks for evoking some very pleasant memories of 1960s Seattle.
Hello I moved from cape cod to Seattle myself at age 19 in 1982. Let's talk soon..maybe we should be friends.
May I ask your father's name and what he taught at the UW? My cousin and later I attended the UW
(she in the 60's and I was there in the 70's). My dad and my cousin's father both worked on the construction of the site. Dad was on the crew that put in the windows for the Needle, the Science Center and the Coliseum. (And numerous buildings on the UW campus and others scattered throughout downtown Seattle and beyond.) The Fair opened on my parents' 12th wedding anniversary.
I was 12 from Fife. Loved it with my parents. Used to go to a lot until it changed into something I didn't enjoy. 😢
....and now?!?!??🫤👎
I was 12. My family lived in Seattle and attended this terrific fair 3 times. It was tremendous! A really exciting experience. There was NO downside, even with the crowds. It was affordable and had something for everyone. Each time we went we spent the entire day there up until near closing, in the evening. One of my fondest memories of Seattle... along with JP Patches, of course!
I attended the Seattle World’s Fair in ‘62. I was 8 years old and remember many events and displays. I still get a chuckle over the plastic suits and hamburger shaped houses we all were expected to be living in by now. Thanks for the great memories.
Plastic suits? ... I love wearing PVC! So, that would suit me just fine! 🤣
The trip of a lifetime for me as a 10 year old . Parents drove from Pennsylvania to Yellowstone and on to Seattle then Oregon to visit relatives and back thru Salt Lake City and St, Louis. Gas war at one point and it was .18 cents a gallon. Made the tour in a 1961 Chevy Impala. No air. Windows down most of the way.
Those were the days with gas at $.18 a gallon! It was about $.23 then, on the East Coast!
No Air? Wouldn't you need oxygen tanks? 😂
Dinah Shore would've been pleased that you saw the U-S-A in a Chev-ro-let!
Wow what a trip !!
I grew up in Seattle and was 7 years old when the fair was held. It was an absolutely magical time in our city, and I was enthralled by it all. I became a big fan of world's fairs and have also been to three others - Spokane in 1974, Knoxville in 1982 and Vancouver, B.C. in 1986. The Twin Cities of Minnesota are in competition with several others cities worldwide to hold a world's fair in 2027, and the winner is to be announced in about six weeks. If the Minnesota bid wins, you can be sure I plan to attend their fair in four years.
And now Seattle is a toilet with a crime and drug infested downtown with homeless bums everywhere (including the Seattle Center grounds).
Who won the bid for 2027?
Belgrade, Serbia
@@johnfortmeyerMy boss is from Serbia, so that's still interesting news - albeit I'm unlikely to venture out that far myself.
Wonderous!😯💖👏!
Its nice to see these slices of history from my youth. I was 10 then and so much seemed possible. The world has become so cynical since.
No, just the unwell all over social media
The year I was born.
me too .My parents had friends in Seattle so we visited from Vancouver BC and I too saw it at 10. what great era to grow up in.
It's always been, you just got more cynical with age.
@@1962sparky 👍👍Me too!
I was born during BOTH the Seattle World's fair AND the Cuban Missile Crisis. 😳 A time of BOTH glorious optimism AND stark fear. 🤔 Mid-October 1962 had to be a hell of a ride for those old enough to remember it!
Yes! I was 8 years old during Sea Worlds Fair and that darn Cuban Missile Crisis. The Fair was wonderful,but the Cuban crisis not so much. I lived on Mercer Island at the time which was very rural. We not only had duck and cover drills, but we had to practice running home from school just in case a bomb was about to drop. For those of us who had younger siblings in the same school, we had to stop and get the younger sister, and get her to run along home, too. The parents were aware of this routine. It was very scary except on the days we ran home…got out of school early. I’m so glad my son didn’t have that experience and feel bad for children alive during wartime nowadays.
