How many countries participated in Philadelphia’s 1876 Centennial Exposition?

Thirty-seven countries participated in Philadelphia’s 1876 Centennial Exposition. The international attendance helped make the fair a global presentation of American manufacturing, science, art, and technology during the centennial year.

The exposition was held in Fairmount Park from May 10 through November 10, 1876. It coincided with the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and was the first official world’s fair held in the United States.

The country count is separate from the number of visitors and from the number of U.S. states represented by buildings. Nearly 10 million people attended the fair, while 26 of the 37 U.S. states constructed buildings along States Drive. Those figures describe different parts of the event and should not be substituted for one another.