Wikipedia

Fair Park

This article is about the park in Dallas. For other uses, seeFair Park (disambiguation).

Fair Parkis a recreational and educational complex inDallas, Texas,United States, located immediately east ofdowntown.The 277-acre(112ha) area is registered as aDallas LandmarkandNational Historic Landmark;many of the buildings were constructed for theTexas Centennial Expositionin 1936.

Texas Centennial Exposition Buildings (1936–1937)
Dallas LandmarkHistoric District
Centennial Building in Fair Park
Dallas is located in Texas
Dallas
Dallas
Dallas is located in the United States
Dallas
Dallas
LocationBounded by Texas and Pacific RR, Pennsylvania, Second, and Parry Aves.
Dallas,Texas,U.S.
Coordinates32°46′55″N96°45′56″W/ 32.78194°N 96.76556°W/32.78194; -96.76556
Area277 acres (112 ha)
Built1936;88 years ago(1936)
ArchitectGeorge L. Dahl,et al.
Architectural styleArt Deco
WebsiteFair Park, TX
NRHP referenceNo.86003488[1]
TSALNo.8200005923
DLMKHDNo.H/33
Significant dates
Added to NRHPSeptember 24, 1986
Designated NHLDSeptember 24, 1986[3]
Designated TSALJanuary 1, 1984
Designated DLMKHDMarch 4, 1987[2]

Fair Park has been designated a Great Place in America by theAmerican Planning Association.[4]

History

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The site was established as an 80-acre (32 ha) fairground on the outskirts ofEast Dallasfor the DallasState Fairin 1886. After a fire and financial loss by the fair association in 1904, voters approved the "Reardon Plan."[5]It became Dallas' second public park, known as "Fair Park."

An important figure in Fair Park's development was landscape architect and city plannerGeorge Kessler.In 1906, he was responsible for the first formal plan for the park influenced by theCity Beautiful Movement.The City Beautiful Movement advocated well planned public spaces, tree-lined boulevards, monuments, public art, and fountains which would 'beautify' the city.

A milestone in Fair Park's history was 1936, when theTexas Centennial Expositionwas held there. In preparation for the six-month event, the appearance of the park was dramatically altered by architectGeorge Dahland consulting architectPaul Cret.The park was transformed from an early 20th-century fairground into anArt Decoshowcase. While many of the exposition's buildings were meant to be temporary, several have survived and have been restored to some extent. Over the years, the park was expanded to its current 277 acres (112 ha).

Fair Park was declared aNational Historic Landmarkin 1986 as one of the nation's largest surviving assemblages of buildings related to an exposition.[6][3]Administration of the park was transferred to the Dallas Parks Department in 1988.[7]Today, the cultural facilities and annual events attract an unsubstantiated estimate of 5 million visitors annually, the bulk of which attend during the 24-dayState Fair of Texas.[citation needed]

Restoration and future

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Many of the existing Art Deco buildings have been restored visually to their 1936 appearance and upgraded to modern building standards. In anticipation of theDallas Area Rapid Transit(DART) light rail service expansion to the area, the historic Parry Avenue entrance gates were restored in 2009. The four cameo reliefs on Centennial Building underwent a professional conservation treatment in 2000 and the Esplanade fountain pylons and six monumental sculptures in 2004.[8]Several sculptures were reconstructed and feature a dramatic light and water show.

In 2003, the Fair Park Comprehensive Development plan was produced by Hargreaves Associates. This comprehensive plan included recommendations for the physical site, park programs, activities, funding options, and management alternatives.[9]The park received a $72 million city bond allocation in 2006 for repairs and improvements.[10]

In September 2014, a blue ribbon task force appointed by MayorMike Rawlingssubmitted a report on the rejuvenation of Fair Park.[11]The Mayor's Task Force plan envisioned a public-private partnership led by a non profit organization to be charged with over arching powers to control the revitalization of Fair Park, including the State Fair of Texas.[12]Architect/City planner Antonio Di Mambro, with international experience in infrastructure planning and neighborhood revitalization, encouraged the Mayor to use the Task Force report as a building block for constructive dialogue with residents, stakeholders and the neighborhoods around Fair Park.[13]Following the presentation of the Task Force Plan, Mayor Mike Rawlings said, "I felt passion by all the council and park board members that they want Fair Park to be all it can be and they're interested in taking this big challenge on".[14]

