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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Expo 74

Spokane hosted the World's Fair in 1974, drawing 5.6 million visitors. It was the first environment-themed World's Fair and was generally considered a resounding success. Upload your photos from Expo 74 here, and they could appear in a special section on May 4 -- the 40th anniversary of Expo's opening day. We'll also share them with the Spokane Parks Foundation for possible use in a slide show during a gala celebration -- and be used in a reader slide show during a special anniversary gala that same weekend.

NOTE: Before photos show up in the reader photo gallery, they must be approved by an editor. If yours does not show up immediately, fear not. The only likely delay is that an editor has not had a chance to approve new photo submissions yet. Thanks for participating!

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Photos in This Album

  • Chuck Fulks and Lynn Fulks Expo '74. Inside the United States Pavilion.

    Photographer: Chuck Fulks

  • Chuck Fulks II, Bonnie Fulks, and Lynn Fulks-Barrett Riverfront Park, Spokane WA. 2014.

    Photographer: Chuck Fulks

  • Chuck Fulks II, Bonnie Fulks and Lynn Fulks. Expo '74 Riverfront Park 1974

    Photographer: Chuck Fulks

  • We had fun trying to take pictures in the same spots that we did 40 years ago! Picture taken at Riverfront Park 2014, Spokane WA

    Photographer: Chuck Fulks

  • We had fun trying to take pictures in the same spots that we did 40 years ago! Picture taken at Expo in 1974, Spokane WA

    Photographer: Chuck Fulks

  • This is my 85-year-old mom, Virginia Phillips, holding her Expo '74 season pass. I was 2 years old during the World's Fair in Spokane, but I remember a building or room full of TV screens.

    Photographer: Caryl Thomas

  • This is me now... 40 years later... holding my Expo 74 season pass!

    Photographer: Don C. Wynne

  • I worked at the Ford Pavilion during Expo '74. Our pavilion was located close to where the red wagon is today. Great memories of working at Expo '74. I grew up in Cheney, Wash. Today I am married and live on a wheat farm out of Colfax Washington.

    Photographer: Laurie Giles Suess

  • Working downtown during the 1950's and having to walk to my car after 9:00 and under the train tracks was a scary ordeal. Downtown Spokane was not a pretty place and where were the falls? Then Expo appeared and so did our river and the Falls plus the world joined in. What excitement and what a beautiful city.

    Photographer: Margaret Shields

  • United States Pavilion, and Sky Ride at Expo '74, Spokane WA

    Photographer: Chuck Fulks

  • US Pavilion and Spokane River Expo 1974

    Photographer: Chuck Fulks

  • Opening Day- Expo '74

    Photographer: Chuck Fulks

  • Expo '74 grounds with U.S. pavilion and clocktower, Spokane WA

    Photographer: Chuck Fulks

  • Chuck Fulks II, with Expo '74 season pass.

    Photographer: Chuck Fulks

  • Chuck and Bonnie Fulks re-creating a photograph from Expo '74. Hard to believe we would be back here taking this picture 40 years later, in 2014.

    Photographer: Chuck Fulks

  • Chuck Fulks II, Lynn Fulks-Barrett, Bonnie Fulks, and Chuck Fulks. Our family all had season passes and we went to Expo '74 almost every day. Here we all are proudly displaying our Expo passes, at Riverfront Park 40 years later!

    Photographer: Chuck Fulks

  • Brother and sister, Russ Helgeson and Joy (Helgeson) Vesterman

    Photographer: Russ Helgeson

  • Picture of the United States Pavilion. One of the pages inside the Souvenir Pictorial Book from Expo '74.

    Photographer: Lynn Barrett

  • Expo '74 Coloring Book

    Photographer: Lynn Barrett

  • Back cover of Souvenir Pictorial Book from Expo '74

    Photographer: Lynn Barrett

  • Front cover of Souvenir Pictorial Book from Expo '74

    Photographer: Lynn Barrett

  • Collector plate from Expo '74

    Photographer: Lynn Barrett

  • Collector plate from Expo '74

    Photographer: Lynn Barrett

  • Collector plate from Expo '74

    Photographer: Lynn Barrett

  • Souvenir Photo Album, Pictorial Book, Film Finishing Bag, and Coloring Book purchased at Expo '74 in Spokane WA

    Photographer: Lynn Barrett

  • Expo '74 Souvenir Plates

    Photographer: Lynn Barrett

  • I worked in the Chinese Pavilion for the World's Fair 74 as chief hostess in Spokane. I met my husband Terry Martin during the fair and later on we were married here. Terry is a local Spokane native. The Expo has changed my life; I have lived in Spokane for the past 40 years.

    Photographer: Frances (Wang) Martin

  • Pat Cadagan

    Photographer: Pat Cadagan

  • Seasons Pass

    Photographer: Stephanie Howe Aden

  • 160 page Souvenir program from Expo '74.

