A Celebration of Perseverance: Significant Events in the
History of the New York State Pavilion
   

Hover over photos to enlarge

 

1962

October 9- Groundbreaking: Nelson Rockefeller drives symbolic first pile  Photo:NYSP Groundbreaking Booklet
         

1963

Mid 1963- Construction of Texaco Terrazzo map panels begin  Photo: John Pender and conlab.org
         

1963

  October 28- Crown and Roof Raising complete  Photo: Josef Seebacher and nywf64.com
 

1964

 

April 22- Opening day: Rockefeller states two days later at the pavilion- “We spent an extra half million dollars on the building’s foundation just so that it could be a permanent thing”

 Photo:NY Times Clip
         

1965

February- Committee formed by Mayor Robert Wagner issues a report on July 23 that the New York State Pavilion (NYSP) will be kept after fair

 Photo:Dexter Press Postcard
         

1965

April 21- Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey visits the pavilion on re-opening day; first day of the second season

 Photo: M. Silverstein
         

1965

October 17- Fair closes

 Photo: Bill Cotter
         

1966

Renovations- Interior walls and doors added, stairs added and fire hose system added for art space, drop ceilings and lighting installed in interior rooms

 Photo:Bill Cotter
         

1967

June 3- Grand reopening as part of the new Flushing Meadows Corona Park (FMCP)

 Photo:nywf64.com
         

1969

Popular rock bands perform in the pavilion, such as the Grateful Dead in July and Led Zeppelin in August (Singer Bowl Music Festival)

 Photo:Gary Meyer and ledzeppelin.com
         

1970

New York City considers removing the map and restoring it at the new World Trade Center

 Photo:Charles Aybar
         

1972

Between Time and Timbuktu, a TV film based on stories by Kurt Vonnegut, was produced by National Educational Television and was telecast by WGBH-TV in Boston, March 13

 Photo: NET and WGBH
         

1972

March 17 the Roller Round roller skating rink opens leaving the map in place but it is sealed with a clear plastic coating

 Photo: Charles Aybar
         

1972

Theaterama is used as community theater with some renovations, called the Queens Playhouse

 Photo:M. Silverstein  
         

1973

Episode of McCloud airs on January 7, taking place at the NYSP towers: “Showdown at the End of the World”

 Photo:KDOC and youtube,com
         

1974

July- Rink closes

 Photo: nywf64.com
         

1976

Roof panels removed due to danger of falling pieces

 Photo: David Oats Collection
         

1978

The movie The Wiz features scenes at the NYSP

 Photo: Universal
         

1985

Queens Playhouse closes

 Photo: George Garrigues
         

1986

They Might Be Giants music video for
“Don’t Let’s Start” shot in the NYSP

 Photo: TMBG Video
         

1989

Queens Theatre officially established and opens rooms within the pavilion

 Photo: Willy Mosquera / Ed Bridges
         

1991

Willy Mosquera from the Queens Theatre leads the effort to paint stripes on the pavilion, inside and out

 Photo: Willy Mosquera / Ed Bridges
         

1993

Oct 16- renovated theater opens with the name Queens Theatre in the Park

 Photo: Queens Theater
         

1994

Sometime between 1994 and 1996 the concrete laminate on the underside of the tower platforms was removed after the lower tower's collapsed unexpectedly

 Photo: Bill Cotter
         

1997

Movie Men in Black filmed in the park including homage to the NYSP. Also included in two sequels

 Photo: Universal
         

1998

1998 through 2007-  TV Sitcom The King of Queens brought a glimpse of the NYSP into livingrooms in prime time splendor

 Photo: CBS
         

1998

Partial reconstruction of the lower tower funded by Mayor Rudolph W. Giulianii

 Photo: M. Silverstein
         

1999

A $165,000 lighting installation for the Queens Theatre In the Park funded by Borough President Claire Shulman

 Photo: M. Silverstein
         

2000

Universal Studios in Florida installs a new ride- Men in Black Alien Attack with the NYSP towers as part of the facade

 Photo: Parag Patre & Universal
         

2001

Proposal for Air and Space Museum developed and presented to NYC for reuses of the pavilion