In March 2015, the State Fair pushed back on any notion of tightening up the footprint of its current operation.Dallas Morning Newsreporter Robert Wilonsky called the State Fair's response "rather dramatic" The article also quoted Stephen Page of the closed Texas Museum of Automotive History from 2012 as saying, "The City's requirement that tenants vacate the majority of the buildings in Fair Park during the State Fair is the principal reason for Fair Park's ongoing decline." Wilonsky also quoted a 'prominent member of the Mayor's Task Force' as suggesting privately "that the State Fair's presence at Fair Park also needs to be greatly reduced."[15]

On November 18, 2015, Dallas City Council considered MayorMike Rawlings' proposal to turn over management of Fair Park to a non-profit corporation headed up by the "Father of DART" Walt Humann. Under the Mayor's plan, the city would still own the 277-acre site, but a non-profit foundation would manage the grounds and assets.[16]In 2016 Mayor Mike Rawlings' proposal to turn the park over to a non-profit corporation headed by Humann was defeated by the Dallas City Attorney and a lack of support by Dallas City Council.[17]

In October 2018, the Dallas City Council voted unanimously to approve a management contract with Fair Park First. According to the plan, Fair Park First would receive $35 million over 10 years and would implement plans to rejuvenate the park and surrounding community.[18]At the time, some within the city parks board expressed concern that a contract between the non-profit Fair Park First and its for-profit subcontractor, Oak View Group, excluded the city from oversight of park operations.[19]Following a whistleblower report in early 2024 about spending irregularities, a review by the city found that more than $5 million in donor-restricted funds had been improperly used for park operations.[19]

Cultural district

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Many Dallas cultural institutions call Fair Park home.

The Leonhardt Lagoon
TheCotton Bowl
African American Museum
Music Hall at Fair Park
Hall of State
Main article:Hall of State

The Hall of State is managed by the Dallas Historical Society, which hosts exhibits inside about Dallas history and culture.

Old Mill Inn

The Old Mill Inn was one of the few Texas Centennial Exposition buildings not to incorporate Art Deco styling. Clad in fieldstone with heavy-timber construction, this was the exhibit building for the flour milling industry. It now sporadically serves Fair Park as a restaurant.[20]

Magnolia Lounge and (former) Hall of Religion

This little-known project by New York architectWilliam LescazeintroducedEuropean Modernismto Texas in 1936. The design of this hospitality lounge for theMagnolia Petroleum Companyincluded elements commonly found inArt Decoarchitecture. However, the building's overall image was radically different from that of any other structure at the Texas Centennial Exposition.

Site ofTheatre '47,the first professional, regional theater company in the United States, the small performing space, theMargo Jones TheatreArchivedMay 31, 2019, at theWayback Machinepays tribute to the visionary founder of America's regional theater movementMargo Jones.[21]Immediately adjacent to the Magnolia Lounge is the former Hall of Religion.

African American Museum
Main article:African American Museum (Dallas)

The current museum building occupies virtually the same site as the Texas Centennial Exposition's Hall of Negro Life. It boasts a permanent collection that consists of the works of such highly regarded African American artists asRomare Bearden,Jacob Lawrence,Larry D. Alexander,John T. Biggers,Clementine Hunter,Benny Andrews,Edward Mitchell BannisterandArthello Beck[22][23]

The Leonhardt Lagoon

South of the Midway, George Dahl arranged Dallas's future cultural institutions informally around a tranquil lagoon, offering Texas Centennial exposition visitors a peaceful, naturalistic counterpoint to the activity of the exposition.

In 1981,Patricia Johansonwas commissioned to redesign and restore the badly degraded lagoon. Since reopening in 1986, the redesigned lagoon has become recognized as a major earth sculpture and one of the earliest examples of art asbioremediation.[24]

Museum of Nature and Science
Main article:Perot Museum of Nature and Science

The Museum of Nature & Science occupied two buildings around the lagoon (one named "The Science Place" ),[citation needed]and a planetarium next to the WRR building, before moving most of its operations to the newPerot campusatVictory Parkin December 2012. The former History Building remains open on weekends as a secondary campus of the Perot Museum.[25]The IMAX theatre and planetarium at the Fair Park campus are shuttered.[citation needed]

The History Building, once the Museum of Natural History, was designed for the Texas Centennial Exposition as a monolithic, rectangular box. The entrance features three vertical window bays with decorative aluminum mullions. Flanking it are paired pilasters with shell-motif capitals. The rest of the building is clad in limestone. In 1988, the northeast corner of the building was excavated, creating a series of landscaped terraces.

