Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Experience The Futurama Ride At The 1964 World’s Fair
By
Jen Carlson
Published Mar 11, 2013
Modified Mar 11, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published Mar 11, 2013
Modified Mar 11, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
From the '64 Futurama exhibit
We've revisited both the 1939 and the 1964 World's Fairs in New York time and again, but below you can experience one of the rides at the latter as if you were there yourself. The GM Futurama Ride gave visitors a glimpse at what America may look like in the "near future"—it was the fair's most popular attraction, and nearly 26 million people took a ride into the future. When the ride passes through enters the metropolitan area, the narrator talks about what to expect out of future cities:
"Plazas of urban living rise over freeways, vehicles electronically-paced travel routes remarkably safe, swift and efficient. Towering terminals serve sections of the city, make public transportation more convenient, provide ample space for private cars, and from a lower level covered moving walks radiate to shopping areas that are now truly market places of the world. Its traditions and faiths preserved, there is new beauty and new strength in the city of tomorrow. Technology can point the way to a future of limitless promise, but man must chart his own course into tomorrow. A course that frees the mind and the spirit as it improves the well-being of mankind."
And here's the original Futurama from the 1939 World's Fair, which had predicted life in the 1960s:
[via Laughing Squid]
Tagged
1964
flashback
Futurama
history
world's fair
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Inside the hidden chamber that controls Lincoln Center's magnificent fountain
Gothamist went behind the scenes to learn how the NYC landmark keeps its majestic waters flowing.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 23, 2026
In the algorithm age, NYC college radio DJs are still broadcasting the funky stuff
We dropped by WNYU to see what the next generation of radio DJs is up to. The answer is "Br00tal Beats To Study/Relax To."
By
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
In the algorithm age, NYC college radio DJs are still broadcasting the funky stuff
We dropped by WNYU to see what the next generation of radio DJs is up to. The answer is "Br00tal Beats To Study/Relax To."
By
James Ramsay
A Queens prop shop shutters, bunnies find a home uptown, and more openings and closings
By
Hannah Frishberg
A new film invites you to eavesdrop on one of the greatest conversations in NYC history
By
Sonia Rao
The Knicks are NBA champions. Now they have to start dressing the part.
By
Sonia Rao
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .