Centennial Hall at Fair Park with the Esplanade Fountain

Registered as a Dallas Landmark and National Historic Landmark, Fair Park is a recreational and educational complex that is home to nine museums, six performance facilities, a lagoon and the largest Ferris wheel in North America. Many buildings on the complex were constructed for the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition, which drew more than 6 million visitors. Most of the exposition buildings that still survive are recognized as significant examples of Art Deco architecture. Fair Park’s Centennial Hall is an amalgam of several buildings constructed at different times. The first stage of the structure, the Exposition Building, dates to 1905 while the remainder was developed in 1935 and 1936 for the Texas Centennial Exposition. The structure features three substantial porticoes and monumental statues that reflect the “Texanic” style that architect George Dahl developed for many of the exposition buildings. Notably, Centennial Hall features two large murals by Italian artist Carlo Ciampaglia and statues of female figures tucked into the three porticos that boast surroundings of exquisite bas-reliefs and wall paintings. Designed by Jose Martin, the statues represent Spain, the Confederacy and the Republic of Texas. Built for the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition, the Fair Park Esplanade features a 700-foot-long reflecting pool capped with three fountains. During the State Fair of Texas and other special events, the fountains offer visitors exciting 15- to 30-minute “dancing water” shows set to music. The fountains’ 272 water jets become a part of the pool, spraying up to 100 feet in the air while more than 170 white lights line the jets, pool and surrounding buildings to create special effects along with the music that ranges from classical to country western.

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