A-Y-P Exposition History

In 1909, the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition was held at the southern portion of the University of Washington campus in Seattle. During its run from June 1 to October 16, total attendance was nearly four million. The A-Y-P Exposition was the first World's Fair to make a profit, which organizers donated to the Anti-Tuberculosis League and to the Seaman’s Institute.

Originally intended to celebrate Washington's growth and development resultant from the infusion of wealth created by the 1897 Yukon Gold Rush, the exposition was expanded to also include the importance of Pacific trade. The exposition was mandated by the state legislature to display the resources, products, and advantages of Washington and the region. It included exhibits in elegant buildings, along with fountains and formal gardens in the style of Versailles.

The Olmsted Brothers landscape firm laid out the fairgrounds with the idea that their plan would also guide development of the University of Washington campus long after the exposition ended. At the time of the exposition, the auto age was still in its infancy, and visitors marveled at the cars which traveled to Seattle from New York in the first transcontinental auto race. Many also got to see their first view of powered flight when J. C. Mars took to the air over the fairgrounds in his gas-powered dirigible. And a Northern Pacific Railroad train dubbed the "Suffrage Special" brought hundreds of leaders to Seattle for the 41st annual convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), one year before Washington granted women the right to vote.

The A-Y-P Exposition strengthened economic and cultural ties throughout and beyond the Pacific Rim, focusing on Washington's role as a major trading partner with Hawaii and Alaska (well before statehood), Japan, the Philippines, and Western Canada. The exposition introduced people to new technologies, and to changes in societal structures. It was Washington's first World's Fair, and left lasting memories in the millions who attended.