The Experiential Design Index

The 1904 World's Fair — Missouri History Museum

The 1904 World's Fair, a reimagined permanent exhibit on the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition at the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis, Missouri, reopened April 27, 2024, after a renovation; exhibit design, interpretive planning, and fabrication of a 1:400 scale model of the 1,200-acre fairgrounds by PGAV Destinations.

VenueMissouri History Museum
Project typeExhibition Refresh
StatusCompleted
Year completed2024
Technologieslarge-scale 3D-printed scale model, animated projection (1904-to-present overlay)

Credits

FirmRoleNote
PGAV Destinations Exhibit Design
PGAV Destinations Interpretive Planning
PGAV Destinations Content Production Fabrication of the 1:400 scale model of the fairgrounds (300+ 3D-printed sculptures)

Description

The exhibit recreates the 1904 fairgrounds with more than 300 3D-printed sculptures of the exposition's Beaux Arts-style buildings, built from historical maps and photographs since no blueprints survive. The 2024 reopening added more than 200 artifacts and expanded the exhibit's storytelling to include the Fair's segregation and exploitation of "living exhibits," alongside its architectural grandeur.

Sources