Fair Park
Encyclopedia
Dallas Fair Park is a 277 acres (1.12 km²) recreational and educational complex located in Dallas, Texas
(USA
). The complex is registered as a Dallas Landmark, National Historic Landmark
and is home to nine museums, six performance facilities, a lagoon, and the largest Ferris wheel
in North America
. Many of the buildings on the complex were constructed for the Texas Centennial Exposition
in 1936 which drew over six million visitors. Most of the buildings built for the exposition still survive and Fair Park is recognized as a significant example of Art Deco
architecture.
A milestone year in the history of Fair Park was 1936, when the Texas Centennial Exposition
was held on the site. In preparation for the six-month long event, the appearance of the park was dramatically altered by architect George Dahl
and consulting architect Paul Cret. The park was transformed from an early twentieth century fairground into the Art Deco showcase it is today. While many of the exposition's buildings were meant to be temporary, several have survived and are now restored. Over the years the park was expanded to its current 277 acres (1.1 km²).
Fair Park was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1986
and in 1988 administration of the park was transferred to the Dallas Parks Department. Today, the cultural facilities and annual events attract 7+ million visitors each year.
Many of the existing art deco buildings have been restored visually to their 1936 appearance and upgraded to modern building standards. In anticipation of DART's light rail service in September 2009 the historic Parry Avenue entrance gates were restored in 2009. The four cameo reliefs on Centennial Building underwent a professional conservation treatment in 2000 and the Esplanade fountain pylons and six monumental sculptures in 2004. Several adjoining lost sculptures are being reconstructed and will feature a dramatic light and water show also scheduled to open in 2009. Future plans include reconstruction of several demolished 1936 structures, renovation of remaining buildings and addition of green space. The Hall of State and aquarium buildings began renovations in 2009.
Summer Place Park, a summer amusement park, is planned to open in 2012. In addition to current midway rides, the new 500 feet (152.4 m)-tall “Top of Texas Centennial Tower” will be an observation tower whose base will be home to a new museum showcasing the State Fair and Texas Centennial Exposition collection.
In 2007 the old neighborhoods just north of Fair Park such as J.D. Herndon's subdivision and the Richard Lagow Estates have begun to be revitalized with new housing. A good example of this can be seen across from the Northern ticket entrance to the State Fair on Fletcher Street where duplexes are being built by Jubilee Park Properties.
Hall of State
Built in 1936 at the astronomical price of $1.2 million USD
, the Hall of State
, formerly the State of Texas Building, was the most expensive per unit area of any structure built in Texas and the centerpiece of the Texas Centennial Exposition. It is considered the best example of Art Deco
architecture in Texas. The Hall of State is the terminus of the Esplanade of State. It currently houses the Dallas Historical Society.
Beyond its monumental entrance and limestone exterior is its use of art to express the history, culture and geography of Texas. A team of international, national and regional artists – including several winners of the prestigious Prix de Rome
– assembled to augment the Art Deco architecture. That collaborative effort produced some of the most splendid, and awe-inspiring interior spaces in the United States.
Parry Avenue Entrance
This symbolic entrance to Fair Park is the largest of the four original Texas Centennial Exposition entry gates. The striking 85 feet (25.9 m)-high pylon greeted the hordes of pedestrians who accessed the 1936 event from the streetcar terminus on Parry Avenue. The base of the pylon displays a sculptural frieze by Texas Artist Buck Winn. The entrance was restored in 2009 and is adjacent to DART
's Green Line Fair Park Station
.
Esplanade
Developed along the existing layout of the State Fair grounds, the esplanade was the principal axis of the Texas Centennial Exposition. Monumental facades and projecting porticos were added onto existing State Fair exhibition halls on each side of a 700 feet (213.4 m)-long reflecting pool.
The porticoes establish the visual framework of the Esplanade and accentuate the grand perspective leading up to the Hall of State. Monumental artwork deftly combines with additional site features to complete the visually complex – and dramatic – spectacle. The esplanade was restored in 2009 and new fountains have been added.
The Women's Museum
This was Dallas's first municipal coliseum. It was constructed by the State Fair primarily for livestock shows and was also used for musical entertainment throughout the year. In 1935, Texas Centennial Exposition architect George Dahl renovated the building into the exposition’s Administration Building.
The central arched opening, or entrado, of this elevation contains two key pieces of artwork. The Texas-themed mural is by Italian artist Carlo Ciampaglia. The sculpture – the "Spirit of the Centennial" – is by Raoul Josset
.
