Although the very first World's Fair was organised in Prague in 1791 to celebrate the coronation of Leopold II, it wasn't until the Great Exhibition held in London in 1851 that this incredible event came into the mainstream. Hosted at regular intervals since then, each fair was designed to bring together and showcase the achievements of different nations – an ethos that continues today.

Click through the gallery to see some of the most famous and influential buildings from World's Fairs that are still standing today...

The 1876 Centennial Exposition was the first World's Fair in the United States, held in Philadelphia to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. More than 200 buildings were constructed, but Memorial Hall, pictured in a drawing commemorating the opening night on 10 May, is the only major structure that has survived. A National Historic Landmark since 1976, today it's the Please Touch Museum – an interactive and educational children's museum.

Built to host the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880, this impressive building is a unique mix of styles that appealed to its architect Joseph Reed. The central dome was modelled on that of the Florence Cathedral while the main pavilions were influenced by buildings in Normandy, Caen and Paris. Pictured here 20 years after the fair, it became Australia's first building to be awarded UNESCO World Heritage Status in 2004. It's one of the last remaining major 19th-century exhibition buildings in the world and you can now take a guided tour that includes the Dome Promenade and its spectacular views of the Melbourne skyline.

Probably the most famous of all, the Eiffel Tower was unveiled at the Exposition Universelle in 1889 (pictured here during the fair). The base arches of the tower served as the entrance to the fair and hosted a post office, a printing press and a patisserie. Most Parisians at the time were severely opposed to what was considered a steel monstrosity, however, once the fair opened, it became a huge hit among visitors and it has since outlived its 20-year expiration date by becoming a symbol of the city.

While the world's first Ferris wheel, built for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, has long gone (the current one at Navy Pier is a replica), there is another relic of the fair that's still standing. The Palace of Fine Arts, known today as the Museum of Science and Industry, is the only original building that remains on the fair's grounds. Pictured here during the fair, it housed paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures and metal work from around the world.

Another unusual story from the World's Columbian Exposition is that of the Maine State Building. Erected in Chicago to represent the state of Maine (pictured), it was built with granite and slate from the state and crafted by Maine locals. During the fair, it served as an exhibition space on everything about the state. Afterwards, it was bought by the Ricker family who decided to dismantle it and ship it to Maine. Back in its home state it was put back together on Preservation Way in Poland Spring, where it's now open as a museum.

Love this? Follow our Facebook page for more travel inspiration

Built for the California Midwinter International Exposition of 1894, these are the oldest public Japanese gardens in the US. Made up of paths, ponds, sculptures and a teahouse, the garden features plants and trees pruned and arranged in a Japanese style. Following the fair, it was sold to the city of San Francisco, who hired Japanese gardener Makoto Hagiwara to manage it. Under his supervision many plants and the now-famous koi fish were imported from Japan. Here the garden is pictured in 1904, 10 years after the fair.

Just 11 years after the success of the Eiffel Tower, the World's Fair returned to Paris and left its mark on the city in the form of two stunning Beaux-Arts architectural masterpieces. Built for the Exhibition Universelle in 1900 and photographed here during it, the Grand Palais and Petit Palais are located across the street from each other in the city's 8th arrondissement. When the fair opened, the Petit Palais hosted an exhibit on the history of art (today it's a fine arts museum) while the Grand Palais was built as a large events space.

Today, Buffalo might serve as the gateway to Niagara Falls, but at the start of the 20th century, it was the eighth biggest city in America so was chosen to host the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. Several Greek-revival buildings were erected for the fair and the Buffalo and Erie Historical Society has maintained one of them as its museum. Known as the New York State Pavilion at the fair (pictured), today it serves as the Buffalo History Museum and even has an extensive exhibit on the expo itself in a nearby building.

One of the principal art museums in the US today, the Saint Louis Art Museum came into being as the Palace of Fine Arts, built for the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition (pictured here at the time of the expo). As often was the case with World's Fairs, most structures were erected only temporarily, but this grand neo-Classical exhibition space was made to last. Designed by architect Cass Gilbert, who was inspired by the Roman Baths of Caracalla in Italy, it sits atop a hill in Forest Park, the city's largest green space.

