Vatican Pavilion & Astral Fountain – New York World’s Fair 1964
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One of the most visited and talked-about exhibits at the fair, the Vatican Pavilion drew extraordinary crowds thanks to its showcase piece: Michelangelo’s Pietà. Authorized for display by Pope John XXIII, the centuries-old marble masterpiece was shipped from Rome under enormous care and presented behind bullet-resistant glass with round-the-clock security. Visitors passed by on a moving walkway, allowing only a brief moment to admire it—yet for many, that glimpse alone made the wait worthwhile.
The pavilion also featured a faithful recreation of St. Peter’s Crypt and a 350-seat chapel, strengthening its role as both cultural treasure and place of worship. On October 4, 1965, during a landmark visit to the United States and the United Nations, Pope Paul VI toured the pavilion—an event remembered as one of the most significant moments of the fair.
After the fair closed, parts of the pavilion were relocated to Groton, Connecticut, where they were incorporated into the new St Mary’s Church “interior and exterior equipment from the Vatican Pavilion at the World’s Fair in New York were purchased and the architect, William F. Herman, Jr. of Mystic, designed the dramatic new church building around these acquisitions”. The Pietà went back to Italy.
Today, nothing remains of the building itself — the former site of the Vatican Pavilion is now marked by a granite shrine in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. Nearby, the circular basin of the Astral Fountain survives, repurposed as the Maloof Skate Park, one of the last visible footprints of this once-celebrated corner of the fairgrounds.