@@bahiras 👍👍
President Kennedy was supposed to officially close the world's fair with a personal appearance but begged off due to "illness". It was a cover story. Although not known by the public then, the missiles in Cuba had just been discovered.
This was the fair wäre my uncle Malito from Galicia, Spain, met my aunt Carlotta from North Carolina. They got married and they both lived a wonderful life in the evergreen state. For me, Seattle will be always in my heart…
I was 8 years old when the fair opened and my dad was in the Army and stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia, where our family lived at the time. We didn't make it to the fair, but we did go to the theatre the following year in 1963 and saw "It Happened At The World's Fair" with Elvis. Enjoyed the video and commentary.
Always had been amazed at the World’s Fair of the past, how much creative innovation & well…hope for the future existed. I feel we as a country have sadly lost that today.
I agree. There was a lot more concept cars more innovation more style improvement more tech growth. Now the gm lobby shuts down hi speed rail.
@@robertpolnicky7702 Seattle is dying.
I was raised in Seattle and remember watching the whole thing being built.
I'm a big Elvis fan and had never heard about the ham story. Very interesting. Thank you.
Did you see Elvis get kicked in the shins by an 11 year old Kurt Russell in the movie?
@@rongendron8705 Ya
Crazy how the view from the space needle with so many less buildings looks compared to now 60 years later!!❤
My Dad worked for the company that built and displayed the $1 M ---Behlen Mfg in Columbus Nebraska. Such an enjoyable trip for an almost-6 year old. My Grandma, Aunt 20ish and Twin Uncles 16ish who lived in Tacoma, made it even more exciting for us!
I was there as a fourteen year old. Thanks for bringing those memories back.
I was 7 years old when my older brothers snuck us in through a back door in the Science Center after we walked from our house on Queen Anne Hill. It was awesome - and probably the most successful US World's Fair in the 20th century measured by how it much it elevated the host city's image. The Space Needle's identification with the Seattle is probably nearly as strong as the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Statue of Liberty in New York.
What a beautiful, optimistic time! Everyone all smartened up, having a great time, learning while playing! Wish I'd been around to see it.
I was thinking the same thing, Seattle became a pigsty in the last 10 years or even less, trash, homeless, vandalism, graffiti, needles on the ground.... sadness, most big cities (especially on the western seaboard) are all imploding.
I was 6......
I remember it all !
I was 6 years old and remember my dad covering my eyes as we road the elevator to the top of the Space Needle during the Worlds Fair. Found out later in life my dad had a fear of heights and I guess he thought I did too? So glad I was raised here and experienced life in Seattle.
Well done. Thank you. I was 6 years old. My family drove to the fair on the recently built I-5 freeway that was inspired in part by the fair. We drove from Lakewood South of Tacoma in our Plymouth station wagon. Our family of four (my brother was 3 1/2 years older) were amazed at the big open smooth freeway and it''s speed limit of 70mph. I remember there were not very many other cars traveling and we were amazed at how smooth and quick the drive was. This was in contrast to our Sunday drives to Mt. Rainier, Alder Lake or Puyallup to take in the beautiful Northwest scenery. It was amazing for this young boy to experience seeing Seattle, the Space Needle and the fair. The most memorable event for me at the fair was sitting in the stands watching the water show. I remember being amazed by the water skiers creating pyramids while being towed around the oval pool. Thanks Mom and Dad. Thanks for your excellent video.
Very well done video!! Thanks!!
It's looks like a completely different reality.
It is.
I was there. Early 20's, just married, life (and the city) was good. Today, 60+ years later, my wife is gone and so is the city. But I still reflect on, "Once upon a time".
We went to the fair--my mom, dad, brother and I. I was 9. It was amazing! Among other things the Belgian Waffles were famous, as of course was the Space Needle. Also worth noting is that many tourists like us also visited Victoria and Vancouver, so the Fair helped Canadian tourism make those cities higher profile too.
