The Tower of the Americas, the theme structure for HemisFair '68

HemisFair '68 was the first officially designated world's fair (or international exposition) held in the southwestern United States. San Antonio, Texas hosted the fair from April 6 through October 6, 1968. More than thirty nations hosted pavilions at the fair. The fair was held in conjunction with the 250th (semiquincentennial) anniversary of the founding of San Antonio. The theme of the fair was "The Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas." Image File history File links Size of this preview: 386 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1031 × 1600 pixel, file size: 342 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Other versions No File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 386 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1031 × 1600 pixel, file size: 342 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Other versions No File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Worlds Fair is any of various large expositions held since the mid-19th century. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: , Counties Bexar County Government  - Mayor Phil Hardberger Area  - City  412. ... is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... October 6 is the 279th day of the year (280th in leap years). ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1968 Gregorian calendar. ... A free-standing garden pavilion, Hofgarten in Munich, Bavaria In architecture a pavilion (from French, pavillon) has two main significations. ...

The official world's fair sanctioning body, the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) accredited HemisFair '68 on November 17, 1965. The venture, which had an announced cost of $156 million, was financed by a combination of public (United States, State of Texas and City of San Antonio) and private (Eastman Kodak, Ford Motor Company, General Electric, General Motors, Humble Oil (now ExxonMobil), IBM, RCA, Southwestern Bell (now AT&T, Inc.), Frito Lay, Pepsi-Cola, Coca-Cola and others) funding. The Bureau of International Expositions (or Bureau International des Expositions) is the organization responsible for sanctioning Worlds fairs. ... 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece, coinciding with the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Official language(s) No Official Language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... Eastman Kodak Company (NYSE: EK) is an American multinational public company producing photographic materials and equipment. ... Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation and the worlds third largest automaker after General Motors and Toyota, based on worldwide vehicle sales. ... This article is about the American company. ... General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM), also known as GM, is an American automobile maker with worldwide operations and brands including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Vauxhall. ... For other uses, see Exon (disambiguation). ... International Business Machines Corporation (known as IBM or Big Blue; NYSE: IBM) is a multinational computer technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, USA. The company is one of the few information technology companies with a continuous history dating back to the 19th century. ... RCA, formerly an acronym for the Radio Corporation of America, is now a trademark owned by Thomson SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Thomson. ... AT&T Inc. ... Frito-Lay is an American and international company that markets corn chips, potato chips, and other snack foods. ... The current Pepsi logo Pepsi-Cola (often shortened to Pepsi), is a carbonated cola soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo, and the principal rival of Coca-Cola. ... The wave shape (known as the dynamic ribbon device) present on all Coca-Cola cans throughout the world derives from the contour of the original Coca-Cola bottles. ...

The fair was built on a 96.2 acre (389,000 m²) site on the southeastern edge of downtown San Antonio. The site was acquired mainly through eminent domain and many structures were demolished and moved, in what was considered a blighted area, to make room for the fair. The project was partially developed with federal urban renewal funds. The San Antonio Conservation Society recommended that 129 structures on the site be preserved; however, on August 9, 1966 an agreement was made to save only 20 existing structures that would be incorporated into the fair site. Overall only 24 structures were saved. Eminent domain (U.S.), compulsory purchase (United Kingdom, New Zealand, Ireland), resumption/compulsory acquisition (Australia) or expropriation (Canada, South Africa) in common law legal systems is the inherent power of the state to seize a citizens private property, expropriate private property, or rights in private property, without the owner... 1999 photograph looking northeast on Chicagos now demolished Cabrini-Green housing project, one of many urban renewal efforts. ...

