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The Great Lakes Exposition 1936-1937

By Sandy Mitchell, About.com Guide

The Great Lakes Exposition, held in Cleveland during 1936 and 1937, drew over seven million visitors from around the Midwest and beyond. The lakefront industrial fair, a forerunner of today's World's Fairs, featured a "Streets of the World" international shopping and dining exhibit, a Hall of Progress, a Marine Theater, and a variety of specialty gardens. The last remnant of the Exposition, the Donald Gray Gardens, was torn down in 1999 to make way for the new Cleveland Browns Stadium.

At the time of the Expo, Cleveland was America's sixth largest city and was mired in the midst of the Great Depression. Still, the city found a way to celebrate. Join me for a look at this piece of Cleveland's past.

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Great Lakes Exposition Midway in Cleveland 1936Midway at the Great Lakes Exposition of 1936-1937The Great Lakes Exposition of 1936 in Cleveland Ohio from Lake ErieGreat Lakes Exposition from the Lake ErieBirdeye view of the 1936 Great Lakes ExpositionThe Great Lakes Exposition of 1936-1937 from the AirEddie Cantor at the 1936 Great Lakes ExpositionEddie Cantor at the Great Lakes Exposition
Advertisement for the Cleveland Great Lakes Exposition in 1936Advertisement for the Great Lakes Exposition of 1936-1937Interior of the Florida Manor House at Cleveland's Great Lakes Exposition in 1936Florida House Exhibit at the Great Lakes Exposition of 1936-1937Gardens at Cleveland's 1936 Great Lakes ExpositionDisplay Gardens at the Great Lakes Exposition of 1936-1937Tall Ships at Cleveland's Great Lakes Exposition in 1936Tall Ships at the Great Lakes Exposition of 1936-1937
Model Home at Cleveland's 1936 Great Lakes ExpositionModel Home at the Great Lakes Exposition of 1936-1937Opening Day Crowd at Cleveland's Great Lakes Exposition on June 27, 1936Opening Day Crowd at the Great Lakes ExpositionAquacade at the 1936 Great Lakes Exposition in ClevelandAquacade at the Great Lakes Exposition of 1936-1937Horiculture Building at the 1936 Cleveland Great Lakes ExpositionHorticulture Building at the Great Lakes Exposition of 1936-1937
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