Discover the various ways visitors could travel about the fairgrounds.




At the center of the fairgrounds, dominated by the futuristic Trylon and Perisphere, the Theme Center is where many people began their adventure in the World of Tomorrow.




Powered by dozens of gears and electrical relays, Elektro the Westinghouse Moto-Man fascinated thousands of fair-goers with his witty remarks and state of the art antics.




The central feature of the General Motors Highways and Horizons pavilion, Futurama provided a glimpse of what a modern city might look like in 1960.




Many Americans were introduced to the idea of television at the fair. One feature was a closed circuit studio where visitors could be televised and friends and family could view their performance on a receiver in an adjacent room.




The Transportation Zone included exhibits related to the automotive industry, railroads, marine travel and much more. The most popular attraction was the lavish Railroads on Parade pageant.




Literature, historical documents, consumer goods and scientific information was among the many items crammed into the torpedo shaped Westinghouse Time Capsule. The Capsule was buried fifty feet below the Westinghouse exhibit, to remain undisturbed for five thousand years.







I HAVE SEEN THE FUTURE

Created by theatrical designer Norman Bel Geddes and sponsored by General Motors, the Futurama was by far the most popular attraction at the Fair. Thousands of visitors spent hours lined up outside the white futuristic building for a chance to see what America might be like in 1960. More than five hundred spectators could be handled at one time for the eighteen minute excursion, which simulated a low flying airplane ride above mountains and cities and along new, efficient superhighways. Although some of the featured predicted, like urban renewal and controlled access highways, did become reality by 1960, we are still waiting for the radio controlled cars, and the large dirigible terminals ultimately weren't needed or desired.


Views of the Futurama, a vision of what a modern city of 1960 might be like.

Visitors line up to experience the future.

GENERAL MOTORS EXHIBIT MAP

This diagram of the GM pavilion was included in special World's Fair supplement to the New York Herald Tribune on opening day, 30 April 1939. It may take a few seconds to load.



TO NEW HORIZONS


Press the button above to view a fifteen minute overview of the Futurama, taken from "To New Horizons", a promotional film produced by Jam Handy for General Motors.


HIGHWAYS AND HORIZONS

Although the Futurama is the best remembered feature of the General Motors Pavilion, there were many other attractions offered in this "fair within a fair", as the exhibit was dubbed. Some of the wondrous things that could be observed were a diesel locomotive with glass sides so that the inner workings of the machine could be observed, a Pontiac Deluxe 6 automobile constructed with a transparent Plexiglas body, the Mysteries of Cold demonstration where snow was produced in flame and, of course, the presentation of a variety of General Motors vehicles.

GENERAL MOTORS EXHIBIT BOOK

This is the booklet given to visitors to the General Motors Highways and Horizons exhibit. It details the attractions available at the pavilion and provides a preview of the Futurama experience. It may take a few seconds to load.


FUTURAMA GUIDEBOOKK

This pamphlet details the Futurama attraction at the GM pavilion.




The Pontiac "ghost car" with a Plexiglas body.