These are the world's most beautiful museums

The only 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition structure to survive, the Palace of Fine Arts was originally constructed to exhibit works of art during the fair. The complex, pictured here around the time of the fair, was conceived to evoke the feeling of the decaying ruins of Rome and the palace's centrepiece was an open 162-foot (49m) rotunda, enclosed by a lagoon on either side. Although the complex was rebuilt between 1964 and 1974, and then renovated in 2009, it's easy to imagine the impact the Palace of Fine Arts would've had at the time of the fair.

Simultaneously, another World's Fair was taking place in San Diego to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal. One of the areas of the city that got its current look during the Panama-California Exposition in 1915 was Balboa Park, where the fair was held. Although the park had existed before the expo, it was the extensive building work that gave it its present-day look and numerous landmarks from the fair are still standing, including the Lily Pond (then La Laguna de las Flores) and the Cabrillo Bridge.

The work of more than 3,000 people, who made the design of Carles Buigas a reality, this fountain was unveiled at the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition (pictured). The now-famous show of lights, water motion and colour was one of the world's first water displays of its kind and its nightly performances were very much loved (as of September 2023, they've been suspended due to the drought protocol in the city). The music was incorporated into the display in the 1980s and featured everything from film soundtracks to Freddie Mercury's heart-stirring rendition of Barcelona.

Discover beautiful images of the world's incredible water displays

Completing the Montjuïc ensemble for the Barcelona International Exposition was Palau Nacional. The main site of the expo, it's a Spanish Renaissance-inspired building with staircased fountains leading down to the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc. Pictured here on the night of the inauguration in 1929, the monumental building was erected with the intention of displaying a grand exhibition on art in Spain and has housed the National Art Museum of Catalonia since 1934.

Another remnant of a World's Fair held in Paris, Palais de Tokyo was constructed for the Exposition Internationale in 1937 to house two separate art museums. The east wing of the building became the Museum of Modern Art of the City of Paris, while the west wing was used to display a number of exhibitions and projects. Since 2002 it's been home to the largest museum in France dedicated to temporary exhibitions of contemporary art. In this image, French President Albert Lebrun and Prime Minister Léon Blum are captured visiting the new landmark during the fair.

Arguably the most famous 1937 Exposition Internationale addition to the cityscape is the Place du Trocadéro. Although the hill was first built for the 1878 World's Fair, it wasn't until this particular expo that it was transformed into how it looks today. The old Palais du Trocadéro was partially demolished to make way for the Palais de Chaillot that now tops the hill. The wide esplanade in front of the Palais de Chaillot was the focal point of the fair, housing several pavilions, as captured from the Eiffel Tower in this snap during the fair.

See more of beautiful Europe viewed from above 

Inspired by the dawn of the Atomic Age, this incredible structure is engineer André Waterkeyn's recreation of an atom, enlarged 165 billion times. Built for Expo 58, the first major World's Fair after the Second World War, the multi-level structure rises 335 feet (102m) with five interconnected spheres. Today, they're part of a museum and also house a restaurant with panoramic views over the city. Here, the impressive monument is pictured in the background of an opening parade.

Built for the Century 21 Exposition in 1962, the organisers of Seattle's World's Fair wanted to somehow celebrate the Space Race and create something to embody the era. Thus the Space Needle was born. The resulting structure, a joint effort between designers Edward Carlson and John Graham Jr, was a 605-foot (184m) hourglass tower with a UFO-shaped crown. It welcomed more than 2.3 million visitors during the fair and has become synonymous with the city ever since. In this image, the tower and the grounds of the fair are captured from a helicopter.

See these stunning historic images of theme parks in full swing

The centrepiece of the 1964 New York World's Fair, Unisphere was designed to celebrate "man's achievements on a shrinking globe in an expanding universe". Pictured here during the fair, the giant stainless steel model of our planet was an especially fitting tribute at the start of the Space Age. Still standing in Flushing Meadows in Queens, the Unisphere is one of the few remnants of the fair and has since been featured in several films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including Iron Man 2 and Captain America: The First Avenger, as well as Men in Black.

The United States pavilion at Expo 67, pictured here shortly after opening, was a geodesic dome, conceived by neo-futurist architect Buckminster "Bucky" Fuller. Towering 200 feet (62m) over Montreal's Saint Helen's Island, it became a top attraction. After the fair, the US government donated The Biosphere to the city but a fire in 1976 destroyed its original acrylic membrane. Environment Canada purchased the site in 1990 and today it's an interactive museum with exhibits on climate change, eco-technologies and sustainable development.

