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The Seattle World’s Fair (Century 21 Exposition) opened on April 21, 1962 and closed six months later on October 21. Excited news stories and dramatic photographs dominated the Northwest press before and during the fair. Ambitious construction projects such as the Space Needle, Monorail and Washington State Coliseum were completed in a relatively short 18-month time frame, adding to the sense of civic pride and anticipation. Celebrities, politicians and dignitaries traveled to the Northwest for the first time to promote the fair and their visits were documented in local newspapers and magazines. Articles, special newspaper editions and fair memorabilia were avidly collected and occasionally organized into large scrapbooks by area residents.

In the early 1960s, Seattle watched as the Space Needle and massive Coliseum (now Key Arena) took shape on a nondescript, 74-acre urban site just north of downtown. During the Century 21 Exposition planning process, various locations in Seattle were initially considered, but the lower Queen Anne site had been designated for a “civic center” as early as 1919. As the construction projects got underway, some of the oldest apartments and commercial buildings in the city were demolished to create space for the new fairground. When the gates opened at last on April 2, 1962, the throngs of visitors included thousands of Washington residents eager to see the exhibits, ride the Monorail and view Seattle from the top of the Space Needle.

Unlike the construction projects for most previous American expositions, many of the Seattle fairground buildings were intended as part of a long-range plan for a permanent civic center. During the fair, the principal buildings totaled almost 400,000 square feet of space. While some structures were demolished shortly after the close of the fair, others such as the Space Needle, Science Center, Opera House and Coliseum became part of a lasting cultural legacy for the city of Seattle.