Gone, But Not Forgotten

Introduction

Given that Fair Park is now over a hundred years old, it should come as no surprise to learn that many of the buildings that once stood there are gone. (What's even more amazing is how many are still standing!)

All the original structures were made of wood, including the first exposition building, which burned down in 1902. Some later buildings, although made of sturdier stuff, are also gone. A number were demolished in preparation for the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition, which dramatically altered the appearance of Fair Park. Other structures, suffering from benign neglect, were torn down later. One of the more recent victims of the bulldozer was the Midway's wooden Roller Coaster, which really wasn't that old in the greater scheme of things. The park's first roller coaster, built in the late 1880s, probably bit the dust before the turn of the previous century.

Enjoy your journey into the past!