Cal Expo was dedicated with big dreams for the future. ‘Best of two worlds’

In the 1950s, the California State Fair had a problem — it was almost too successful for its own good.

The fair, then located on Stockton Boulevard, ranked as one of the top 5 fairs in the United States, the Stockton Boulevard Partnership said. But it was running out of room.

The 155-acre fairgrounds, established in 1909, attracted 750,000 attendees each year.

On May 22, 1967, Gov. Ronald Reagan dedicated a new 350-acre California Exposition & California State Fair, normally shortened to Cal Expo, on Exposition Boulevard along the American River.

“In a world of changing ways and shifting patterns, I think all of us know a nostalgic regret for things fondly remembered but no longer practiced, and we know, too, the excitement of the new,” Reagan said.

“And today, I think we can, in a sense, look forward to the best of two worlds, because here we mark the beginning of a project to preserve a slice of Americana that some have written off as outmoded, but more of us believe deserves a better fate than just extinction or oblivion,” Reagan said.

In July 1968, Reagan opened the first California State Fair at the new facility with more than 9,000 people in attendance, the Sacramento History Museum archives show.

Here’s what to know about the history of Cal Expo and the California State Fair:

When was the first California State Fair?

The first California State Fair opened in October 1854 in San Francisco, California State Parks said.

The exhibition of “horses, cattle, mules, and other stock and agricultural, mechanical, and domestic manufacture and productions” was intended to showcase the state’s agricultural industry. It was sponsored by the California State Agricultural Society.

The first fair drew about 5,000 visitors, the Stockton Boulevard Partnership said.

Where were state fairs previously held?

The fair took place in a different city each year until organizers decided to find a permanent home in 1860.

A six-block site bounded by E, H, and 20th and 22nd streets in Sacramento became home to the fair for the next 50 years, according to the Stockton Boulevard Partnership.

Increased attendance led to the purchase of 80 acres on Stockton Boulevard, which hosted its first fair in 1909 with an admission price of 50 cents.

In 1937, continued expansion prompted the addition of 75 acres to the fairgrounds.

How was Cal Expo built?

The state selected the land for the new fairground on Sept. 8, 1949, according to a front-page story in The Sacramento Bee. The property was chosen because of its freeway access. But construction would take years.

Disneyland, which opened in 1955, had a strong influence on plans for the new fairgrounds, Sactown Magazine reported.

Original Cal Expo general manager Eugene “Doc” Lemmon previously worked as director of operations for Disneyland and the director of design and construction, Louis H. Roth, was a project engineer for Disneyland, the publication said.

Cal Expo’s monorail is modeled after Montreal’s Expo ’67, according to the State Fair’s Facebook page. The open-air Cal Expo version travels about a mile through the fairgrounds, taking about 10 minutes.

While some of the earliest plans for Cal Expo, including golf courses, two themed islands and a 10,000-seat arena, fell by the wayside, the exposition grounds were dedicated in 1967.

“Once again, we’ve confirmed Mark Twain’s description of Californians as a people capable of great and impossible projects, brought off with dash and daring,” Reagan said at the dedication.

Reagan said organizers envisioned Cal Expo not just as a new home for the fair but as a year-round showcase of the best of California.

In 2013, giant letters spelling out “California” were added to Cal Expo after the Disneyland Resort donated them following their removal from outside Disney’s California Adventure.

Four years later as it marked its 50th edition at Cal Expo, the State Fair commissioned a commemorative poster featuring Cal Expo landmarks showcasing its Disney influence, The Bee reported.

Attendance at the California State Fair reached 700,000 people in 2025, according to The Bee.

What happened to the Stockton Boulevard fairgrounds?

Much of the old Stockton Boulevard fairground was purchased by UC Davis Medical Center, the Stockton Boulevard Partnership said.

A former agricultural pavilion now houses the UC Davis Clinical Transactional Science Center, while the Governor’s Hall remains vacant, the partnership said.

This story was originally published May 15, 2026 at 6:00 AM.