    Photographer: Mike Dunlap

  • I was nine years old, and in the 4th grade during Expo '74. I still live in Spokane, and still have my Expo Season's Pass! I also have hung onto many souvenirs, and great memories, from that wonderful time when the World's Fair was in Spokane, WA.

    Photographer: Lynn Barrett

  • A giant (12" long) retractable pen from the Fair.

    Photographer: Mike Dunlap

  • Sophomore year of Shadle Park. I rode the #2 North A bus downtown when the world was a safer place. Pictured with the souvenir piece of the US Pavilion tarp.

    Photographer: Andy Swanson

  • I was going through some memorabilia boxes and came across two tickets for Expo 74. This is a copy of one of them, front and back.

    Photographer: Charlene Spilker

  • Expo '74 Tea Set

    Photographer: Mike Dunlap

  • Expo '74 ash tray

    Photographer: Mike Dunlap

  • I was part of the provisional Boy Scout Troop in the middle of August 1974. This was our neckerchief.

    Photographer: Rob Keasal

  • 1974 World Expo ID card

    Photographer: J. Campbell

  • Three of these photos were taken in front of the Ford Pavillion. The three ladies are (l to r) Carol Stearns, Laurie Giles,Willie VanPelt, we were guides at the Pavillion. The other two are of myself Laurie Giles. The two gentlemen with me in the one photo are men from the Ford Motor Company that came out for the opening. John Sattler and Stan Cousineau (in blue). I grew up in Cheney Washington and worked at the fair for the entire run.

    Photographer: Laurie Giles Suess

  • I worked as a janitor in the YWCA building when it was the expo 74 headquarters and often found slides of the expo site in the trash, as a curious 18 year old I thought they might be worth holding onto. Glad I did, these are some of the best of the construction site. (I'll send several) (Picture - May 1973)-US Pavilion

    Photographer: Lee Stone

  • I worked as a janitor in the YWCA building when it was the expo 74 headquarters and often found slides of the expo site in the trash, as a curious 18 year old I thought they might be worth holding onto. Glad I did, these are some of the best of the construction site. US Pavilion (I'll send several) (Picture - May 1973)

    Photographer: Lee Stone

  • I worked as a janitor in the YWCA building when it was the expo 74 headquarters and often found slides of the expo site in the trash, as a curious 18 year old I thought they might be worth holding onto. Glad I did, these are some of the best of the construction site. Future US Pavilion (I'll send several) (Picture - June 1973)(the 311 refers to how many days till opening)

    Photographer: Lee Stone

  • I worked as a janitor in the YWCA building when it was the expo 74 headquarters and often found slides of the expo site in the trash, as a curious 18 year old I thought they might be worth holding onto. Glad I did, these are some of the best of the construction site. (I'll send several) (Picture - Sept 1972?)

    Photographer: Lee Stone

  • I worked as a janitor in the YWCA building when it was the expo 74 headquarters and often found slides of the expo site in the trash, as a curious 18 year old I thought they might be worth holding onto. Glad I did, these are some of the best of the construction site. (I'll send several) (Picture - May 1973)

    Photographer: Lee Stone

  • I worked as a janitor in the YWCA building when it was the expo 74 headquarters and often found slides of the expo site in the trash, as a curious 18 year old I thought they might be worth holding onto. Glad I did, these are some of the best of the construction site. (I'll send several)

    Photographer: Lee Stone

  • Photo with season pass.

    Photographer: Bob Isitt

  • Season pass for Bob Isitt (age 24)

    Photographer: Bob Isitt

  • I was 17 when Expo '74 opened, I bought a season's pass and spent many hours exploring and having a blast there with friends, dates and complete strangers. Once-in-a-lifetime experience and it was genuinely epic! Image was taken 4/3/2014 east of Division to capture the Clock Tower and framing of the US Pavilion in the background

    Photographer: Dave Roberts

  • I was 27 and a married stay at home mom with a one year old. My husband and I along with our baby and my parents visited Expo 74 every week during its run. We enjoyed the exhibits and all the different people who were visiting Spokane.

    Photographer: Carolyn Williams

  • I was a student at SFCC and night custodian at the Spokane County Courthouse in those days. Many nights we watched the 10 pm fireworks from the courthouse tower. And I attended the fair nearly every day as I lived just blocks away on West Broadway.

    Photographer: Terry Hontz

  • Early in the marketing for Expo, they dropped this silk-screened poster off at the Spokane radio station where I worked. It must have been very early...notice the dates are May 1-October 31. The fair actually started on May 4, 1974. I can't believe I've kept this poster since 1973.

    Photographer: Al Gilson

  • I was working at a Spokane Radio station during Expo '74. Here's a selfie with my opening day media pass.

    Photographer: Al Gilson

  • My kids were 3, 5 and 6 and we went every weekend during the fair. Enjoyed building kites and watching the wooden boat as it made its way to completion. Expo 74 was one event that helped convince us to stay in Spokane. We arrived in 1973 and we stayed.

    Photographer: John Miller

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