The fair's theme structure was the 750 foot (228 m) tall Tower of the Americas, which remains today. The top of the tower houses a revolving restaurant, lounge, and outdoor observation deck and was designed by renowned architect O'Neil Ford. The Tower was successfully built and delivered on time by a joint venture between two general contractors - Darragh & Lyda, Inc. of San Antonio and H. A. Lott, Inc. of Houston, Texas. The joint venture partnership was commonly referred to as "Lyda-Lott." Other HemisFair projects constructed by Lyda-Lott included the Convention Center and Banquet Hall (now the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, Theatre for the Performing Arts (now the Lila B. Cockrell Theatre for the Performing Arts, HemisFair Arena, Riverbend Parking Garage, extension to the San Antonio Riverwalk, a water sports lake, a monorail system, and numerous international pavilions. Downtown San Antonio features the historic San Fernando Cathedral, the Tower Life Building and the Tower of The Americas. ... A revolving restaurant is a restaurant on a revolving floorplate. ... ONeil Ford (1905-1982) was a major regional architect of the mid-20th century in Texas. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: Country United States State Texas Counties Harris County Fort Bend County Montgomery County Incorporated June 5, 1837 Government  - Mayor Bill White Area  - City  601. ... Henry Barbosa Gonzalez (May 3, 1916 - November 28, 2000) was a Democratic politician from the state of Texas. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...

The fair's largest pavilion belonged to the State of Texas. This pavilion also remained after the fair closed and became the Institute of Texan Cultures, which is operated as a museum and campus of the University of Texas at San Antonio. Official language(s) No Official Language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... The Institute of Texan Cultures is a museum and library located in HemisFair Park in central San Antonio, Texas. ... UTSA is San Antonios largest university. ...

Lyda-Lott renovated the United States Pavilion (now the John H. Wood, Jr. United States District Court for the Western District of Texas) and constructed Federal Office Building adjacent to the United States Pavilion and remained after the fair. Another Lyda-Lott built structure that remained was the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and the Mexico Pavilion (now the Mexican Cultural Institute), although the original Mexico Pavilion was modified and expanded during an expansion of the adjacent convention center. The Mexican Cultural Institute re-opened in 2002. Additionally, HemisFair Arena, was retained after the fair and served as the home arena of the San Antonio Spurs basketball club until 1993. G. W. Mitchell & Sons, Inc. was awarded a multi-million dollar contract by the City to remodel and increase the seating capacity of HemisFair Arena. Shortly after this contract was completed, City Council voted to demolish the arena in 1995 to expand the Convention Center's exhibit halls. The demolition of HemisFair Arena occurred as a result of demands of the San Antonio Spurs for a sports facility with greater seating capacity and executive suites that the sports franchise could market. After much controversy, the City of San Antonio contracted with Lyda Inc. for major portions of construction of the 65,000 seat Alamodome. The new multi-purpose facility was thought by proponents to increase convention traffic into the Alamo City and at the same time, afford the City of San Antonio the opportunity of securing a professional football franchise, along with placating the San Antonio Spurs' ownership. The Spurs became disenchanted with the Alamodome after a few years and Bexar County and San Antonio Livestock Exposition Inc. built them a new sports arena where the San Antonio Spurs now play their games. John H. Wood, Jr. ... The United States District Court for the Western District of Texas (W.D.Tex) is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction is comprised of the counties in the Western part of the state of Texas. ... Henry Barbosa Gonzalez (May 3, 1916 - November 28, 2000) was a Democratic politician from the state of Texas. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... The HemisFair Arena was an indoor arena located in San Antonio, Texas, United States. ... The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ...

In addition, as a part of the overall HemisFair project, the city contracted with Lyda-Lott to extend its River Walk (Paseo del Rio) one-quarter of a mile in order to link the River Walk and the HemisFair grounds in 1968. In 2001, the River Walk was extended again under the new Convention Center Expansion and is now connected to a small lagoon inside HemisFair Park. The River Walk at St. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ...

Although HemisFair '68 attracted 6.3 million visitors and brought international attention to San Antonio and Texas, attendance never matched estimates and San Antonio's "world's fair" lost $7.5 million.

After HemisFair, much of the land ownership was transferred to the State of Texas and the U.S. Federal Government. Today, the City of San Antonio owns approximately 50 acres of the site, 30 of which the Convention Center occupies.[1]

In 1986, many unused remaining structures built for the fair were removed and in celebration of the 20th Anniversary of HemisFair '68, approximately 15 acres of the site were redeveloped with cascading waterfalls, fountains, playgrounds and lush landscaping. Many of the improvements were concentrated near the base of the Tower of the Americas. At the site's rededication in April of 1988, the site was re-christened "HemisFair Park." The urban park is a lasting legacy of the fair and is a gift from the city to its citizens.

