Expo '74 came and went in just six months, but it left an enduring legacy on the landscape and history of Spokane. The city skyline boasts two major reminders of Expo: the Clocktower and the Pavilion. Both represent a significant time in regional history, but where did all the other remnants of Expo go after the fair ended?
Beginning on Saturday, May 4, and running through January 2025, museumgoers can explore the world of 1974 Spokane through the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture's new exhibit, "It Happened Here: Expo '74 Fifty Years Later," which features hundreds of items and archival materials that mostly sat in storage for nearly 50 years.
Anna Harbine, the MAC's Johnston-Fix Curator of Archives and Special Collections, was tasked with going through the museum's Expo archives starting in 2021 when 50th-anniversary exhibit planning kicked into high gear.
"This project has been a long time coming," Harbine says. "We applied for grants during COVID so that we could begin to process everything we had."
She says that after the fair ended, boxes and boxes of employee records, architectural plans and memorabilia were given to the Cheney Cowles Museum (which became the MAC in 2001). Other objects were left behind in the Pavilion until it was remodeled in 2019.
"There are about 300 boxes of archival materials," Harbine says. "A good amount of that, about 240 boxes, contain corporate records, and another 40 are full of film from KXLY and other sources."
In addition to "It Happened Here," the MAC is also showing selections of archival film from Expo '74 in a side gallery. "Films from the Vault" has been showing since January, but will include newly discovered films in celebration of the 50th anniversary exhibition.
Along with receipts from various corporations and historic photos, the exhibit features a few pieces that Harbine says are particularly special.
"There is, of course, hate mail surrounding Nixon speaking at the opening ceremonies," she says. "There's also a bowl made by Harold Balazs that looks unlike anything he's known for — it's so not his typical style. We found so many amazing connections when going through the archives."
The exhibit also showcases several friendship quilts made of squares that were each quilted by different people, a project done especially for the fair. There's also an early model of Sister Paula Mary Turnbull's Garbage Goat and other remnants that the public has never seen before.
"Our goal with the exhibit is to give a broad overview of Expo for those who may not be as familiar with it," she says. "But also to showcase hidden threads we found while going through the material, satisfying those who live and breathe Expo '74."
It Happened Here: Expo '74 Fifty Years Later • May 4-Jan. 25, 2025; Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm • $7-$12 • Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture • 2316 W. First Ave. • northwestmuseum.org • 509-456-3931
Inland Northwest Rail Museum Expo '74 50th Anniversary Celebration
May 2-June 2, Thu-Sun 10 from am-5 pm,
Inland Northwest Rail Museum, $14
Expo efforts began with the cooperation of regional railroads that agreed to remove tracks from downtown and donated the land for the fair. Visit the Inland Rail Museum to learn about Spokane's rich history of railroads in regard to Expo '74.
Echoes of Expo
May 4-July 7, Riverfront Park
An audio storytelling experience exploring the evolution of Spokane through the lens of Expo '74. Each episode reveals different personal and historical stories through seven scannable QR codes found on the Wayfinding Signs in Riverfront Park.
Expo '74 50th Anniversary Opening Celebration
Sat, May 4 from 3-9 pm, Pavilion at Riverfront, free
Beginning May 4, the city kicks off nine weeks of celebration with an opening ceremony where it all started 50 years ago. The event begins at 3 pm with cultural performances on the Pavilion stage, a reading from Spokane's Poet Laureate Mery Smith, a reprise of 1974's Mormon Expo Choir and recreational activities. At 6 pm, the opening ceremony begins with a procession featuring representatives from each Expo pillar, and voices from Expo's past, present and future. Festivities continue with a performance from Kalimba Band and a drone show displaying images celebrating the legacy of Expo '74.
Expo '74 Historic Timeline Outdoor Exhibit
May 4-July 4, Pavilion at Riverfront
Presented by the Spokesman-Review, this open-air exhibit shows an expansive timeline of the 1974 World's Fair from beginning, middle, to end, all underneath the original Expo '74 U.S. Pavilion.
Searching for Trent Alley: Asian American Footprints
in Downtown Spokane
May 4-June 2; Mon-Thu 9 am-7 pm, Fri-Sat 10 am-5 pm,
Sun 12-4 pm, Central Library, free
The beautification efforts of Expo '74 destroyed the last surviving remnants of Trent Alley, once a hub of Spokane's Asian community. This exhibit showcases areas of downtown that Spokane's Asian residents called home despite racist laws that limited the development of Asian neighborhoods. A companion exhibit, "We Are Made of Stories," features contemporary artworks by local youth and residents.
Spokane County Library District Expo '74 Memorabilia
July 1-31, free
Various Expo memorabilia is displayed at several SCLD branches, and online throughout the month. Learn more at scld.org.
Expo '74 Historic Walking Tours
May 11 and 25 and June 1, 8, 15 and 22 at 10 am
Step back in time on a two-hour walking tour of Riverfront Park. Guided by local historian Chet Caskey, tours depart from the Visit Spokane Visitor Information Center.
