General Motors was a pioneer exhibitor back in the mid-century often with the technical assistance of Walt Disney's Imagineers. Futarama was a ride at the New York World's Fair in 1939 and was updated for the 1964 fair which offered its riders a glimpse into what life in the year 2024 would be like. This promotional film by General Motors follows a young boy as he explores a lunar base of operation, an Antarctic weather forecasting center, undersea exploration and the typical positive 1960s thinking about the future of American design and living. The ride itself was one of the most popular attractions at the fair with over 25 million passengers during the 6 months it was open and the building which housed it was one of the largest buildings ever built for a World's Fair. You can ride Futarama too, complete with astonishing music after the jump. (Via)

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I wish there were more expositions like the one held in Seattle in 1962. Going under the name Century 21, it showcased the best, brightest and most future minded technology available at the time - including pagers, exciting cars that looked like they could fly, various satellites and the NASA Mercury project to name a few. The grounds of the fair were divided into different areas for easier navigation with names such as World of Science, World of Century 21, Show Street, Gayway, Boulevards of the World, Food and Favors and so on. I love how the photos below bring out the innocence and positive future thinking from that time, something that the world needs more of today I think. Additional Century 21 goodness after the jump.

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Sorry for the absence, been keeping my self busy with different things. Nevertheless, today we are returning to the World's fair held in Seattle in 1962. Going under the title Century 21, this is one of my favorite expositions next to the one that was held in New York two years later. Here are a couple of photos from it to better illustrate my point.

The Seattle World's Fair in 1962 with the theme Century 21 has to be the coolest fair ever! Go from downtown Seattle on the monorail, speeding along high above the streets of Seattle. The fair was home of the Space Needle, one of the most famous Googie architecture landmarks in America, it still stands there today if you want to visit it. It was also home of the Bubbelator science ride, which took up to 150 people in a transparent sphere with the eerie space music of Attilio Mineo playing in the background. Do not forgot to take the Gayway and visit the Swedish exposition for a bite of their famous Smorgasbord.