Fair Park Band Shell

The concentric plaster arches of the Band Shell comprise an essentially Art Deco composition. Elements of theStreamline Modernestyle are present in the reinforced concrete backstage building. Lighting pylons surround the sloping 5,000-seat amphitheater.[26]

Texas Discovery Gardens

This was the original Horticulture Building for the Texas Centennial Exposition. It has since been altered by exterior renovations and additions, including the minimalist glass Blachly Conservatory. In the gardens behind the main structure is a model home that thePortland Cement Companyoriginally built for the Exposition.[27]

Cotton Bowl
Main article:Cotton Bowl (stadium)

TheCotton Bowlstadium was built in below-grade in 1930, and was originally known as "Fair Park Stadium." Subsequent expansions resulted in a present capacity of 92,200. TheCotton Bowl Classiccollege footballbowl gamewas played there from 1937 to 2009. Annually during the State Fair of Texas, it hosts theOU–TXgame between theUniversity of Oklahomaand theUniversity of Texas,along with theSouthwest Airlines State Fair Classicgame betweenGrambling State University(Louisiana) andPrairie View A&M University.It was also the first home of theDallas Cowboys,from1960until their move toTexas StadiuminIrvingin1971.

Music Hall at Fair Park
Main article:Music Hall at Fair Park

Music Hall, built in Spanish colonial revival style, was theGeneral MotorsBuilding during the Centennial Exposition. It underwent extensive remodeling in 1972. It was home of theDallas Operauntil 2009 and is the current home forDallas Summer Musicals.[28]

Women's Building
Main article:The Women's Museum

The Women's building was originally built in 1910 as a park coliseum. It was remodeled as an Art Deco structure for the Centennial Exposition during which it was known as the Hall of Administration. The building was operated as The Women's Museum from 2000 to 2011, but now is only used for special events and exhibits.

Midway and other structures

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Texas State Vietnam Memorial
  • TheTexas Star,opened in 1985, is the fourth-largestFerris wheelin North America.[29]
  • Among political infighting, lawsuits and community unrest,Starplex Amphitheatre(f/k/a Smirnoff Music Centre, Coca-Cola Starplex, and Gexa Energy Pavilion, and n/k/a Dos Equis Pavilion) was built. Former Park Board member Jim Graham said the City's agreement with PACE Entertainment "stinks".[30]
  • The Texas Skyway, opened in 2007, is an art deco-styled gondola ride that transports visitors 65 feet (20 m) above the ground for a ride that is one-third of a mile.[31]
  • The Top o' Texas Tower, opened in 2013, is a 500-foot (150 m) observation tower ride.[32]The tower's base may eventually house a museum devoted to the State Fair and Texas Centennial Exposition collection.[33]At a cost of more than $12,000,000, the Tower was to be the featured ride of the failed Summer Adventures program.[34]Summer Adventures, while planned as an annual event, was open for one year and shuttered, despite a $30,000,000 investment.[35]
  • Fair Park is home to theTexas State Vietnam Memorial.

Annual events

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Big Tex,2013
  • The complex's signature event is the annualState Fair of Texas,which has been held there since 1886. It currently lasts 24 days and begins in the last Friday in September and runs to the third Sunday in October.

Summer Adventures in Fair Park (initially called Summer Place Park)

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  • The State Fair had plans to unveil Summer Place Park in 2012.[36]These plans would eventually turn into Summer Adventures in Fair Park, a beach-themed amusement park, that operated from May to August 2013.[citation needed]Despite a $30,000,000 investment in Summer Adventures, the event was shuttered after just one season.[35][37]

Other events

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Other notable events

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Dallas Grand Prix Circuit

Grand Prix Circuit (1984)

