NY State Pavilion.

Ruins of the New York State Pavilion

Designed by big-deal architect Philip Johnson for the 1964-65 New York World's Fair. It's still an impressive sight even though it's closed and may eventually fall down before it's ever repaired. It's probably best known today for its pivotal role in the first Men in Black movie.

The tallest of its three towers (the highest point at the Fair) had an observation deck reached by an outdoor glass "Sky Streak" capsule elevator. The "Tent of Tomorrow," 100 feet high, shielded a $1 million floor map of New York that covered 9,000 square feet and showed the location of every Texaco gas station in the state (Texaco paid for the map). The elevator is long gone, the tent lasted until 1976, and you could still walk on the map up until around 1990, but it's all closed off now.

Ruins of the New York State Pavilion

Flushing Meadows Park

Address:: 111th St., Queens, NY
Directions:: Flushing Meadows Park. By subway (recommended) take the #7 train to 111th St. in Queens. Walk downhill on 111th St. (south) for four blocks. Just after you cross under a bridge, you'll see the rockets to the left; you can cut diagonally through the parking lot to get to them. To get to the ruins, walk past the rockets, turn right at the supersonic jet sculpture, walk behind the building, then make a left at the geodesic dome and walk across the bridge over the Grand Central Pky. You'll see the Unisphere ahead to the right. Walk to it, then continue straight past it. You'll see the ruins ahead, to the right.
Admission:: Free

More on Ruins of the New York State Pavilion

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Time Capsules from the 1939 and 1964 World's Fairs, Queens, NY - < 1 mi.

World's Fair: The Unisphere, Queens, NY - < 1 mi.

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