San Francisco hosted the Panama-Pacific International Exposition between February and December 1915. The National Park Service says it celebrated the Panama Canal and the city’s recovery from 1906, and drew over 18 million people.
| When | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1915 | Exposition held “between February and December” to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal and San Francisco’s recovery from 1906 | NPS Golden Gate NRA |
| 1915 | Site of over 600 acres along two and a half miles of waterfront | NPS Golden Gate NRA |
| 1915 | Over 18 million people visit; billed as the first world’s fair to demonstrate a transcontinental telephone call | NPS Golden Gate NRA |
| Today | The Palace of Fine Arts and the Legion of Honor are listed as built in the Exposition’s style; Marina Green and Crissy Field came from filling in waterfront marshland | NPS Golden Gate NRA |
What It Was For
The National Park Service says the Exposition celebrated the completion of the Panama Canal and the city’s recovery from the 1906 earthquake and fire. It ran between February and December 1915. For the disaster it answered, read the 1906 history.
How Big
The Park Service gives the site as over 600 acres on two and a half miles of waterfront, and the attendance as over 18 million. It also says the fair was the first to demonstrate a transcontinental telephone call.
What Is Left
Most Exposition buildings were never meant to last. The Park Service names the Palace of Fine Arts as one that was designed in the Exposition’s style, along with the Legion of Honor, and says Marina Green and Crissy Field exist because waterfront marshland was filled in. The Palace of Fine Arts’ own site markets it as an event venue and does not state public access hours, so check before you plan a visit. Our history events guide lists commemorations, and the Presidio with kids covers the nearby waterfront.
The photo shows the Tower of Jewels; the postcard caption gives its height as 426 feet. We could not confirm that figure in a primary source.
Still Unconfirmed
- Who designed the Exposition. The Park Service page we read does not say, so we do not name anyone.
- The Tower of Jewels’ height. The 1913 postcard gives 426 feet; we found no official measurement.
- Public access at the Palace of Fine Arts. Not stated on the venue’s page.
More San Francisco History
Keep going with the San Francisco history hub: a 58-event timeline, historic sites to visit, history tours (many free) and the National Historic Landmarks. Prefer stories people tell? Try the local legends, fact-checked.
Sources
- National Park Service, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, The Panama-Pacific International Exhibition, read 27 October 2026.
- Palace of Fine Arts (venue), Home page, read 27 October 2026.
Dates and figures are as the sources state them, read on 27 October 2026.
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When was the Panama-Pacific Exposition?
Between February and December 1915, according to the National Park Service.
What did it celebrate?
The completion of the Panama Canal and San Francisco’s recovery from the 1906 earthquake and fire.
How many people went?
The National Park Service says over 18 million.
What is left of the 1915 fair?
The Park Service names the Palace of Fine Arts and the Legion of Honor as built in the Exposition’s style, and says Marina Green and Crissy Field came from filling in marshland.
How big was the site?
Over 600 acres along two and a half miles of waterfront, per the Park Service.
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Cite this page: Project SF, “Panama-Pacific Exposition: San Francisco’s 1915 World’s Fair”, projectsf.com/guides/panama-pacific-exposition-1915-san-francisco/ (updated ).