Trans-Am Circuit (1988)
LocationFair Park, Dallas
Time zoneUTC-06:00
OpenedJuly 6, 1984;40 years ago(1984-07-06)
ClosedMay 1, 1988;36 years ago(1988-05-01)
Major eventsFormula One
Dallas Grand Prix(1984)
Trans-Am Series(1988)
Can-Am(1984)
Websitehttps://fairpark.org/index.php/en,https://www.fairparkdallas.com/
Trans-Am Circuit (1988)
Length1.300 miles (2.092 km)
Turns13
Race lap record0:58.269 (Hurley Haywood,Audi 200 Quattro,1988,Trans-Am)
Grand Prix Circuit (1984)
Length2.424 miles (3.901 km)
Turns23
Race lap record1:45.165 (Michael Roe,VDS-002,1984,Can-Am)
  • The 1936 filmThe Big Show,starringGene Autry,was filmed at Fair Park and much of its architecture is heavily featured.[39]
  • In 1961, themusical filmState Fairwas filmed in Fair Park.
  • In July 1984, Fair Park was transformed into aFormula One circuitfor a weekend to host theDallas Grand PrixandCan-Amrace. The event was conceived as a way to demonstrate Dallas's status as a "world-class city", but the track was unsuccessful.
  • In May 1988, Fair Park also hostedTrans-Am Seriesrace with a different layout.
  • On March 8–11, 1990, theNintendo World Championshipswere held within the Fair Park's Automobile Building.
  • In the early 2000s, Fair Park and many of its cultural institutions (The Science Place, The Dallas Museum of Natural History, Texas Discovery Gardens, and others) were featured heavily on the TV seriesNorth Texas Explorer.
  • The 18th episode ofseason 2ofPrison Breakhas scenes that take place in Fair Park and feature "Jumbo" the mammoth statue, The Women's Museum, the Leonhardt Lagoon, and other attractions.
  • In December 2013, the Chanel Paris–Dallas pre-fall show was held at Fair Park.
  • In January 2021, Fair Park became a massCOVID-19vaccination hub operated byDallas CountyHealth and Human Services.[40]FEMA also opened a hub at the park for vaccinations of 17 underserved zip codes.[41]

Lap records

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The fastest official race lap records at the Dallas Fair Park Circuit are listed as:

Category Time Driver Vehicle Event
Trans-Am Circuit: 2.092 km (1988)[42]
Trans-Am 0:58.269[43] Hurley Haywood Audi 200 Quattro 1988 Dallas Trans-Am round
Grand Prix Circuit: 3.901 km (1984)
Can-Am 1:45.165[44] Michael Roe VDS-002 1984 Dallas Can-Am round
Formula One 1:45.353 Niki Lauda McLaren MP4/2 1984 Dallas Grand Prix

Transportation

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Education

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Irma Rangel Young Women's Leadership Schoolis located in Fair Park.[46]