Wow! It's really hard to believe that in the picture of the space needle in 1962 of the world's fair. There are hardly any buildings in downtown Seattle back then? At least from the picture shot shows what looks like to be a picture of mount Rainier in the back ground? And there's no tall buildings in it?
I went to 1974 Spokane Fair and it was more like a huge County Fair. We drove all the way from Southern California to see it and I never even brought back a Souvenir from that event. The 5-day camper drive was actually the highlight of that Summer.
I remember President Nixon opened the Spokane world's fair. In a few short months, he had left office.
I was 14 in Seattle when the World's Fair opened and remember the excitement leading up to it; for years before we had heard how it was going to put Seattle on the map - and it did that in spades. The Space Needle was the new Eiffel Tower; the Belgian waffles were so exotic, they were a big hit and the lines were long to get one. My older sister's best friend fell in love with a flamenco dancer from the Spanish Pavilion (and married him). The fair had its own theme song, 'Meet Me in Seattle at the Fair', memorable mostly for its excruciatingly silly lyric "meet me in Seattle, that's where I'll be attle". Thanks for the memories of the days when we were joyously optimistic, even in the middle of the Cold War. I wish that simple optimism was still popular - it was way more fun!
Jaded cynical sarcasm is so boring these days!
I went to the fair with my parents and grandmother. I was 5 years old and we drove to Seattle from Houston. Although I was quite young, I still have several memories of the fair. The monorail was a favorite and going to the top of the Space Needle was another fun memory.
Thanks for this. I was there on the day of the Columbus Day Storm. As a four year old, I can remember sheer panic as the sky got dark early and everyone starting racing to the parking lot after announcements were made over the loud speakers. We were hustling to our car when my mother tripped and split her chin wide open. We had to go to the ER for stitches. I also remember a huge stuffed polar bear up on his hind legs. Very intimidating.
I was 11 when I went to the fair and I was back in 2012 for the 50th Anniversary of the Space Needle. When I told one of the waitstaff at the bar on the observation platform that I had been there for the fair, they gave me free drinks! Wow. It was a magical experience for a poor kid from New Orleans. It was a giant splurge by my grand parents that made the trip possible, and it was the first time I had ever traveled out of Louisiana.
My parents visited the fair many times and they took me on my 4th birthday. I remember quite a bit about it, the picture phone, the bubbleator, the waterskiing exhibition, the funny tracked old car ride and mostly the Wild Mouse that not only scared the crap out of me it didn't go over that well with my dad either. My only disappointment was not being able to go to the top of the Space Needle because the line was too long. I got a Space Needle insulated glass and a model kit that my dad built for me. Both are long gone now but recently I found both an unbuilt kit and a the same style glass in perfect condition to add to my collection.
I was six years old and grew up in Burien. I have a few brief memories of the fair, having a Belgian waffle with my mother, her getting a pickle pin, going on a spinning barrel ride with my dad, riding the monorail and seeing the bubbleater. There were other events around the city and I remember being on the waterfront on one of the piers and have a brief memory of seeing the Kalakala ferry. I have my mom‘s pickle pin, and a 45 record sung by Joy and the boys “Meet me at the fair”, and a couple of glasses.
I lived in Burien gardens apartments in 1966. Seahurst park was right behind them. We took the ferry boat to Bremerton and just missed the Kayla Kala ferry by 5 cars. My biggest disappointment ever.
From Burien also. I worked at Hiline Lanes bowling alley during same time period.
I wonder if I know either of you ?
Fun story! Love the ham story! Belgian Waffles are a favorite!!!
I was 12 and traveled from Utah with my grandma to see the fair. I still remember it well! The Space Needle and the monorail were very cool.
My aunt and uncle lived in Seattle at the time. While we never went out there to visit them, my grandfather did so in 1960 and '62. He visited the fair and was impressed.
1962 was peak Seattle. The glory days!