External links

• Hemisfair '68 from the Handbook of Texas Online

	San Antonio, Texas
Attractions	The Alamo • Arneson River Theater • Fiesta San Antonio • HemisFair '68 • Institute of Texan Cultures • Japanese Tea Gardens • San Antonio Missions National Historical Park • The River Walk • San Antonio Zoo • Texas Transportation Museum • Tower of the Americas • San Antonio Botanical Garden Image File history File links This image, including all photography and graphics used in it, was taken and created by myself, Shem Daimwood. ... The Handbook of Texas (ISBN 0-87611-151-7) is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published jointly by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) and the General Libraries at the University of Texas at Austin. ... The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, or simply Expo 67 was the General Exhibition Category 1 Worlds Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from April 27 to October 29, 1967. ... Court of Honor and Grand Basin of the 1893 Worlds Columbian Exposition List of world expositions is an annotated list of every world exposition sanctioned by the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE), including those recognised retrospectively. ... Tower of the Sun Expo 70 (ja. ... Image File history File links San_Antonio_Texas_Flag. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: , Counties Bexar County Government  - Mayor Phil Hardberger Area  - City  412. ... Official language(s) No Official Language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... ... The Arneson River theater routinely features local acts that draw large crowds throughout the year. ... Fiesta San Antonio (or simply Fiesta) is an annual event in which the citizens of San Antonio, Texas, celebrate their citys diverse history, heritage, and culture for 10 days in April. ... The Institute of Texan Cultures is a museum and library located in HemisFair Park in central San Antonio, Texas. ... The San Antonio Japanese Tea Gardens (also known as the Sunken Gardens) is a registered Texas historical landmark in San Antonio, Texas. ... San Antonio Missions National Historical Park preserves four of the five Spanish frontier missions in San Antonio, Texas. ... The River Walk at St. ... The San Antonio Zoological Gardens and Aquarium is an Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoo in San Antonio, Texas, United States. ... Texas Transportation Museums logo Located in San Antonio, Texas, the Texas Transportation Museum (TTM) is an all volunteer organization that collects, preserves and displays transportation equipment and related items. ... Downtown San Antonio features the historic San Fernando Cathedral, the Tower Life Building and the Tower of The Americas. ... The San Antonio Botanical Garden (33 acres) is a non-profit botanical garden located at 555 Funston Place, San Antonio, Texas. ...
Entertainment	Alamodome • AT&T Center • Fiesta Noche del Rio • Freeman Coliseum • Nelson W. Wolff Stadium • San Antonio Missions (Baseball) • San Antonio Rampage • San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo • San Antonio Spurs • SeaWorld • Fiesta Texas • Splashtown The Alamodome is a multi-purpose facility that is primarily used as a football/basketball stadium and convention center in San Antonio, Texas, USA. The facility opened on May 15, 1993, at a cost of $186 million. ... The AT&T Center is an indoor arena located in San Antonio, Texas, USA. It was completed in 2002 as the SBC Center at a cost of $186 million, financed by a local sales tax. ... The 2007 season Fiesta Noche del Rio is a seasonal outdoor performance which features the songs and dances of Mexico, Spain, Argentina, and Texas. ... The Joe and Harry Freeman Coliseum, built in 1949, has been host to thousands of events including the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, concerts, trade shows, motor sports, circus, professional sports including professional bull riding, basketball, hockey, boxing and wrestling. ... Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium is a stadium in San Antonio, Texas. ... League Texas League Division South Division Year founded 1968 Major League affiliation San Diego Padres Home ballpark Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium Previous home ballparks City San Antonio, Texas Current uniform colors white, gold and black Previous uniform colors Logo design The wordmark Missions in white with black drop shadow. ... The San Antonio Rampage are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. ... The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo in San Antonio, Texas, USA is one of the largest Livestock Shows & Rodeos in the country. ... The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. ... SeaWorld San Antonio is a 250-acre marine-life theme park located in the Westover Hills area of San Antonio, Texas. ... Six Flags Fiesta Texas is a 200-acre theme park located at 29. ... Splashtown San Antonio is a water park located in San Antonio, Texas. ...
