1962 WORLD'S FAIR

 

Numbers tell the success story of the Seattle World's Fair.

Numbers, first of all, of people. When the gates shut for the last time on October 21, 9,609,969 paid admissions had been counted. A total of 398,133 unused advance tickets boosted this total to 10,008,102 tickets to the first American World's Fair in 22 years.

The advance ticket campaign, a seven-month effort ending in March, 1962, was the biggest concrete evidence that the Fair was headed on the road to success. The gross dollar volume of the campaign — $9,501,230 for discounted admissions and tickets — was the greatest advance ticket sales campaign for any event in history.

Visitors saw a Fairgrounds which represented investments of more than $100 million. The leading investor, the city of Seattle, made available $14 million in buildings and land and $10.5 million cash for new buildings and land.

The State of Washington matched the city's investment with $10.5 million, including the Coliseum. The Federal Government added the $10 million United States Science Exhibit. King County, with a $750,000 investment, financed foreign exhibit buildings.

Private capital built the $3.8 million space needle and the $4.2 million monorail. Underwriting financed $4.5 million operating fees. The remainder represents a $50 million investment by exhibitors and concessionaires.

"We laid our plans well," said president Joseph E. Gandy. "And we are the first world's fair in history to show a profit after only a single season. Best of all, the Fair will live for years as a great permanent regional Center."