{"id":71,"featured":0,"modified":"2026-03-04 21:31:58","latitude":41.50908104989999714007353759370744228363037109375,"longitude":-81.6946899890999702620320022106170654296875,"title":"The Great Lakes Exposition","subtitle":"Two Summers of Excitement","fullsize":"https://clevelandhistorical.org/files/fullsize/greatlakesexpo-csu-speccoll-clevepress-greatlakesexpo-night_8a1fdacc0d.jpg","address":"E 9th St, Cleveland, OH","zoom":15,"creator":["Judy MacKeigan"],"description":"During the summers of 1936 and 1937, Cleveland&#039;s civic and business leaders sponsored the Great Lakes Exposition.  Held along the lakefront on a reclaimed refuse dump, the Expo was intended to foster civic and regional pride, attract visitors and businesses to Cleveland, and provide an entertaining diversion in the midst of the Great Depression.  <br />\r\n<br />\r\nLocal businesses and industries from the region sponsored exhibits designed to celebrate American progress and promote their own products. Standard Oil of Ohio produced souvenir maps to the city, while the Higbee Company hosted a branch store on the expo&#039;s grounds, housed in an impressive tower. Visitors learned about regional industries at exhibits such as &quot;The Romance of Steel&quot;, and watched patriotic pageants.<br />\r\n<br />\r\nMunicipal Stadium acted as the western anchor of the grounds, which stretched to East 24th Street. The main grounds extended to East Ninth Street, where the Midway began. The main area featured imposing, albeit temporary, structures and pageantry, while the Midway &quot;Streets of the World&quot; area provided carnival style entertainment with an international theme. Controversy over appropriate entertainment on the Midway swirled around the expo. Originally, nudity and &quot;exotic&quot; dancers were banned, but in 1936 several venues featured scantily clad females and striptease dancers.  In 1937 the nudity rule was again enforced.<br />\r\n<br />\r\nThe Expo garnered some international attention but was never a full blown world&#039;s fair. Attendance was not as large as hoped for, and plans to construct more permanent lakeside recreation facilities never came to fruition. Even so, the Great Lakes Exposition provided two summers of excitement and entertainment for many Cleveland residents and out of town guests at a time when spirits needed a lift.","sponsor":null,"accessinfo":"","lede":null,"website":null,"related_resources":["Culley, Jim. \"<a href=\"https://case.edu/ech/articles/g/great-lakes-exposition\">Great Lakes Exposition.</a>\" <em>Encyclopedia of Cleveland History</em>.","Rydell, Robert W. <em>World of Fairs: The Century-of-Progress Expositions</em>. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993.","Vacha, John. <em>Meet Me on Lake Erie, Dearie!: Cleveland's Great Lakes Exposition, 1936-1937</em>. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 2011."],"factoids":[],"files":{"https://clevelandhistorical.org/files/fullsize/greatlakesexpo-csu-speccoll-clevepress-greatlakesexpo-night_8a1fdacc0d.jpg":{"id":897,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Expo at Night","description":"The Great Lakes Exposition grounds lit up at night on the Cleveland Mall | Cleveland State University Library Special Collections | 1936","thumbnail":"https://clevelandhistorical.org/files/square_thumbnails/greatlakesexpo-csu-speccoll-clevepress-greatlakesexpo-night_8a1fdacc0d.jpg"},"https://clevelandhistorical.org/files/fullsize/greatlakesexpo-csu-speccoll-clevepress-greatlakesexpo-9thstoverpass_68ec83f54e.jpg":{"id":893,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"9th St. Overpass","description":"Visitors pass under East 9th Street at the Great Lakes Exposition, 1936 | Cleveland State Library Special Collections | 1936","thumbnail":"https://clevelandhistorical.org/files/square_thumbnails/greatlakesexpo-csu-speccoll-clevepress-greatlakesexpo-9thstoverpass_68ec83f54e.jpg"},"https://clevelandhistorical.org/files/fullsize/greatlakesexpo-csu-speccoll-clevepress-greatlakesexpo-adbyrdship_19f434cd4a.jpg":{"id":894,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Byrd&#039;s South Pole Ship","description":"&quot;Byrd&#039;s South Pole Ship&quot; at the Great Lakes Exposition, 1937. Admiral Richard Byrd was a famed explorer, naval officer, aviator and recipient