I was part of the opening ceremonies at the fair as a member of the College of Idaho travelling choir. I recall that I saw my first "dollar bill changer" in the restuarant atop the Space Needle. I also recall that the facility that was to house us during our stay was not quite ready when we arrived. What sticks in my memory is that we stayed in a warehouse with temporary partions separating the men from the women.
Even though I was born in November of 62 I would have never dreamed I would use memorabilia from this fair in my 1962 Plymouth display at car shows. I had so much of it I had to find a 62 camper that would reflect that time line. I found a 62 one wheel Heilite aircraft aluminum camper which became my unburied time capsule for many years. I remember at one show at the James Dean festival someone from Seattle Washington seen my rolling exhibit and comment thay never seen so much 62 world's Fair memorabilia in one spot. I had to reply your kidding I thought that city had mines of the stuff! Thay reply back a lot of it left the city! I no longer take it out on tour, vibration and sunlight destroyed some of the pieces and I had too replace a lot of the memorabilia. To this day I still look for 62 world's Fair memorabilia, it's a reminder of my birth year and a great moment in history that will be never be repeated. Great video of this fair it will become a piece of my exhibit!
Awesome! Please find a picture of Dr. Edward Teller in the Pacific Science Center....summer of '62. He and his entourage are standing behind some boys who are playing "atomic pinball" in the Center. The photo made the front page of a paper in Yakima, Wa that weekend.
I am one of the boys. Would like a big photo of that instant! Great memories of the Fair!!!!!
Contact thr newspaper and/or the county historical society.
i wasnt born yet but i did go every year . loved that bubblelater it was magic
I can remember a bubble elevator from 1966.
Wow what a terrific presentation. Full of positivity and wonder. Love it!
Great memory. Thank you. I was 19 when the fair opened. My girl friend's parents let me go along on their vacation from her home in Stockton CA to Seattle. I had never been anywhere and it was a great trip. Funny, I can't remember much about the fair but I remember my girl friend and her awesome parents very well.
Elvis filmed a movie there. "It Happened At The World's Fair" The movie where a very young Kurt Russell kicks Elvis in the shins so Elvis can see the cute nurse.
We made the trip to the fair from The Dalles, Oregon. I was a month short of 16. I liked the room that made you feel real tall, then real short as you moved to the other end. It was neat seeing the big fountains spraying in the sunken area. In the main pavilion you could see all the couples dancing. The elevator ride to the top of the needle was fun and then seeing the people eating in the restaurant up there. We then walked 2-3 blocks away to our light-blue ‘59 Rambler station wagon and drove off into history.🤗🥳😳
My family drove across the American west in a camper to this. We had a blast. So did hundreds of other families traveling across the west. I still remember it.
I was 6 going on 7 and my family and I went there. My mom's Aunt and Uncle lived about an hour southeast of Seattle and we went and spent the summer with them. I remember the Monorail and having lunch at the top of the Space Needle. As I recall, the restaurant slowly rotated, taking about an hour to make a complete rotation, so we dragged out our lunch until we made it all the way around. I also remember a rocket ride. Not like a roller coaster type, but more of a flight simulator, where everyone filed inside for a "flight on an interstellar space liner". I think they actually used an airplane fuselage for it because it had that kind of doors and seats. It had a big screen up front to show us the "pilot's viewpoint". And the whole thing moved - angled up for takeoff, shook for turbulence, that sort of thing. There was a lot more to see and do, but those are the things that stand out in my memory the most. Besides the fair we went to the beach (I got to swim in the Pacific Ocean) and up into the mountains (we had a snowball fight in July!). That fall my "What I did on my Summer Vacation" essay was the talk of the 2nd grade! 😁
I was there!!! 11 years old with my Dad, Mom, & Little Brother. So many memories.
I was just a kid when my family and I went. It was amazing! I still have the glasses my mom bought back then with the various exhibitions on them.
Lots of beautiful dreams, so much hope for a great future in a new century....
