FAIR TRANSPORTATION
Getting to the Fair  was a  fairly easy proposition  because of many
 actors. One, location;  St. Louis was more or less close to the center of the 
 United States, hence no person had to cross the entire country to
 get there. Another helpful avenue was the great Mississippi River,
 which was  located about five miles east of the fairgrounds and
 roughly   four and one-half miles from the business section of the city.
 Boats brought visitors to the fair via the `Mighty Miss.'  as well as 
the Missouri Rivers.

Many visitors utilized the tried and true method of  horse-drawn 
carriages, while others  drove (or were driven),  by the newfangled 
automobile.  Locals used streetcars to access  the Fair.  In fact for
 the Exposition, officials  built a streetcar or trolleyline  across the 
Missouri River linking St. Charles and St. Louis.

Automobile and tally-ho coach lines began  from the hotel section 
of the city and carried passengers to stations outside and inside
the Fair.

If passengers wanted to travel from afar without the haphazard  traveling via 
automobile on bad roads and flimsy tires, there were many railroads to choose from.

The St. Louis Union Station, opened in 1884,  was a stunning  building with its 
barrel-vaulted Grand Hall. Designed by  Theodore Link (who was the architect on 
the palace of Mines and Metallurgy),  and provided visitors with a taste of the 
grand architecture that they would find at the Fair.

The Fairgrounds  were  touched by transportation agencies from the city at 
eleven points. Two steam railroad terminals were close to the grounds, while 
nine electric street railway loop terminals, that  served all parts of the city for 
one fare, were located at the entrances. 

The Wabash Railroad (a steam train),  had a terminal station at the main 
entrance to the fairgrounds, that provided shuttle trains between the fairgrounds 
and Union Station. Taylor City Belt Railroad,  a corporation which served the 
St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad and the  Missouri Pacific Railroad, allowed
passengers to reach the southern part of the  fairgrounds. 

Street Railways were operated by two corporations, the Transit Company and 
the St. Louis & Suburban Railway Company. The former touched the fairgrounds at six entrances, the latter at three. Transfers were  not interchangeable between the lines of the two companies.  Signs in the  front and back windows,  indicated the route, or destination, or both.

A nickel charge paid for  passage to the city limits from any point in the city. Children under 12 years were  carried for half fare, while under kids under five rode free.

The New York Central and West Shore Railroads had excursions to the Fair from New York and Boston- six trains a  day. Rates from New York to St. Louis cost between 23.50 to 38.89 dollars.



Getting around the Fair was not an easy task for most visitors if they had to walk the  1,200 acres of fairgrounds. Officials set up  more  than a dozen types 
of transportation that could help carry people  around to less the fatigue of the day's events.

The Fair had three miniature railroads,  and the “Intramural Railway,”  to traverse large spans of the fairgrounds.  Other wheeled transported included: 
the  jinrikisha (a rickshaw-like  contraption),  and  roller as well as wicker  chairs that rolled  through  fairgrounds, powered by an attendant (or guide).  
The wheeled chairs  could be rented with a guide at (60 cents and hour(, or without (35 cents an hour).  A five dollar deposit was needed to rent a chair  without a guide.  The chairs were not allowed inside the buildings  or concession gates.  Baby carriages could be rented for 25 cents an 
hour.

By the end of the Fair, the roller chairs grossed:  115,280.58 dollars.

In some areas of the Fair, visitors could ride camels, elephants or burros. Carriages pulled by ox were also available.

Fairgoers could also could get a  guided tour of an area, as they were carried by giant open-air vehicles (cars that held more than a dozen people at a time), or buses that could fit double the capacity.  Provided by the world's fair Touring Company, they grossed 175,119,70 dollars by the conclusion of the Fair.   For the more daring, one could also get a birds-eye view via  hot air balloon.

To travel or cross  the Fair’s lakes and lagoons (or simply  enjoy a leisurely boat ride), visitors could  choose between  30 steam or electrical boats of swan and 
dragon  design. Other watercraft included Chinese houseboats, Indian balso, South Sea outriggers, Hawaiian surfboats, Indian canoes,  dugouts,  and  
Australian catamarans. There were also  30 flower-decorated  gondolas complete with singing gondoliers, who were imported from Venice. 
Admission was 10 cents.

For fairgoers travelling via, cab. The rates were:

Cab Rates—With one horse: 1 person, 1 mile, 25c; 2d m., 1 or 2 persons, 25c each; % mile additional, 1 or 2 persons, 15c; 1 stop, 10 min., free; additional stops of 10 min., lOc; small packages inside, free; carried outside, lOc. Per hour, within 3 m. of Court House, 1 or 2 persons, 75c; each additional % hr., 20c; beyond 3 m. limit, 1st hour, $1.00; each additional % hr., 25c. While waiting, per hr., 75c. With two horses: 1 person, 1 m., 50c; each additional m., 1 or 2 persons, 50c; per hr., 1 or 2 persons, $1.50; each additional hr., $1.00; double fare from midnight to 6 a. m.
Lee  Gaskins'   AT THE FAIR  The 1904 St. Louis World's   Fair  
                     Web  Design and Art/Illustration   copyrighted  2008 
Intramural Railway and  station. 
Wicker Roller Chairs
Rickshaw
Donkey  rides  were popular  with  the  children
Wabash Rail Terminal was built for the World's Fair  and was situated at the Exposition's main entrance. 
Railroad station at the Jefferson Barracks.
Guides  awaiting  guests.  Many of  their  Fair  guides were students. Guides charges guest 60  cents  an hour for use of  the  chairs. 
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