WSM Exhibit Spotlight: Scouts at the World’s Fair

The World’s Fair or World Expo are massive events that take place on a determined site that brings people from around the world. These events showcase advances in Technology and the unique traits of the international community.

When you think of Scouting, your mind instantly wanders to camping, but do you ever think of service? Service is a massive part of Scouting, and the Boy Scouts of America has been utilized in service to America in many cases. One of these services completed was for the World’s Fair held here in America.

Scout Service has long been a part of Scouting, and when volunteers are needed for large events, they usually step up to help make these events work. World’s Fairs or World Expos are massive events that bring people from around the world to a site to showcase various things. Usually, many people attend World Fairs/Expos which arose the need for the help of many Boy Scouts and Leaders.

World’s Fairs are now known as World’s Expos, and they have been held since at least 1958. The Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) serves as the international sanctioning body for international exhibitions, with four types of international exhibitions under the auspices of: World Expos, Specialized Expos, Horticultural Expos (also regulated by the International Association of Horticultural Producers), and the Milan Triennial. The Milan Triennial is an art and design Expo held in Milan, Italy at the Triennale di Milano Museum every 3 years.

The most recent World Expo was held in Osaka, Japan in 2025, Specialized Expo was held in Astana, Kazakhstan in 2017, and the lastthe Horticultural Expo was held in Doha, Qatar in 2024.(AS OF 6/30/2025)

The 1909 Scout Rally at the Crystal Palace

**Girl Scouts at 1909 Scout Rally at the Crystal Palace** – Photo Credit: Unknown (Happy to Credit)

Scouting has a unique connection to the First World’s Fair, or Great Exhibition as it was called then, in 1851. The Crystal Palace was built for the First World’s Fair in 1851, and later hosted the very first Scout Rally held on September 4, 1909, which would be the location of the birth of the Girl Guiding/Scouting Movement. It was at this event that Baden-Powell met with many girls dressed as Scouts who wanted to join the Scout Association, which caused him to work with his sister Agnes to found Girl Guiding, as Scouting was ‘for boys’.

The first Scout Rally was an early form of a Jamboree, and it was the first event held to bring Scouts of a country together. There were over 11,000 boys who attended, along with the first proclaimed Girl Scouts, who were not counted but believed to be in the hundreds. The Scout Rally took place only 2 years after the Brownsea Island Scout Camp experiment and roughly a year and half after the publication of Scouting for Boys and The Scout magazine.

The event was not free from controversy, as many had been inspired by the Scout Movement and formed Scouting Organizations to compete with the Scout Association. The Scouts who made up those organizations attempted to attend the event, but were turned away at the doors as they were not members of BP’s Scouts. These Scouting Organizations included: the British Boy Scouts, Church Scouts Patrols, and others not registered with the Scout Association formed by BP. This caused an issue with the 4th Scout Law, “a brother to every other Scout.”

The Scout Rally at the Crystal Palace would become a touchstone moment for Scouting, as this call for Girl Scouting would lead the Baden-Powells to organize the Girl Guides under BP’s sister, Agnes Baden-Powell, in 1910. In September 2009 GirlGuiding UK opened a Centenary Maze in the Crystal Palace Park. (Pictured Below)

**The Girl Guides Centenary Maze** Photo Credit: Oxford Stone & Marble Ltd|Brook & Black; Girl Guides Memorial; ; http://www.artuk.org/artworks/girl-guides-memorial-313319

1939 World’s Fair in Queens, New York

Fast forward to 1939, and the World’s Fair is being held here in Queens, New York. The slogan was “Dawn of a New Day”. The theme was “The World of Tomorrow.” Near the north end of the Fair Grounds, adjacent to the Federal Building, was the Boy Scout Camp. During the Fair, four troops, totaling 33 Scouts and 3 Scout Leaders, camped and served Scout Service for the Fair. ⅓ of the Scouts would sight-see, ⅓ would be on duty at Scout camp (showing Scouting & American Indian Activities), and the final ⅓ would be working Scout Service for the Fair’s management (as aides and guards for guests of honor). This allowed the Scouts to have a rounded experience at the Fair, while ensuring it ran smoothly for the many guests who attended.

Within the Boy Scout Camp, visitors would see demonstrations by Scouts of handicraft, campcraft, camping techniques, natural lore, and the national display of the Boy Scouts of America. The Boy Scout Troops set up the camping site so that each Troop’s camp had a distinct character and tents. Scouts were sent from every part of America to participate and perform Scout Service.

62 Nations, 35 US States and Territories, and 1,4000 Organizations and Companies worked to bring the many exhibitions, activities, performances, films, art, and food to the World’s Fair. The 1939 New York World’s Fair opened on April 30, 1939, and closed on October 31, 1939, during its, first season open to the public. The 1940 New York World’s Fair opened May 11, 1940, and closed on October 27, 1940 for its second and final year of operation. The cost to build the fairground in Queens, NY, was $156,000,000 or $3,526,000,000 in 2024. Special Theme Days were held with celebrations for Countries, States & Territories, counties, businesses, and organizations. Different buttons were issued for the Theme Days during the Fair.