Such innocence, such naivete
This is SUCH a great video, thanks so much!
I was born in June of 1962 in Seattle. Me and the needle are the same age. I attended the fair from a stroller 😂. I do have very fond memories of going to the Seattle Center as a kid. My uncle was a champion dart thrower and once he won so may stuffed animals at the Fun Forrest they told him he could play anymore. The mad mouse was my favorite ride, but also loved the bubbleater and monorail. Man, that seems like a lifetime ago now?! Thanks so much for the memories.
wish I was there..This is amazing , made to love my city more .I am watching history of Seattle lately a lot , it is an amazing way to connect more to your city emotionally.But Seattle should continue this heritage today..It seems like an amazing world class energy was going on
While on vacation in the mid-60's my parents took my sister and I to the World's Fair. I remember eating lunch at the top of the space needle.
It's kind of amazing how many of the buildings are still being used today. That's not always the case after something like this.
We saw the Worlds Fair in Jr. Scholastic magazine. Every kid across the country looked at those pictures of those futuristic buildings and thought it was the coolest. Science was king and we thought we were a couple years from the Jetsons. The Space Needle is still a renowned icon and the rest of the Science Center has held up well. Come to Seattle and play in the fountain on a hot summer day. A lot of the fair is gone but you can still get the vibe by riding the Monorail. The Fair was awesome because people were enthusiastic about the future. The lack of cynicism made for something that has had great staying power. If you come and see the Seattle Center think back about a time when folks could actually come together and cooperate for a common good.
I'm pretty sure I went to the world' fair in NY in 1964. I was 3yrs old and I remember some of it, wow. I was born in 1961.
Went up the Space Needle. Also visited Mt. St. Helens & Rainier all in the 90's.
I was a junior in High School in Seattle and my grandfather, Benjamin Franklin Snook= Ben Snook, was the Safety Engineer for the fair. He had to have everything oked by him and he put a few dampers on the Space needle. He was so proud of that needle and the monorail that were just two of the biggest things he was in charge of at the fair. My mom wrote a song for the fair, and it can be heard on you tube today. The song ended up becoming a record with the Worlds Fair Seattle song on one size and she wrote the National Elks song on the other side of the record. She was a hit and I sang that song many places for the Elks and Seattle. It was a fun time, and I loved visiting gramps at the fair. For my 17 birthday he got us tickets for the Spanish Dancers that came Folkloric.
I was the first, and I believe the only senior class that graduated right on the stage you have on your film, from the Seattle Science Pavilion. The class was 1964 from Franklin High School. I don't believe anyone else's graduating class could boast that.
The bubblelator and the food court were my favorites and I still can taste that "Mongolian" steak that you could get from that booth. It was a grand time and made Seattle very, very, famous. The population grew from that fair and so did the skyscrapers. I go back to Seattle now and recall those 6 months of being on the fair grounds with my grandparents. Ben Snook, gramps, did not have ONE fatality or serious injury. That was something that was talked about because no other World Fair to say that. It was wonderful.
I was there when the Seattle Seafair was on. I was 15. My high school marched at Seattle's World Fair. I went with my parents and my sister.
I grew up in Seattle. Born in ‘64 in Ellensburg, raised in Federal Way. In the late 60s or possibly the early 70s dad took me and my two little sisters to the Seattle Center on Christmas Eve (we did this every year till we were in high school) and the Bubbleator was still in the original building. I don’t know what year that ended.
But in 1988-89I lived with a friend in a house that had the actual Bubble-ater in the front yard. A terrarium on Redondo Beach.
I still visit the space needle and am in awe of this beautiful structure so many decades later. ❤
We came up I-5 from Oregon City. This video brings back all kinds of memories including the futuristic cars an top of space needle took my breath away, but the ride going up was terrifying too me! Dad an I both loved all science, mom & brother loved the food. First time in Sturgis reminded me of Seattle Worlds Fair.