In 2000, adaptive reuse of the building resulted in the nation’s first museum devoted to the historical achievements and contributions of women.
D.A.R. Building
This modest imitation of Mount Vernon
served as the Conoco Travel Bureau Hospitality House during the 1936 exposition. It now hosts the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution
.
Museum of the American Railroad
The collection of railroad locomotives and passenger cars sits on the site of a similar exhibit of outdoor transportation that took place during the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition.
Centennial Building and Automobile Building
The Centennial Building originally debuted in 1905 as the first steel-and-masonry exhibition building at the fairgrounds. George Dahl’s renovation in 1936 included three new monumental porticos built as part of a frontal expansion of the building.
Dahl made similar architectural gestures on the opposite side of the Esplanade, where he also incorporated an earlier exhibit hall into the new axial ground plan. This building, however, burned after the exposition. In 1948, the Automobile Building replaced it.
The design for the two original buildings included a giant mural under each portico by Carlo Ciampaglia (on the Centennial Building) and Pierre Bourdelle (on the Automobile Building). The cameo reliefs are by Bourdelle. In front of each portico, monumental sculptures by Laurence Tenney Stevens or Raoul Josset
represent the six flags that have flown over Texas since Spanish exploration in 1519.
Artists recreated the original murals on the Automobile Building in 1999 and restored the original murals on the Centennial Building in 2000.
Food & Fiber Building and Embarcadero Building
George Dahl consolidated the livestock and agricultural facilities of the exposition on the north side of the Cotton Bowl. The main axial approach into this "Agrarian" district uses the matching porticos of the Food & Fiber Building and the Embarcadero Building as objects in the foreground to frame the view of, and focus attention on, a distant pylon.
Workers completed restoration of the Food & Fiber Building in 1999 and conservation of its mural in 2000.
Tower Building
The 179 feet (54.6 m)-tall triangular tower of the original "U.S. Government Building" marked the geographic center of the Texas Centennial Exposition. It also stood in splendid, isolated contrast to the fair’s predominantly horizontal sprawl. Workers completed exterior restoration of this structure – now called the Tower Building – in 1999. This restoration included artist Raoul Josset
's gilded, stylized eagle sculpture and a bas-relief promenade of Texas history by Julian Garnsey.
Old Mill Inn
The Old Mill Inn was one of the few Texas Centennial Exposition buildings not to incorporate Art Deco styling in its design. Clad in fieldstone and incorporating heavy-timber construction, this was the exhibit building for the flour milling industry. It now serves Fair Park as a restaurant.
Magnolia Lounge and (former) Hall of Religion
This little-known project by New York architect William Lescaze
introduced European Modernism to Texas in 1936. The design of this hospitality lounge for the Magnolia Petroleum Company
included elements commonly found in Art Deco
architecture. However, the building’s overall image was radically different from that of any other structure at the Texas Centennial Exposition.
The lounge now serves as the offices for the Friends of Fair Park and also contains the Margo Jones Theater. Site of Theatre '47, the first professional, regional theater company in the United States, the small performing space pays tribute to the visionary founder of America's regional theater movement. Immediately adjacent to the Magnolia Lounge is the former Hall of Religion, future home to Texas! Music Center.
African American Museum
The current museum building occupies virtually the same site as the Texas Centennial Exposition’s Hall of Negro Life. It boasts a permanent collection that consists of the works of such highly regarded African American artists as Romare Bearden
, Jacob Lawrence
, Larry D. Alexander
, John T. Biggers
, Clementine Hunter
, Benny Andrews
, Edward Mitchell Bannister
, and Arthello Beck
The Leonhardt Lagoon
South of the Midway, George Dahl arranged Dallas’s future cultural institutions informally around a tranquil lagoon. This offered Texas Centennial exposition visitors peaceful respite and a romantic, naturalistic counterpoint to the intense activity of the exposition. A major earth sculpture became part of the Leonhardt Lagoon in 1986.
Museum of Nature and Science
The westernmost building of the museum was once the Museum of Natural History and was design for the Texas Centennial Exposition as a monolithic, rectangular box with little architectural detail. The entrance features three vertical window bays with decorative aluminum mullions. Flanking it are paired pilasters with shell-motif capitals. The rest of the building is clad in limestone. In 1988, workers excavated the northeast corner of the building, creating a series of landscaped terraces.
