Dallas Fair Park
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A national historic landmark and American treasure, this of the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition, boasts the world’s largest collection of art deco exhibit buildings, art and sculptures. The park is home to eight outstanding museums, the State Fair of Texas, and an array of events and festivals.
Age of Steam Railroad Museum
This impressive collection of railroad locomotives and passenger cars is located on the site of an outdoor transportation exhibit during the 1936 Centennial Expo.
http://www.dallasrailwaymuseum.com/
Tower Building
The tower is a 1979 foot triangular landmark that stood in contrast to the predominately horizontal layout. Restoration on the building was finished in a 1999, and includes a Josset eagle sculpture and a promenade of Texas history by Julian Garnsey.
Old Mill Inn
This exhibit was one of a few that did not incorporate Art Deco styling in its design. This former flour mill now serves as a restaurant.
African American Museum
The museum today occupies the same site as the Centennial Exposition’s Hall of Negro Life.
Fair Park Bank Shell
This 5,000-seat-amphitheater is essentially Art Deco with elements of the Streamline Moderne. Today, as at the Expo, it serves as the stage for many special shows.
D.A.R. Building
The Conoco Travel Bureau Hospitality House during the Centennial now serves the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. It is an imitation on Mount Vernon.
Magnolia Lounge
The hospitality lounge, which once served the Magnolia Petroleum Company, is now the offices for the Friends of Fair Park. This building was radically different from that of any other structure at the Expo. It was actually avant-grande and quite exhilarating with its European Modernism. Adjacent to the Magnolia Lounge is the former Hall of Religion, built in 1936.
The Women’s Museum “An institute for the future”
This building was Dallas’ first municipal coliseum, built mainly for livestock shows and musical entertainment. Centennial Architect George Dahl renovated it in 1935 into the Exposition’s Administration Building. The central arched opening, or entrado, contains a Texas-themed mural by Carlo Ciampaglia as backdrop to Raoul Josset’s sculpture, the Spirit of the Centennial. It has evolved into the nations first major museum devoted to the historical achievements and contributions of women, completed in 2000.
http://www.thewomensmuseum.org/
Dallas Aquarium
The Aquarium represents a highly complex building type still its infancy in the 1930’s, and used many technological advances for the times. It is still a popular exhibit.
http://www.dallaszoo.com/aquarium/aquarium.htm
Dallas Museum of Natural History
The design for the building was a monolithic, rectangular box, with little architectural detail. Today it is a much-visited museum depicting Texas exhibits including a giant 90-million year old protostega sea turtle, a mosasaurus, and a Texas tenontosaurus dinosaur.
http://www.natureandscience.org/
Cotton Bowl
At one time the stadium was the largest stadium in the south with a seating capacity of 46,200. There were upper decks added in 1948 and 1949 to accommodate enthusiastic crowds generated by Doak Walker, the legendary running back at SMU. The original Fair Park Stadium was literally a concrete bowl, giving it a very different presence in the middle of Fair Park than it is today.
The Leonhardt Lagoon
Cultural institutions were built informally around this peaceful lagoon adding a romantic and naturalistic counterpoint to the intense activity of the Expo.
The Science Place and TI Founders IMAX Theater
Originally the Museum of Fine Arts, the Science Place is the centerpiece of the picturesque lagoon area. The IMAX Theater was added in 1996.
http://www.natureandscience.org/
Food and Fiber Building
Combined with the Embarcadero Building, it is located on the north side of the Cotton Bowl, and houses part of the livestock and agricultural facilities. The building was restored in 1999, followed by mural conversation in 2000.
Parry Avenue Entrance
This is the largest of the four original Centennial Exposition entry gates from 1936. It is a striking 85-foot-high pylon that greeted the hordes of fair goers at the streetcar terminus on Parry Avenue. The sculptural frieze was by Texas artist Buck Winn.
The Esplanade
Monumental artwork combined with site features create a complex and dramatic spectacle. The beautiful 700 foot long reflecting pool helps establish this unforgettable sight.
Centennial Building
This building was originally constructed as the first steel and masonry exhibition building at the fairgrounds. The building burned in 1948 and is now the site of the Automobile Building. Murals in the building represent the six flags that have flown over Texas.
Dallas Horticulture Center & Discovery Gardens
This is the original Horticulture Building for the Expo, but has been altered with renovations and additions, including the minimalist glass Blachly Conservatory.
http://www.texasdiscoverygardens.org/
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