Great video! I’ve been an employee of the space needle for almost 15 years, I love it and the fair’s history
When I was a kid our family went one summer on this big west coast vacation where we started with Disney World and worked our way up the coast going to different cities and ending in Seattle before returning the rental car and flying back to Illinois. Seattle was the city, of all the cities, that my ten-year-old self could see living in.
A few years ago I went there as an adult and because of the circumstances basically had several days to myself with no particular obligation. The monorail was kind of weird because it had a very limited route with pretty much a singular start an endpoint. I used it once, but it wasn't something that I used to randomly get around the city as I had expected to. I mainly took the bus from the motel we were staying in into downtown Seattle, and then just walked around Seattle all the time.
My family are among the millions who attended. One thing I recall was the display of 1,000,000 silver dollars.
My Dad worked for the company that made that display! That corrugated steel wall was patented and withstood an atomic blast in tests. Not involving the money tho😂
I was there as a 10 year old and I still remember all these features and buildings. The monorail was my favorite as a kid. ..OK, the space needle was amazing too!
Went to the fair in the summer of 1962 at age 7 with my family from Texas. The thing I remember most was the AT&T exhibit with a video telephone. You could see a black and white picture of the person you were talking to who just across the room. We had to wait 40 years to get finally get a video phone.
My parents were there for that, my mother remembers seeing Elvis coming off the monorail and a group of girls going crazy for him, and scrambling to get a gum wrapper Elvis had thrown on the ground!
Glad they never tore the Space Needle down. I thought it was tacky at the time; now I see it as a modern classic and a fitting symbol for Seattle. Much more beautiful than the Eiffel Tower, btw.
I was there three times - once with a bunch of Cub Scouts. My dad made the mistake of being a chaperone with the Scouts. Before we went in, he told us all, "Now everybody stick together." As soon as we had gone in, everybody scattered. Remember seeing the water skiing show at Memorial Stadium - and riding the Bubbleator.
I was 16. My family drove from Washington, DC in a 1958 Chevrolet, towing a trailer that opened up into a tent. The trip, which ended in San Antonio, Texas took weeks. I remember that my major demand was that every Friday, a television had to be available so that I could watch Route 66. I remember very little about the Fair; I imagine I spent most of my time at the British exhibit, as I was super anglophile at the time.
Thanks for sharing this.
I was twelve when my family, living in San Leandro, California, drove north to Seattle. I most clearly remember our trip up the Space Needle -- what a thrill! It was a real adventure for the family, culminating our first trip outside the country -- to Vancouver. What an adventure. Thanks for this trip down memory lane!
Thanks! Brings back a bunch of great memories. Grew up on the hill right behind the center and much of my childhood and teenage years were centered around the venue. I even worked as a ride attendant during my high school years after the fair left town. Attended many concerts and sporting events there. Amazing place, even today!
Queen Anne?
@@MrShobar yep!
I was only 5, but remember bits and pieces of my visit. The Seattle Center, which is what the location was renamed, became a destination for decades after.
For those old-time Seattleites who may not have recognized him, in the picture at 8:20, that is KJR’s Pat O’Day standing by Elvis’s right shoulder.
🎶K J R Seattle! ……channel ninety fiiiiveee 🎶
I remember him and KJR very well!
Correct.
KJR - listened to it nonstop from preteen until I left for college. Thanks for reminding me about Pat O'Day and the days when a DJ could make or break a song.
I was just in Seattle last year for the first time and went up in the space needle. Love these types of videos
My dad got a dollar to spend at the fair when he was kid in the 60s
This was the year my younger brother was born (he was born on April 3rd). Surprisingly he now lives in Seattle! I finally got to visit Seattle & my hubby & I celebrated our 25th anniversary at the restaurant at the top of the space needle.
The Luner Module picture shown was taken at the NY ‘64/‘65 worlds fair. The Ford pavilion is in the background.