The easternmost building of the museum originally housed the Museum of Fine Arts (now the Dallas Museum of Art
) and later The Science Place. It is a spartan building clad in Texas limestone and shellstone built as the centerpiece of the Lagoon area. It is located on axis with the plaza and entry to Fair Park Stadium (now the Cotton Bowl) on the opposite shore. In 1996, the museum's TI
Founders IMAX
Theater addition gave the building a new monumental entry.
Fair Park Band Shell
The concentric plaster arches of the Band Shell comprise an essentially Art Deco composition. Elements of the Streamline Moderne
style are present in the reinforced concrete backstage building. Lighting pylons surround the sloping 5,000-seat amphitheater.
Texas Discovery Gardens
This was the original Horticulture Building for the Texas Centennial Exposition. It has since been altered by exterior renovations and additions, including the minimalist glass Blachly Conservatory. In the gardens behind the main structure is a model home that the Portland Cement Company originally built for the exposition.
The Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park and Education Annex
The aquarium represents a highly complex building type still in its infancy in the 1930s. Many of the building technological advances, including the use of natural light over the exhibit tanks, are not apparent on the building’s exterior. Both Streamline Moderne
and Zigzag Moderne elements are present on the building's entrance. The expanses of blank wall include a series of alternating brick planes and sculptural panels by artist Allie Tennant. Adjacent to the building is the aquarium’s Education Annex. This served as the Christian Science Monitor Pavilion during the Texas Centennial Exposition. Friends of Fair Park
Cotton Bowl
The Cotton Bowl
stadium was built in 1932 below-grade and originally known as the Fair Park Bowl. Subsequent expansions now put the capacity at 92,200. The Cotton Bowl Classic was played at the stadium from 1937-2009. Annually during the State Fair of Texas, the stadium hosts the AT&T Red River Rivalry
game between the University of Texas
and the University of Oklahoma
and the Southwest Airlines State Fair Classic
game between Grambling State University
(Louisiana
) and Prairie View A&M University
. The Cotton Bowl was also home to the Dallas Cowboys
from 1960 to 1971 until their move to Texas Stadium
in Irving
. In 1994, the Cotton Bowl again expanded to host World Cup
soccer; a 2008 expansion brought capacity to more than 90,000. It also hosts soccer tournaments, concerts and other festivals throughout the year.
The Music Hall at Fair Park
The Music Hall, built in Spanish colonial revival style, was the General Motors
Building during the Centennial Exposition. It underwent extensive remodeling in 1972. It was home of the Dallas Opera
until 2009 and is the current home for Dallas Summer Musicals.
operates public schools.
Irma Rangel Young Women's Leadership School
is in Fair Park.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
(USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
). The complex is registered as a Dallas Landmark, National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
and is home to nine museums, six performance facilities, a lagoon, and the largest Ferris wheel
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. Many of the buildings on the complex were constructed for the Texas Centennial Exposition
Texas Centennial Exposition
The Texas Centennial Exposition was a World's Fair held at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Texas's independence from Mexico in 1836. More than 50 buildings, for which "George Dahl was director general of a group of architects who designed the buildings ", were...
in 1936 which drew over six million visitors. Most of the buildings built for the exposition still survive and Fair Park is recognized as a significant example of Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
architecture.
History
The site was established as an 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) fairground on the outskirts of East Dallas for the Dallas State Fair in 1886. In 1904 after a fire and financial loss by the fair association, voters approved the "Reardon Plan," which strove to keep the site out of the hands of real-estate developers. It became Dallas' second public park and became known as "Fair Park."A milestone year in the history of Fair Park was 1936, when the Texas Centennial Exposition
Texas Centennial Exposition
The Texas Centennial Exposition was a World's Fair held at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Texas's independence from Mexico in 1836. More than 50 buildings, for which "George Dahl was director general of a group of architects who designed the buildings ", were...
was held on the site. In preparation for the six-month long event, the appearance of the park was dramatically altered by architect George Dahl
George Dahl
George Leighton Dahl was a prominent American architect based in Dallas, Texas during the 20th century. His most notable contributions include the Art Deco structures of Fair Park while he oversaw planning and construction of the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition.-Background:George Dahl was born in...
and consulting architect Paul Cret. The park was transformed from an early twentieth century fairground into the Art Deco showcase it is today. While many of the exposition's buildings were meant to be temporary, several have survived and are now restored. Over the years the park was expanded to its current 277 acres (1.1 km²).
Fair Park was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1986
and in 1988 administration of the park was transferred to the Dallas Parks Department. Today, the cultural facilities and annual events attract 7+ million visitors each year.