 Photo: nywf64.com and CREATE
         

2001

Blue globe lights installed on the tower platforms for a June Queens Museum of Art show. They remained lit until they slowly burnt out sometime in 2005

 Photo: M. Silverstein
         

2002

Parks installs a NYSP informational sign on the protective fence surrounding the base of the towers

 Photo: M. Silverstein
         

2006

The History Channel sponsors a float in the Macy's Thankgiving Day Parade depicting the Unisphere and the NYSP towers

 Photo: Macy's Studio
         

2007

June- the organization, World Monuments Fund, listed the New York State Pavilion on its 2007-2008 Watch List of the World’s 100 Most Endangered Sites

 Photo: WMF
         

2007

January 2- NYSP makes and appearance along with the Unisphere on "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" in the episode "Worlds Fair"

  Photo: NBC
         

2007

University of Pennsylvania maps the map and pulls several terrazzo panels to restore for a Queens Museum of Art exhibition

 Photo: conlab.org
         

2008

"The Texaco Road Map Project" exhibition runs from January 27 through May 4

 Photo: conlab.org
         

2008

New York State Pavilion and parts of FMCP, including the Unisphere, appear in the hit video game Grand Theft Auto IV

  Photo: gta.wikia.com
         

2008

Loose items are removed from the pavilion, including Sky Streak Elevators, remaining blue globes, tower stairs tack welded and beacon replaced on highest tower

 Photo: M, Silverstein
         

2009

September- Grass roots, all volunteer effort gains trust and permission to clean up and repaint the building. Work begins and continues through today

 Photo: M, Silverstein 
         

2009

October- CSI: NY films “Manhattanhenge” episode in the park and at the NYSP

 Photo: CBS
         

2009

NYSP added to the National Register of Historic Places

 Photo: National Park Service
         

2009

NYC Parks buries the map under sand, tarp and gravel to prevent further deterioration

 Photo: S. Bohn 
         

2010

NYSP plays a major role in the opening of the movie Ironman 2 as did FMCP as Stark Expo

 Photo: starkexpo2010.com & Marvel 
 

2010

September 23- New Queens Theatre lobby opens  Photo: S. Bohn
         

2012

May 23- Paint Project Crew installs new donated sign identifying the pavilion  Photo: S. Bohn
         

2013

  Fall Issue- NYSP in feature article for the National Trust for Historic Preservation's "Preservation" magazine  Photo: M, Silverstein
 

2013

  November- New York City Parks announces cost summary from latest structural studies to demolish, stabilize or restore the pavilion   Photo: NYC Parks 
 

2014

  50th Anniversary of the Fair. Release of "After the Fair" documentary, formation of conservancies and People for the Pavilion to help the park and to preserve the pavilion (see links below)  Photo: M, Silverstein
 

2014

  April 22- "Open Gate on Opening Day" hosted by the NYSP Paint Project draws thousands of people to see the interior of the pavilion, open to the public for the first time in almost 30 years. An historic event!   Photo:  S. Bohn
 

2014

  May 18- NYC Parks' 50th/75th Anniversary Celebration of both Worlds Fairs in Flushing Meadows Park. Paint Project hosts another successful Open Gate event where over two thousand people visit the pavilion!  Photo: M, Silverstein
 

2014

  June 26- The City allocates $5.806 million for the New York State Pavilion to help upgrade the structure’s electrical system, rebuild the staircases inside the three towers, and repair the concrete platforms supporting the observation decks  Photo: Queens Borough President's Office
         

2015

  May 6- NYC & the Parks Department announce the gratis re-painting of the NYSP crown by the local Bridge Painters Union and their affiliates at a value of $3 million!
May 22- Premiere of "Modern Ruin: A World's Fair Pavilion" Documentary. NYSP Cameo in the movies "Big Eyes" and "Tomorrowland"


 

 Photo: S. Bohn
           

2015

  May 30th the Crown project begins!
August 21st the Crown painting completed!
September 24th architects on site for preliminary design work on the tower restoration project.

 
 Photo: S. Bohn
           

2016

  Continued awareness for the NYSP: Successful International Ideas Competition, test lighting of the pavilion by QBP and more successful Open Gate Events!


 

 Photo: S. Bohn  
   


New York State Pavilion Paint Project

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