Many pieces of memorabilia went on sale for the World’s Fair from various vendors, and the Boy Scouts issued special patches and neckerchiefs for the event.There were also attractions and rides; many more were added for the 1940 season. We know that the Boy Scouts attended in 1940 as they overprinted the Orange Neckerchiefs in 1939 and repurposed them the next year by covering the Neckerchief year 1939 with 1940. After the Fair, the site was converted into Flushing Meadows Park, but it would host another World’s Fair in the future.

Books about the 1939-1940 New York World’s Fair:

1939: The Lost World of the Fair by David Gelernter (1955)
Trylon and Perisphere: 1939 New York World’s Fair by Barbara Cohen, Steven Heller, Seymour Chwast (1989)
Twilight at the World of Tomorrow by James Mauro (2010)

Documentaries about the 1939-1940 New York World’s Fair:

The World of Tomorrow (1984) by Lance Bird and Tom Johnson

The 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair

**Scouts standing near the Unisphere in the World Friendship Hospitality Area. The Unisphere was 20 feet, and surrounded by Nations that had Scouting.** Photo Credit – Unknown (Happy to Credit)

The Scouts would serve the World’s Fair again in 1964-1965 in Queens, NY. However, this was called the New York World’s Fair, and did not have sanctioning from the World’s Fair Governing Body (Bureau International des Expositions).

There were 1½ acres of colorful displays and action demonstrations at the Boy Scouts of America exhibit on the Avenue of Progress. The Rodman Walk entrance leads into an Indian village and a pool for aquatic demonstrations. The exhibits section included Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, and Exploring programs. The Boy Scouts of America exhibit featured an Indian village and performances of Indian dances and ceremonies. Scouts in colorful Indian costumes played Indian games with boy visitors. Flags from the 50 states flew over the site. A world friendship hospitality area featured a 20-foot model Unisphere and the nations that have Scouting. Here boys flew the national flags of visitors and joined hands with brother Scouts, representing nearly 10 million young men and leaders bound by common ideals and the Scout sign around the world. The famous Scouting “Good Turn” became a display of dedicated service at the Fair as Boy Scouts and Explorers in the Scout Service Corps assisted handicapped persons, escorted youth groups, and served as aides and messengers.

Scouts served daily at the United States Pavilion, participating in various ceremonies and acting as guards of honor, special hosts, and aides. The Scout Service Corps provided an unusual experience for Boy Scouts and Explorers across America to practice the spirit and ideals of service and participate in a never-to-be-forgotten educational experience at the fair.

“The Wonderful World of Scouting” was an exhibit and demonstration area as well as headquarters for the Boy Scouts Service Corps at the Fair. Here, Boy Scouts were on duty to answer questions of visitors, conduct periodic ceremonies, and give demonstrations of Scouting activities. In addition to the static exhibits of Scouting purposes and programs, there are “live expo” areas displaying the activities and skills of the Boy Scouts. The public is permitted to try its hand at certain Scouting skills, such as knot tying, etc. Scouting groups with special talents are invited to stage demonstrations in a small arena, which is part of the facilities.

In addition, the Fair Corporation provided for the Boy Scouts a small office building located under the Van Wyck Expressway extension. The Boy Scout Service Corps includes 130 Scouts and leaders, who are rotated on a staggered schedule. Explorers and Scouts 14 years of age and older were recruited for the Corps in groups of ten with an adult leader (minimum 21 years of age). Such groups of ten may come from a chartered Explorer Unit or Troop, or may consist of a combination of boys from several units where such grouping is made by the district Activities Committee and executive staff. In all cases, the leadership must be approved by the National Council.

Each participating Scout, Explorer or leader pays $25 for a week’s membership in the Service Corps. For further information, individual Scouts are referred to Chief Scout Executive’s Bulletin No. 2, 1963 Series, dated May 16, 1963, issued by the National Council, Boy Scouts of America.

Boy Scout Day at the Fair for Region Two of the Boy Scouts of America began Saturday, June 13, 1964. In connection with the 1964 Boy Scout Jamboree at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, the World’s Fair has also designed the period July 13-16, and July 23-26 as “Jamboree Boy Scout Week.”

The 1964 New York World’s Fair brought 80 nations, 24 US States and Territories, and nearly 350 American companies. The fairgrounds stretched to 646 acres with 139 pavilions and 34 concession stands. Several amusement and transport rides were available for guests to enjoy, with 198 restaurants, 30 entertainment events, musical performances, and 40 theaters. The 1964 New York World’s Fair opened on April 22, 1964, and closed on October 18, 1964, for its first season. The 1965 New York World’s Fair opened on April 21, 1965, and closed on October 17, 1965, for its second and final season.

Once the 1965 New York World’s Fair closed the fairgrounds were dismantled and reverted to Flushing Meadows Park, which was later used in the movie Men in Black as the backdrop for an alien ship to take off. (See below) It was also used in Iron Man 2. This was also where Walt Disney Designed It’s a Small World, the Progressland carousel, and the Magic Skyway,, which were all incorporated into the Disney Parks.

Documentaries about the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair:

The 1964 World’s Fair (1996) by Rich Hanley
After the Fair (2014) by Ryan Ritchley
Peace Through Understanding: The 1964–65 New York World’s Fair by Terri Marlowe & Curtis Cates