of the U.S. Medal of Honor. His early Antarctic expeditions in 1928-30 and 1933-35 helped launch him to international stardom. | Cleveland State Library Special Collections | 1937","thumbnail":"https://clevelandhistorical.org/files/square_thumbnails/greatlakesexpo-csu-speccoll-clevepress-greatlakesexpo-adbyrdship_19f434cd4a.jpg"},"https://clevelandhistorical.org/files/fullsize/greatlakesexpo-csu-speccoll-clevepress-greatlakesexpo-aquacadefinale_5087c8163d.jpg":{"id":895,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Aquacade Finale","description":"Finale performance at the Aquacade of the Great Lakes Exposition, 1937 | Cleveland State Library Special Collections | 1937","thumbnail":"https://clevelandhistorical.org/files/square_thumbnails/greatlakesexpo-csu-speccoll-clevepress-greatlakesexpo-aquacadefinale_5087c8163d.jpg"},"https://clevelandhistorical.org/files/fullsize/greatlakesexpo-csu-speccoll-clevepress-greatlakesexpo-arial_2931601021.jpg":{"id":896,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Aerial View, 1936","description":"Cleveland State Library Special Collections | 1936","thumbnail":"https://clevelandhistorical.org/files/square_thumbnails/greatlakesexpo-csu-speccoll-clevepress-greatlakesexpo-arial_2931601021.jpg"},"https://clevelandhistorical.org/files/fullsize/greatlakesexpo-csu-speccoll-officialviewbook36-cover_9be63efd58.jpg":{"id":898,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Official View Book Cover","description":"Cleveland State Library Special Collections","thumbnail":"https://clevelandhistorical.org/files/square_thumbnails/greatlakesexpo-csu-speccoll-officialviewbook36-cover_9be63efd58.jpg"},"https://clevelandhistorical.org/files/fullsize/greatlakesexpo-csu-speccoll-officialviewbook36-frenchcasino_b7b10b7204.jpg":{"id":899,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"The French Casino","description":"Cleveland State Library Special Collections | 1936","thumbnail":"https://clevelandhistorical.org/files/square_thumbnails/greatlakesexpo-csu-speccoll-officialviewbook36-frenchcasino_b7b10b7204.jpg"},"https://clevelandhistorical.org/files/fullsize/greatlakesexpo-csu-speccoll-officialviewbook36-higbeetower_ae85d594f3.jpg":{"id":900,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Higbee Tower","description":"From the Official View Book of the Great Lakes Exposition - a picture of the Higbee Tower, sponsored by Higbee&#039;s Department Store. | Cleveland State Library Special Collections | 1936","thumbnail":"https://clevelandhistorical.org/files/square_thumbnails/greatlakesexpo-csu-speccoll-officialviewbook36-higbeetower_ae85d594f3.jpg"},"https://clevelandhistorical.org/files/fullsize/greatlakesexpo-csu-speccoll-souvguide36-cover_4586924af4.jpg":{"id":901,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Souvenir Guide","description":"Front cover of the Souvenir Guide of the 1936 Great Lakes Exposition, featuring the expo fairway. | Cleveland State Library Special Collections | 1936","thumbnail":"https://clevelandhistorical.org/files/square_thumbnails/greatlakesexpo-csu-speccoll-souvguide36-cover_4586924af4.jpg"},"https://clevelandhistorical.org/files/fullsize/greatlakesexpo-csu-speccoll-souvguide36-streetsofworld_77fd7dd1a8.jpg":{"id":902,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Streets of the World","description":"Cleveland State Library Special Collections | 1936","thumbnail":"https://clevelandhistorical.org/files/square_thumbnails/greatlakesexpo-csu-speccoll-souvguide36-streetsofworld_77fd7dd1a8.jpg"},"https://clevelandhistorical.org/files/fullsize/greatlakesexpo-csu-speccoll-souvguide37-aquacade_b901c99326.jpg":{"id":903,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Rose&#039;s Aquacade","description":"Cleveland State Library Special Collections | 1937","thumbnail":"https://clevelandhistorical.org/files/square_thumbnails/greatlakesexpo-csu-speccoll-souvguide37-aquacade_b901c99326.jpg"},"https://clevelandhistorical.org/files/fullsize/greatlakesexpo-csu-speccoll-souvguide37-winterland_c2c9d6e1f4.jpg":{"id":904,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Winterland","description":"Cleveland State Library Special Collections | 1937","thumbnail":"https://clevelandhistorical.org/files/square_thumbnails/greatlakesexpo-csu-speccoll-souvguide37-winterland_c2c9d6e1f4.jpg"}}}