See also

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References

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  1. ^"National Register Information System".National Register of Historic Places.National Park Service.November 2, 2013.
  2. ^"Ordinance No. 27079"(PDF).City of Dallas. 2008.RetrievedAugust 16,2018.
  3. ^ab"Fair Park Texas Centennial Buildings".National Historic Landmark summary listing.National Park Service. Archived fromthe originalon October 18, 2014.RetrievedJune 23,2008.
  4. ^"Fair Park: Dallas, Texas".
  5. ^Butler, Steven."Historic Fair Park - Park History".watermelon-kid.com.Archived fromthe originalon January 31, 2017.RetrievedJanuary 18,2017.
  6. ^Stephen G. Snyder and James H. Charleton (December 24, 1985)."National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Texas Centennial Exposition Buildings (1936-37) / Fair Park (Site of Texas State Fairs 1886-date"(PDF).National Park Service.RetrievedJune 26,2009.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help)andAccompanying 19 photos, from 1985(4.10 MB)
  7. ^Skinner, Clint (August 28, 2016)."Dallas Fair Park: History".TexasEscapes.RetrievedDecember 28,2021.
  8. ^"Aegis Restauro - Architectural Conservation & Historic Preservation".aegisrestauro.com.RetrievedJanuary 18,2017.
  9. ^"Archived copy"(PDF).s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on January 5, 2015.RetrievedJanuary 15,2022.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ^"American Planning Association".Archived fromthe originalon April 17, 2012.RetrievedMarch 30,2012.
  11. ^"Dallas council enthusiastic about proposal to privatize Fair Park - News - Dallas News".dallasnews.com.September 3, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 18,2017.
  12. ^"Archived copy"(PDF).fairpark.org.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on October 13, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 15,2022.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. ^"Include edges in Fair Park revitalization - Commentary - Dallas News".dallasnews.com.September 9, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 18,2017.
  14. ^"Dallas Leaders Praise New Fair Park Plan".nbcdfw.com.September 4, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 18,2017.
  15. ^"Plan to reduce State Fair space would end its run, official says | News".Dallas News.March 26, 2015.RetrievedJanuary 18,2017.
  16. ^Martinez, Krystina (November 18, 2015)."From The Newsroom: Fair Park's Future; Making Dallas A Smart City".keranews.org.RetrievedJanuary 18,2017.
  17. ^Schutze, Jim (October 17, 2016)."The Fair Park Plan is Dead! Long Live the Fair Park Plan".Dallas Observer.RetrievedAugust 30,2017.
  18. ^Goodman, Matt (October 24, 2018)."The City Council Unanimously Approves Privatizing Fair Park".D Magazine.RetrievedSeptember 29,2024.
  19. ^abGoodman, Matt (October 11, 2024)."Fair Park's Misspent Millions: The Call Came From Inside the House".D Magazine.RetrievedOctober 14,2024.
  20. ^"Old Mill Inn Restaurant - Fair Park".Art and Seek.RetrievedDecember 28,2021.
  21. ^"The Margo Jones Theatre at the Magnolia Lounge",Margo Jones Theatre,Margo Jones Partnership, archived fromthe originalon May 31, 2019,retrievedMay 31,2019
  22. ^Skinner, Clint."Dallas Fair Park - 19. African American Museum".TexasEscapes.
  23. ^http://www.aamdallas.org/African American Museum
  24. ^Skinner, Clint."Dallas Fair Park - 20. Leonhardt Lagoon".TexasEscapes.
  25. ^"From Fair Park to Victory Park Transition".Perot Museum of Nature and Science.Archived fromthe originalon October 8, 2012.
  26. ^Skinner, Clint."Dallas Fair Park - 24 Fair Park Bandshell".TexasEscapes.
  27. ^Skinner, Clint."Dallas Fair Park - 25 Texas Discovery Gardens".TexasEscapes.
  28. ^Skinner, Clint."Dallas Fair Park - 8 Music Hall".TexasEscapes.
  29. ^List of Ferris wheels
  30. ^"OUTDOOR THEATER FROM HELL! – D Magazine".dmagazine.com.December 1988.RetrievedJanuary 18,2017.
  31. ^"Texas Skyway".Fair Park.Archived fromthe originalon July 13, 2010.
  32. ^"State Fair of Texas".bigtex.ntelligentsystems.com.Archived fromthe originalon August 21, 2013.RetrievedJanuary 15,2022.
  33. ^"Summer Adventures in Fair Park - DFW Tourism".www.dfwandbeyond.com.Archived fromthe originalon November 9, 2013.RetrievedJanuary 15,2022.
  34. ^"Amusement Today"(PDF).Amusementtoday.com.August 2012.RetrievedJanuary 18,2017.
  35. ^ab"There won't be Summer Adventures in Fair Park this year - East Dallas - Dallas News".dallasnews.com.February 18, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 18,2017.
  36. ^"Summer Place Park".Fair Park.Archived fromthe originalon July 13, 2010.
  37. ^Schutze, Jim (February 21, 2014)."Fair Park's Summer Amusement Venture Is Dead. Is Anyone Surprised?".RetrievedAugust 31,2016.
  38. ^"About Us - Earth Day Texas".earthdaytx.org.RetrievedJanuary 18,2017.
  39. ^"The Big Show (1936)".texasarchive.org.RetrievedSeptember 20,2023.
  40. ^"Dallas County Plans to Transition Fair Park COVID-19 Vaccine Hub to Drive-Through, See 12,,000 People Per Day".NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth.February 2, 2021.RetrievedFebruary 11,2021.
  41. ^"Here are the ZIP codes that will be prioritized for the FEMA COVID-19 vaccine site at Fair Park".wfaa.com.February 23, 2021.RetrievedMarch 22,2021.
  42. ^"Dallas - Fair Park (Guido de Carli)".RetrievedJanuary 29,2023.
  43. ^"Trans-Am Dallas 1988".May 1, 1988.RetrievedJanuary 29,2023.
  44. ^"Can-Am Dallas 1984".July 8, 1984.RetrievedJanuary 29,2023.
  45. ^"State Fair of Texas officials address health, safety concerns as opening day nears | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Latest News".www.dallasnews.com.Archived fromthe originalon September 26, 2009.RetrievedJanuary 15,2022.
  46. ^"Our SchoolsArchived2011-10-06 at theWayback Machine."Foundation for the Education of Young Women. Retrieved on May 23, 2011." The school is located in Fair Park at 1718 Robert B. Cullum Boulevard. "

Other sources

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  • Rob Walker (October, 1984). "1st Dallas Grand Prix: Cool Keke".Road & Track,178-182.
  • Mike S. Lang (1992).Grand Prix!: Race-by-race account of Formula 1 World Championship motor racing. Volume 4: 1981 to 1984.Haynes Publishing Group.ISBN0-85429-733-2
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