The other star of Expo 67 was Habitat – a model community that was touted as a breakthrough in redefining affordable housing and urban living. Dreamed up by Israeli-Canadian architect Moshe Safdie, the elaborate 12-storey structure is made up of 354 identical, prefabricated concrete forms that translate as 146 residences. Here, it's pictured shortly after opening and today the apartments are some of the most expensive in Montreal.

Take a look at America's most historic buildings

Conceived by San Antonio architect O'Neil Ford as the focal structure of HemisFair '68, the Tower of the Americas was the tallest observation tower in the US at the time. Disaster nearly struck just before opening, as the cables used to hoist the top house into place snapped and it was left precariously tilted on the tower's shaft. Eventually, the job was completed safely and it opened to the public five days after the fair's opening ceremonies. Today, it's still an observation deck and features a revolving restaurant that offers panoramic views of the city.

These are the world's tallest buildings with observation decks

Designed as the symbol of Expo '70 in Osaka, the Tower of the Sun is the creation of Japanese artist Tarō Okamoto. It features three faces representing past, present and future, and inside it housed an artwork called The Tree of Life. During the fair, it was open to visitors who could climb the 230-foot-tall (70m) tower (pictured here in its original location). Today visitors can visit the Expo Commemoration Park in Suita, and go inside the tower with an advanced reservation.

Resembling a giant disco ball twinkling in the sky, the 266-foot-tall (81m) Sunsphere welcomed visitors to the Knoxville International Energy Exposition in 1982 and served as the symbol of this World's Fair. Constructed out of 360 individual panes of glass, the gold dust-filled vinyl lamination gives it its unique golden shimmer. Today, the tower offers great views of the city (tickets to the observation deck are £3.99/$5) and there's a small exhibit on the fair. Here, it's pictured towering over the fair's grounds.

Although Canada Place, located along Burrard Inlet, came into being well before 1986, it wasn't until Expo 86 that it took on its current look with the eye-catching roof sails, pictured here during the fair. Opened by then Prince Charles, it served as the Canada Pavilion at the expo and was among the largest and most elaborate pavilions presented. Today, it houses Vancouver's World Trade Centre, Pan Pacific Vancouver Hotel and Vancouver Convention Centre, and it's also the main cruise ship terminal with many Alaskan cruises leaving from here.

See more jaw-dropping bird's-eye-view photos of Canada

One of the most significant sights from Brisbane's World Expo '88, the Nepalese Peace Pagoda was designed by German architect Jochen Reier on behalf of the Kingdom of Nepal. The structure was built using Indigenous Nepalese timber while its decorative elements were carved by 160 Nepalese families in Kathmandu and then shipped to Australia. Today, it's just one of three Nepalese peace pagodas in the world to be located outside of Nepal. Here the pagoda is pictured just before its 20th anniversary.

While most of the buildings erected for World's Fairs until 1998 were very much temporary, Expo '98 in Lisbon offered an alternative. One of Europe's largest aquariums, Oceanário de Lisboa was just one of the structures that was pre-planned to be used after the fair. Resembling an aircraft carrier, it's located on a pier in an artificial lagoon in the Parque das Nações, which served as the exhibition grounds. Other repurposed buildings include the Atlantic Pavilion that's still used as an expo centre and the Future Pavilion, which was rebuilt as Casino Lisboa. Here the Oceanário is pictured 20 years after the fair.

Inspired by the Chinese ding vessel, used by emperors to make offerings to the gods, the China Pavilion took everyone's breath away at Expo 2010 in Shanghai. Designed by He Jingtang and resembling an ancient Chinese crown, the pavilion played host to 17 million visitors during the fair. Two years later, the towering 206-foot-tall (63m) building was converted into the China Art Museum with five floors of modern Chinese art and a revolving roster of visiting exhibitions. Previous shows have included works from the Whitney in New York and Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

A focal point of the Expo 2020, the UAE Pavilion, which eventually opened in October 2021 due to the pandemic, is just one of many jaw-dropping structures that was built for the fair hosted in Dubai. The building, designed by the legendary Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, represents a falcon taking flight with Calatrava's signature curved lines, shaded arches and cantilevered wings. The roof, composed of 28 individual wings, can be opened in three minutes, representing the flow of movement.

Now discover the amazing tourist attractions we've lost forever