Unbeknownst to me at the time, on my aborted bike ride to the site of the White City in 2013, I rode right passed the site of Chicago’s other World’s Fair. The Century of Progress 1933 World’s Fair was located on what is now called Northerly Island. Adler Planetarium and Shedd Aquarium were the obligatory permanent museums opened in conjunction with or adjacent to the fair.

One of the interesting tidbits I’ve learned about this fair is that it used a rainbow of colors. Clearly, this was intended to be among the elements that would distinguish this fair from the previous one. However, it sounds to me more like Chicago was trying to imitate Buffalo’s Rainbow City, the 1901 World’s Fair.

My thanks to Zachary L. Brodt and his book From the Steel City to the White City: Western Pennsylvania & the World’s Columbian Exposition for helping me to realize that I can say I’ve visited four former US hosted World’s Fair sites as of May 2024.