You have good eye Tom! also did you notice how the narrator called it the Mercury "Time" capsule hahah
@@bruceglover7971 Not the best researched video they've ever done, that's for sure.
I was there as a toddler with my family. I don't remember a thing, but I still have my little stuffed green and blue rabbit with images of the space needle on it :)
I was 7 from across the state in Spokane, WA. Came over with parents and older brother. The Bubbleator was a big deal. Saw Carol Channing riding down in it!
i remember the Space Needle being the tallest structure in Seattle.
I was 8 years old when the Sea Worlds Fair opened. It was very exciting. I don’t remember much about the exhibits; the Bubbleator sounded thrilling, but was over rated; the Space Needle was super cool; and the rides were awesome. Well I was just a kid…
I was born in 1960 in Billings, Montana. I don't remember when the World's Fair was in Seattle but I have been to the fair grounds in the Early 80's. They are still fantastic and the Space Needle is still amazing. The monorail is still functional from the downtown to the fair grounds. Seattle is a pretty town.
I was one year old and I was there. Haven't been back to Seattle since. Maybe one day i will.
We traveled up from So.Calif. in Aug. 1962 to see this fair in my Dad's '61 Dodge Power Wagon. I was 12 and had never been out of the county. We ate lunch in the Space Needle Restaurant. My Father left a $ 5.oo bill on the table for a tip. It was the first time I had ever eaten in a restaurant and didn't know about tips. I snatched it up and gave it back to him in the car. Yes, I had to take it back. I'll never forget that trip.
Hi everyone! Well, i was born in december of 59. And i REMEMBER going up to the top of the "Space Needle" with my two older brothers,age 7 and 10, and well it was free for me but i think they asked David and Steve for a dime apiece. Could be wrong. Anyway, 7 year old David held me up right on the edge of the lookout level so i could see everything and i sure was thankful and happy! I was 3 i think😊 and boy do i remember rhar experience.
Elvis was there, up near the flag oavlion and we have actual photos of him! What a gas!😊
God, I remember being about 7 when this fair occurred. In the years before and after, I would pour over magazine articles and a National Geographic pictorial about the construction of the Space Needle and the Monorail. Never would have though they'd still be around 61 years later.
Seattle child here as a member of Camp Fire Girls we performed with other troops to sing there. It was also the day that Roy Rogers became an honorary member of some Washington tribe? I have no idea why we sang state songs at this event but one was On Wisconson., loyal to you Illinois? It would have made sense to sing the state song of Washington but we didn't! I also remember the Bubbleeator?? The elevator that impressed me as as a child. I am pretty sure I still have the felt badge we earned from singing at the fair. I was about 10. In grade school they would have class trips to the Science Center. Oh, and you mentioned the Tatoo I went to that too! Reliving my youth!
Having been born in Seattle and living in the area ever since, I was 3 years old at the time of the fair and still have some fond memories of it. Having visited the Seattle Center (the grounds of the worlds fair) hundreds of times since then up to the present day, especially the Pacific Science Center, the 'Food Circus' (now called the Armory) where the Bubblelator used to be, and the International Fountain, the spirit of the fair still lingers.
It's sad to see the Seattle of 1962 & the Seattle we have in 2023 so much for progress !
Liberals ruined Seattle
Not really part of the World's Fair, but during that time the British ocean liner Dominion Monarch was docked in Seattle as an hotel ship. The pilot for detective TV series was filmed aboard the liner. After the Fair the Dominion Monarch was scrapped and, to the best of my knowledge, the TV pilot was never shown and its whereabout are unknown. Maybe that pilot will yet turn up and we can see an ocean liner of the past as well as enjoy the mystery show.
I was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington in 1969. Missed the World's Fair by 7 years!
I was six years away... Born April 10 1968 Seattle WA.
My parents took my brother and me. We had a wonderful time. One and only time I went up in the Space Needle.
Thank you for such a fascinating history!!!
My family and cousin drove from Alberta Canada to the fair. Lots of fun