Restoration and Future
The City of Dallas, State Fair of Texas, and Friends of Fair Park have plans to further restore Fair Park to its 1936 appearance and schedule programing to promote the park.Many of the existing art deco buildings have been restored visually to their 1936 appearance and upgraded to modern building standards. In anticipation of DART's light rail service in September 2009 the historic Parry Avenue entrance gates were restored in 2009. The four cameo reliefs on Centennial Building underwent a professional conservation treatment in 2000 and the Esplanade fountain pylons and six monumental sculptures in 2004. Several adjoining lost sculptures are being reconstructed and will feature a dramatic light and water show also scheduled to open in 2009. Future plans include reconstruction of several demolished 1936 structures, renovation of remaining buildings and addition of green space. The Hall of State and aquarium buildings began renovations in 2009.
Summer Place Park, a summer amusement park, is planned to open in 2012. In addition to current midway rides, the new 500 feet (152.4 m)-tall “Top of Texas Centennial Tower” will be an observation tower whose base will be home to a new museum showcasing the State Fair and Texas Centennial Exposition collection.
In 2007 the old neighborhoods just north of Fair Park such as J.D. Herndon's subdivision and the Richard Lagow Estates have begun to be revitalized with new housing. A good example of this can be seen across from the Northern ticket entrance to the State Fair on Fletcher Street where duplexes are being built by Jubilee Park Properties.
Historic Core
The historic core of Fair Park contains significant examples of art deco exposition architecture constructed for the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition. Many of these buildings have been restored and are most actively used during annual festivals such as the State Fair of Texas. It has been called "one of the most spectacular public spaces in the United States."Hall of State
Built in 1936 at the astronomical price of $1.2 million USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
, the Hall of State
Hall of State
The Hall of State is a building in Dallas's Fair Park that commemorates the history of the U.S. state of Texas and is considered one of the best examples of Art Deco architecture in the state.-History:...
, formerly the State of Texas Building, was the most expensive per unit area of any structure built in Texas and the centerpiece of the Texas Centennial Exposition. It is considered the best example of Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
architecture in Texas. The Hall of State is the terminus of the Esplanade of State. It currently houses the Dallas Historical Society.
Beyond its monumental entrance and limestone exterior is its use of art to express the history, culture and geography of Texas. A team of international, national and regional artists – including several winners of the prestigious Prix de Rome
Prix de Rome
The Prix de Rome was a scholarship for arts students, principally of painting, sculpture, and architecture. It was created, initially for painters and sculptors, in 1663 in France during the reign of Louis XIV. It was an annual bursary for promising artists having proved their talents by...
– assembled to augment the Art Deco architecture. That collaborative effort produced some of the most splendid, and awe-inspiring interior spaces in the United States.
Parry Avenue Entrance
This symbolic entrance to Fair Park is the largest of the four original Texas Centennial Exposition entry gates. The striking 85 feet (25.9 m)-high pylon greeted the hordes of pedestrians who accessed the 1936 event from the streetcar terminus on Parry Avenue. The base of the pylon displays a sculptural frieze by Texas Artist Buck Winn. The entrance was restored in 2009 and is adjacent to DART
Dallas Area Rapid Transit
The Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority is a transit agency based in Dallas, Texas . It operates buses, light rail, commuter rail, and high-occupancy vehicle lanes in Dallas and 12 of its suburbs...
's Green Line Fair Park Station
Fair Park Station
Fair Park Station is a DART light rail station located in Fair Park in Dallas, Texas on the . The station opened on September 14, 2009 as one of four original stops on the line. Fair Park contains the largest collection of Art Deco exhibition buildings in the world, built for the 1936 Texas...
.
Esplanade
Developed along the existing layout of the State Fair grounds, the esplanade was the principal axis of the Texas Centennial Exposition. Monumental facades and projecting porticos were added onto existing State Fair exhibition halls on each side of a 700 feet (213.4 m)-long reflecting pool.
The porticoes establish the visual framework of the Esplanade and accentuate the grand perspective leading up to the Hall of State. Monumental artwork deftly combines with additional site features to complete the visually complex – and dramatic – spectacle. The esplanade was restored in 2009 and new fountains have been added.
The Women's Museum
This was Dallas's first municipal coliseum. It was constructed by the State Fair primarily for livestock shows and was also used for musical entertainment throughout the year. In 1935, Texas Centennial Exposition architect George Dahl renovated the building into the exposition’s Administration Building.
