1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition

For nine months in 1915, the Presidio's bayfront and much of today's Marina District was the site of a grand celebration of human spirit and ingenuity. Hosted to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal, the Panama-Pacific International Exposition reflected the ascendancy of the United States to the world stage and was a milestone in San Francisco history.

Learn more about the 1915 World's Fair by visiting the indepth Panama-Pacific International Exposition page. There you can learn about how the city prepared for the fair and how craftsmen created the buildings, what activities happened during each month, utilize an interactive map to learn about individual buildings and learn how the Fair impacted San Francisco, long after the event closed.

 
Avenue of Palms at P.P.I.E., 1915
A view down the Avenue of Palms at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915.

GGNRA Park Archives

 
The fair at night
The sky above the fair was illuminated by a light show at night.

Bob Bowen Collection

 
Palace of Fine Arts
The Palace of Fine Arts is the only structure from the fair today that remains on the old fair grounds.
 

Last updated: February 2, 2016

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