Companies	AT&T • Clear Channel • Frost Bank • H-E-B • San Antonio Express-News • Tesoro • USAA • Valero • Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas • CSRHC AT&T Inc. ... Not to be confused with clear channel radio stations, which are AM radio stations with certain technical parameters. ... Frost National Bank (DBA Frost Bank) is a nationally chartered bank founded in 1869 that is based in San Antonio. ... H.E. Butt Grocery Company (abbreviated H-E-B) is a privately held San Antonio, Texas-based supermarket chain with over 300 stores throughout Texas and northern Mexico. ... The San Antonio Express-News is the daily newspaper of San Antonio, Texas. ... Tesoro Corporation NYSE: TSO is a FORTUNE 500 company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, with 2004 annual revenues of $12. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE: VLO) is a Fortune 500 company based in San Antonio, Texas with approximately 22,000 employees and annual revenue of more than $80 billion. ... Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas is a truck factory near San Antonio, Texas. ... Being a Catholic institution, CSRHC is affiliated with the University of the Incarnate Word at San Antonio. ...
Military	Brooks City-Base • BAMC • Fort Sam Houston • Lackland Air Force Base • Randolph Air Force Base Brooks City-Base is a former United States Air Force base in San Antonio, Texas, that was established in 1918. ... Brooke Army Medical Center is a University of Texas Health Science Center teaching hospital in Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio. ... Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas. ... Lackland Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force located in the western area of San Antonio, Texas, USA. Lackland AFB is the only entry processing station for Air Force Basic Military Training (BMT). ... Randolph Air Force Base (Randolph AFB) is a base of the United States Air Force located in Bexar County, Texas near San Antonio. ...
Research & Education	San Antonio Public Library • South Texas Medical Center • St. Mary's University • Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research • Southwest Research Institute • Trinity University • UTSA • UT Health Science Center • UIW • OLLU • SAC • CTRC • Texas A&M University–San Antonio • CCRI • TNI • University Hospital The San Antonio Public Library is a collection of a Central Library and 24 branch libraries (as of the fall of 2007) that serve the City of San Antonio. ... The South Texas Medical Center is a conglomerate of numerous major hospitals, clinics, and research and higher educational institutions, located in San Antonio, Texas. ... St. ... Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research (SFBR) is a large private research institute located in San Antonio Texas. ... Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is an independent, nonprofit applied research and development organization. ... Trinity University is an independent, primarily undergraduate, liberal arts and sciences university in San Antonio, Texas. ... UTSA is San Antonios largest university. ... The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is the largest comprehensive health sciences university in southern Texas. ... The University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) is located in San Antonio, Texas. ... Our Lady of the Lake University was founded in 1895 by the Sisters of the Congregation of Divine Providence, a religious order begun in 18th century Lorraine, France. ... San Antonio College is a college of the Alamo Community College District in San Antonio, TX. San Antonio College was established as University Junior College in September 1925, under the auspices of the University of Texas. ... Located in San Antonio, Texas, the Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) is one of the nation’s leading academic research and treatment centers. ... Texas A&M University–San Antonio is a public university in San Antonio, Texas, USA that is expected to open in the fall of 2009. ... CCRI is a part of the UTHSCSA. The Childrens Cancer Research Institute is a research center in San Antonio, Texas. ... CCRI is a part of the UTHSCSA. The Texas Neuroscience Institute is a research and neurological clinical center in San Antonio, Texas. ... University Hospital is one of the nations top ranking hospitals. ...
Other	Bexar County Courthouse • North Star Mall • Pearl Brewery • Rivercenter • San Antonio Convention Center • San Antonio International Airport • San Antonio Springs • The Shops at La Cantera • VIA Facade view from west Another view The Bexar County Courthouse is an historic building in downtown San Antonio, Texas. ... A pair of Texas-sized cowboy boots near the Saks Fifth Avenue greets drivers along Loop 410. ... The Pearl Brewing Company also known as the Pearl Brewery (Pearl) was an American brewery, established in 1883 in San Antonio, Texas. ... Rivercenter is a shopping mall located in downtown San Antonio, Texas along the River Walk. ... The Tower of the Americas is seen in the background. ... San Antonio International Airport (IATA: SAT, ICAO: KSAT) is a commercial airport in San Antonio, Texas. ... San Antonio Springs is the name of a cluster of springs in Bexar County, Texas. ... The Shops at La Cantera is an upscale open-air regional shopping mall located in northwest San Antonio near the Loop 1604 and I-10 Interchange. ... Categories: Possible copyright violations ...