The central arched opening, or entrado, of this elevation contains two key pieces of artwork. The Texas-themed mural is by Italian artist Carlo Ciampaglia. The sculpture – the "Spirit of the Centennial" – is by Raoul Josset
Raoul Josset
Raoul Jean Josset was a French born American sculptor.During the First World War, he worked as an interpreter for American forces in France. He was a pupil of Antoine Bourdelle between 1920 and 1926...
.
In 2000, adaptive reuse of the building resulted in the nation’s first museum devoted to the historical achievements and contributions of women.
D.A.R. Building
This modest imitation of Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon
The name Mount Vernon is a dedication to the English Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon. It was first applied to Mount Vernon, the Virginia estate of George Washington, the first President of the United States...
served as the Conoco Travel Bureau Hospitality House during the 1936 exposition. It now hosts the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution
Daughters of the American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership organization for women who are descended from a person involved in United States' independence....
.
Museum of the American Railroad
The collection of railroad locomotives and passenger cars sits on the site of a similar exhibit of outdoor transportation that took place during the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition.
Centennial Building and Automobile Building
The Centennial Building originally debuted in 1905 as the first steel-and-masonry exhibition building at the fairgrounds. George Dahl’s renovation in 1936 included three new monumental porticos built as part of a frontal expansion of the building.
Dahl made similar architectural gestures on the opposite side of the Esplanade, where he also incorporated an earlier exhibit hall into the new axial ground plan. This building, however, burned after the exposition. In 1948, the Automobile Building replaced it.
The design for the two original buildings included a giant mural under each portico by Carlo Ciampaglia (on the Centennial Building) and Pierre Bourdelle (on the Automobile Building). The cameo reliefs are by Bourdelle. In front of each portico, monumental sculptures by Laurence Tenney Stevens or Raoul Josset
Raoul Josset
Raoul Jean Josset was a French born American sculptor.During the First World War, he worked as an interpreter for American forces in France. He was a pupil of Antoine Bourdelle between 1920 and 1926...
represent the six flags that have flown over Texas since Spanish exploration in 1519.
Artists recreated the original murals on the Automobile Building in 1999 and restored the original murals on the Centennial Building in 2000.
Food & Fiber Building and Embarcadero Building
George Dahl consolidated the livestock and agricultural facilities of the exposition on the north side of the Cotton Bowl. The main axial approach into this "Agrarian" district uses the matching porticos of the Food & Fiber Building and the Embarcadero Building as objects in the foreground to frame the view of, and focus attention on, a distant pylon.
Workers completed restoration of the Food & Fiber Building in 1999 and conservation of its mural in 2000.
Tower Building
The 179 feet (54.6 m)-tall triangular tower of the original "U.S. Government Building" marked the geographic center of the Texas Centennial Exposition. It also stood in splendid, isolated contrast to the fair’s predominantly horizontal sprawl. Workers completed exterior restoration of this structure – now called the Tower Building – in 1999. This restoration included artist Raoul Josset
Raoul Josset
Raoul Jean Josset was a French born American sculptor.During the First World War, he worked as an interpreter for American forces in France. He was a pupil of Antoine Bourdelle between 1920 and 1926...
's gilded, stylized eagle sculpture and a bas-relief promenade of Texas history by Julian Garnsey.
Cultural District
Many Dallas cultural institutions call Fair Park home. Several of the buildings were constructed for the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition, loosely organized around a naturalistic water feature named The Lagoon.Old Mill Inn
The Old Mill Inn was one of the few Texas Centennial Exposition buildings not to incorporate Art Deco styling in its design. Clad in fieldstone and incorporating heavy-timber construction, this was the exhibit building for the flour milling industry. It now serves Fair Park as a restaurant.
Magnolia Lounge and (former) Hall of Religion
This little-known project by New York architect William Lescaze
William Lescaze
William Edmond Lescaze was a Swiss-born American architect, and is one of the pioneers of modernism in American architecture....
introduced European Modernism to Texas in 1936. The design of this hospitality lounge for the Magnolia Petroleum Company
Magnolia Petroleum Company
The Magnolia Petroleum Company was an early twentieth century petroleum company in Texas and was founded on April 24, 1911 as a consolidation of several earlier companies. Standard Oil of New York exchanged its stock for all of the Magnolia stock in December 1925 though it continued to operate as...
included elements commonly found in Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
architecture. However, the building’s overall image was radically different from that of any other structure at the Texas Centennial Exposition.
