▁notable ▁in ▁that ▁it ▁could ▁be ▁entered ▁directly ▁by ▁railway , ▁steam bo at , ▁or ▁ocean - going ▁ship . ▁The ▁main ▁building ▁en closed ▁ ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁roof ed ▁structure ▁constructed ▁up ▁to ▁that ▁time . ▁It ▁was ▁ill umin ated ▁with ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁electric ▁lights ▁( st ill ▁a ▁novel ty ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁and ▁said ▁to ▁be ▁ten ▁times ▁the ▁number ▁then ▁existing ▁in ▁New ▁Orleans ▁outside ▁of ▁the ▁fair ground s ). ▁There ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁H ort icult ural ▁Hall , ▁an ▁observation ▁tower ▁with ▁electric ▁elev ators , ▁and ▁working ▁examples ▁of ▁multiple ▁designs ▁of ▁experimental ▁electric ▁street - c ars . ▁The ▁Mexican ▁exhib it ▁was ▁particularly ▁lav ish ▁and ▁popular , ▁constructed ▁at ▁a ▁cost ▁of ▁$ 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 , ▁and ▁featuring ▁a ▁huge ▁br ass ▁band ▁that ▁was ▁a ▁great ▁hit ▁locally . ▁ ▁On ▁December ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 1 8 8 4 , ▁U . S . ▁President ▁Ch ester ▁Arthur ▁opened ▁the ▁fair ▁via ▁te legraph ▁( two ▁weeks ▁behind ▁schedule ). ▁It ▁closed ▁on ▁June ▁ 2 , ▁ 1 8 8 5 . ▁In ▁an ▁un success ful ▁attempt ▁to ▁recover ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁financial ▁losses ▁from ▁the ▁Fair , ▁the ▁grounds ▁and ▁structures ▁were ▁re used ▁for ▁the ▁North ▁Central ▁& ▁South ▁American ▁Ex position ▁from ▁November ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 1 8 8 5 , ▁to ▁March ▁ 3 1 , ▁