The Fair's Location

The World's Columbian Exposition was also known as the Chicago World's Fair. The fair was held in Chicago in 1893. Chicago won the Fair's location to New York City, Washington, D.C., St. Louis, and Missouri. However, New York City was the logical choice and at the beginning of the Fair's planning many laughed when Chicago requested that it host the exposition.However,the city of Chicago had a lot of nerve.Chicago raised more than ten million dollars to finance the fair, which impressed the U.S Congress.The Congress granted the fair to the city of Chicago.Chicago wasted no time in making the fair so impressive that it even impressed the harshest critics. Daniel Burnham and Frederick Olmstead were hired to design the fair. They chose Jackson Park for the fair's location. Jackson Park was located on Lake Michigan about seven miles south of city hall. Before the fair,Jackson Park was an undeveloped area surrounded with bushes and sand dunes.