The lounge now serves as the offices for the Friends of Fair Park and also contains the Margo Jones Theater. Site of Theatre '47, the first professional, regional theater company in the United States, the small performing space pays tribute to the visionary founder of America's regional theater movement. Immediately adjacent to the Magnolia Lounge is the former Hall of Religion, future home to Texas! Music Center.
African American Museum
The current museum building occupies virtually the same site as the Texas Centennial Exposition’s Hall of Negro Life. It boasts a permanent collection that consists of the works of such highly regarded African American artists as Romare Bearden
Romare Bearden
Romare Bearden was an African American artist and writer. He worked in several media including cartoons, oils, and collage.-Education:...
, Jacob Lawrence
Jacob Lawrence
Jacob Lawrence was an American painter; he was married to fellow artist Gwendolyn Knight. Lawrence referred to his style as "dynamic cubism", though by his own account the primary influence was not so much French art as the shapes and colors of Harlem.Lawrence is among the best-known twentieth...
, Larry D. Alexander
Larry D. Alexander
Larry Dell Alexander is an American artist, Christian author and teacher from Dermott, Arkansas in Chicot County. Alexander is best known for his creations of colorful and black & white "pen and ink" drawings in his "crosshatching" technique, and, his personal rendition of a "Clinton Family...
, John T. Biggers
John T. Biggers
John Thomas Biggers was an African American muralist who came to prominence after the Harlem Renaissance and toward the end of World War II. Dr...
, Clementine Hunter
Clementine Hunter
Clementine Hunter was a self-taught African American folk artist from the Cane River region in Louisiana. She was born on a plantation said to be the inspiration for Uncle Tom's Cabin worked as a farm hand, never learning to read or write...
, Benny Andrews
Benny Andrews
Benny Andrews was an American painter, print-maker, creator of collages and educator. He was born November 13, 1930 in Plainview, Georgia and died November 10, 2006 in Brooklyn, New York....
, Edward Mitchell Bannister
Edward Mitchell Bannister
-Notes:...
, and Arthello Beck
Arthello Beck
Arthello Beck Jr. was an American artist. He often painted scenes of places he had visited, using a variety of mediums, including oils, watercolors, and charcoal....
The Leonhardt Lagoon
South of the Midway, George Dahl arranged Dallas’s future cultural institutions informally around a tranquil lagoon. This offered Texas Centennial exposition visitors peaceful respite and a romantic, naturalistic counterpoint to the intense activity of the exposition. A major earth sculpture became part of the Leonhardt Lagoon in 1986.
Museum of Nature and Science
The westernmost building of the museum was once the Museum of Natural History and was design for the Texas Centennial Exposition as a monolithic, rectangular box with little architectural detail. The entrance features three vertical window bays with decorative aluminum mullions. Flanking it are paired pilasters with shell-motif capitals. The rest of the building is clad in limestone. In 1988, workers excavated the northeast corner of the building, creating a series of landscaped terraces.
The easternmost building of the museum originally housed the Museum of Fine Arts (now the Dallas Museum of Art
Dallas Museum of Art
The Dallas Museum of Art is a major art museum located in the Arts District of downtown Dallas, Texas, USA, along Woodall Rodgers Freeway between St. Paul and Harwood. In 1984, the museum moved from its previous location in Fair Park to the Arts District, Dallas, Texas...
) and later The Science Place. It is a spartan building clad in Texas limestone and shellstone built as the centerpiece of the Lagoon area. It is located on axis with the plaza and entry to Fair Park Stadium (now the Cotton Bowl) on the opposite shore. In 1996, the museum's TI
TI
TI, Ti, ti or T.I. may refer to:* Acronis True Image, a disk imaging program* Cordyline fruticosa, a plant known as Ti by the Polynesians* Taiwan independence, a political movement* Thermal instability* Thermodynamic integration...
Founders IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
Theater addition gave the building a new monumental entry.
Fair Park Band Shell
The concentric plaster arches of the Band Shell comprise an essentially Art Deco composition. Elements of the Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne, sometimes referred to by either name alone or as Art Moderne, was a late type of the Art Deco design style which emerged during the 1930s...
style are present in the reinforced concrete backstage building. Lighting pylons surround the sloping 5,000-seat amphitheater.
Texas Discovery Gardens
This was the original Horticulture Building for the Texas Centennial Exposition. It has since been altered by exterior renovations and additions, including the minimalist glass Blachly Conservatory. In the gardens behind the main structure is a model home that the Portland Cement Company originally built for the exposition.
The Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park and Education Annex
The aquarium represents a highly complex building type still in its infancy in the 1930s. Many of the building technological advances, including the use of natural light over the exhibit tanks, are not apparent on the building’s exterior. Both Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne, sometimes referred to by either name alone or as Art Moderne, was a late type of the Art Deco design style which emerged during the 1930s...
and Zigzag Moderne elements are present on the building's entrance. The expanses of blank wall include a series of alternating brick planes and sculptural panels by artist Allie Tennant. Adjacent to the building is the aquarium’s Education Annex. This served as the Christian Science Monitor Pavilion during the Texas Centennial Exposition. Friends of Fair Park
Cotton Bowl
The Cotton Bowl
Cotton Bowl (stadium)
The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1929 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,...
stadium was built in 1932 below-grade and originally known as the Fair Park Bowl. Subsequent expansions now put the capacity at 92,200. The Cotton Bowl Classic was played at the stadium from 1937-2009. Annually during the State Fair of Texas, the stadium hosts the AT&T Red River Rivalry
Red River Rivalry
The Red River Rivalry, commonly known as the OU-Texas Game or Texas-OU Game, is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Oklahoma Sooners football team of the University of Oklahoma and the Texas Longhorns football team of the University of Texas. The series is considered...
game between the University of Texas
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
and the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
and the Southwest Airlines State Fair Classic
State Fair Classic
The State Fair Classic is an annual college football game between the Grambling State University Tigers and the Prairie View A&M University Panthers. The game's official title is the Southwest Airlines State Fair Classic after its sponsor, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines. This game has also been...
game between Grambling State University
Grambling State University
Grambling State University is a historically black , public, coeducational university, located in Grambling, Louisiana. The university is the home of legendary football coach Eddie Robinson and is on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail.-Academics:Grambling State University provides over...
(Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
) and Prairie View A&M University
Prairie View A&M University
Prairie View A&M University is a historically black university located in Prairie View, Texas and is a member of the Texas A&M University System. PVAMU offers baccalaureate degrees in 50 academic majors, 37 master’s degrees and four doctoral degree programs through nine colleges and schools...
. The Cotton Bowl was also home to the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
from 1960 to 1971 until their move to Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...
in Irving
Irving, Texas
Irving is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Dallas County. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 216,290. Irving is within the Dallas–Plano–Irving metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, designated...
. In 1994, the Cotton Bowl again expanded to host World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
soccer; a 2008 expansion brought capacity to more than 90,000. It also hosts soccer tournaments, concerts and other festivals throughout the year.
The Music Hall at Fair Park
The Music Hall, built in Spanish colonial revival style, was the General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
Building during the Centennial Exposition. It underwent extensive remodeling in 1972. It was home of the Dallas Opera
Dallas Opera
The Dallas Opera is an opera company located in Dallas, Texas . The company was founded in 1957 as the Dallas Civic Opera by Laurence Kelly and Nicolà Rescigno, both of whom had been active with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the first as administrator, the second as artistic director.-The company's...
until 2009 and is the current home for Dallas Summer Musicals.
Midway and other structures
- The Texas StarTexas StarTexas Star is the tallest Ferris wheel in North America. It is located at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas, and operates during the annual State Fair of Texas, where it is the most popular ride....
, opened in 1985, is the largest Ferris wheel in North America. - The Texas Skyway, opened in 2007, is an art deco-styled gondola ride that transports visitors 65 feet (19.8 m) above the ground for a ride that is one-third of a mile long.
- Located on the Fair Park grounds is WRRWRR (FM)WRR is a municipally-owned radio station, owned by the city of Dallas, Texas, that broadcasts a classical music format....
, Dallas's city-owned classical music broadcaster, which has the distinction of being the oldest commercially operated radio station in Texas, and second oldest in the United States. - Gexa Energy Pavilion is an amphitheater that hosts large concerts.
- Fair Park is home to the Texas State Vietnam Memorial.
Annual Festivals
- The complex's signature event is the annual State Fair of TexasState Fair of TexasThe State Fair of Texas is an annual state fair held in Dallas, Texas . The fair season usually begins the last Friday in September and ends 24 days later. The fair is held at the historic Fair Park where it has been held since 1886. The 2012 State Fair of Texas will run from September 28th...
