On what date did Philadelphia’s 1926 Sesquicentennial Exposition open?

Philadelphia’s 1926 Sesquicentennial Exposition opened on May 31, 1926.

The exposition celebrated the 150th anniversary of American independence and occupied grounds in South Philadelphia. It opened on a rainy day and ran through November. The event followed Philadelphia’s 1876 Centennial Exposition, creating a sequence of major anniversary fairs later echoed by the 1976 Bicentennial and the 2026 Semiquincentennial.

The fair included exhibition buildings, amusements, international displays, religious ceremonies, sporting events, and a large replica of the Liberty Bell covered with 26,000 light bulbs. Sesqui-Centennial Stadium was also constructed in connection with the event.

Organizers expected a major international success, but attendance and finances fell short of projections. About 10 million people attended, and the exposition could not cover its debts. It was placed into receivership in 1927. Its mixed financial result is an important contrast with the scale of its patriotic ambitions.