Fairmount Park hosted the 1876 Centennial Exposition commemorating the United States’ 100th anniversary. The grounds occupied about 450 acres of West Fairmount Park in Philadelphia along the Schuylkill River.
The exposition included major buildings such as Memorial Hall, Machinery Hall, and Horticultural Hall. Memorial Hall later became associated with the Pennsylvania Museum and ultimately inspired the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s institutional history.
Fairmount Park was chosen as a large, accessible setting for a world’s fair intended to display American manufacturing, agriculture, science, and culture. The event opened on May 10, 1876, and closed on November 10 after drawing nearly 10 million visitors.
The park is easy to confuse with the National Mall, which hosted later national celebrations in Washington, D.C. The Centennial Exposition itself was distinctly a Philadelphia event, and its location helped connect the anniversary to the city where the Declaration of Independence had been adopted.