, the largest state fairState fairA state fair is a competitive and recreational gathering of a U.S. state's population. It is a larger version of a county fair, often including only exhibits or competitors that have won in their categories at the more-local county fairs....
in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by annual attendance, which has been held at the location since 1886. The fair currently lasts 24 days and begins in the last Friday in September and runs to the third Sunday in October. - One of the largest Irish festivals in the country, referred to locally as North Texas Irish FestivalNorth Texas Irish FestivalNorth Texas Irish Festival is an annual three-day ethnic festival held at Dallas' historic Fair Park the first weekend in March...
, takes place the first weekend in March each year. - Fair Park Fourth is the annual Independence DayIndependence Day (United States)Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
celebration for the City of Dallas.
Other Notable Events
- In July, 1984, Fair Park was converted into a Formula One circuit for a weekend to host the Dallas Grand Prix. The event was conceived as a way to demonstrate Dallas' status as a "world-class city" and overcame temperatures of 100 °F (37.8 °C), a disintegrating track surface, and weekend-long rumors of its cancellation. The interesting tight and twisty course was laid out with help from Chris Pook, organizer of the United States Grand Prix WestUnited States Grand Prix WestThe United States Grand Prix West was a race held at Long Beach, California, as a Formula 5000 race in 1975 and a Formula One world championship event from 1976 to 1983...
in Long Beach, CaliforniaLong Beach, CaliforniaLong Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, and featured two hairpin curves. The event was attended by former US PresidentPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Jimmy CarterJimmy CarterJames Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
and featured Larry HagmanLarry HagmanLarry Martin Hagman is an American film and television actor, producer and director known for playing J.R. Ewing in the 1980s primetime television soap opera Dallas and Major Anthony "Tony" Nelson in the 1960s sitcom I Dream of Jeannie.-Early life and career:Hagman was born in Fort Worth, Texas...
('J.R.' from the television series DallasDallas (TV series)Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
) waving the green flag to start the race's parade lap. - The musical filmMusical filmThe musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
State FairState Fair (1962 film)State Fair is a 1962 film directed by José Ferrer. The film is a remake of the 1933 and 1945 films of the same name.It was considered to be a financially and critically unsuccessful film. It starred Pat Boone, Bobby Darin, Ann-Margret, Tom Ewell, Pamela Tiffin and Alice Faye.Richard Rodgers wrote...
was filmed in Fair Park in 1961.
Transportation
- Fair Park is easily accessible from I-30, the major east-west interstate through Dallas.
- Fair Park is served by several bus routes by DARTDallas Area Rapid TransitThe Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority is a transit agency based in Dallas, Texas . It operates buses, light rail, commuter rail, and high-occupancy vehicle lanes in Dallas and 12 of its suburbs...
. - DART's Green LineGreen Line (Dallas Area Rapid Transit)The Green Line is a light rail line in Dallas, USA, operated by the Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority . The US$1.7 billion project opened in phases, starting in 2009...
connects Fair Park to southeast and downtown Dallas with Fair Park StationFair Park StationFair Park Station is a DART light rail station located in Fair Park in Dallas, Texas on the . The station opened on September 14, 2009 as one of four original stops on the line. Fair Park contains the largest collection of Art Deco exhibition buildings in the world, built for the 1936 Texas...
and MLK Jr. Station. During the State Fair of Texas DART runs "special event" trains from the Red LineRed Line (Dallas Area Rapid Transit)The Red Line is a light rail line in the system of mass transit in Dallas, Texas operated by the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system. Along with the , it is one of the original modern rail lines in Dallas....
and Blue LineBlue Line (Dallas Area Rapid Transit)The Blue Line is a light rail line in the system of mass transit in Dallas, Texas , operated by the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system. Along with the , it is one of the original modern rail lines in Dallas....
to Fair Park Station. - Fair Park was once home to TrailblazerTrailblazer (monorail)Trailblazer was a suspended monorail that operated at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas from 1956 to 1964. It was the first commercially operated monorail system in the United States.-History:...
, the first commercially operated monorail system in the United States.
Education
The Dallas Independent School DistrictDallas Independent School District
The Dallas Independent School District is a school district based in Dallas, Texas . Dallas ISD, which operates schools in much of Dallas County, is the second largest school district in Texas and the twelfth largest in the United States.In 2009, the school district was rated "academically...
operates public schools.
Irma Rangel Young Women's Leadership School
Irma Rangel Young Women's Leadership School
Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women's Leadership School is the first public all-girls school in the state of Texas. Rangel, a part of the Dallas Independent School District, is located in Fair Park, Dallas.The school was established in 2004...
is in Fair Park.