ate ▁and ▁entertain ▁the ▁visitors . ▁ ▁American ▁cities ▁and ▁business ▁also ▁saw ▁the ▁world ' s ▁fair ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁of ▁demonstr ating ▁economic ▁and ▁industrial ▁success . ▁The ▁World ' s ▁Columb ian ▁Ex position ▁of ▁ 1 8 9 3 ▁in ▁Chicago , ▁Illinois ▁was ▁an ▁early ▁prec ursor ▁to ▁the ▁modern ▁am usement ▁park . ▁The ▁fair ▁was ▁an ▁en closed ▁site , ▁that ▁merged ▁entertain ment , ▁engineering ▁and ▁education ▁to ▁entertain ▁the ▁masses . ▁It ▁set ▁out ▁to ▁bed azz le ▁the ▁visitors , ▁and ▁successfully ▁did ▁so ▁with ▁a ▁bla ze ▁of ▁lights ▁from ▁the ▁" White ▁City ." ▁ ▁To ▁make ▁sure ▁that ▁the ▁fair ▁was ▁a ▁financial ▁success , ▁the ▁pl ann ers ▁included ▁a ▁dedicated ▁am usement ▁con cess ions ▁area ▁called ▁the ▁Mid way ▁P lais ance . ▁R ides ▁from ▁this ▁fair ▁captured ▁the ▁imagination ▁of ▁the ▁visitors ▁and ▁of ▁am usement ▁par ks ▁around ▁the ▁world , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁steel ▁Ferr is ▁wheel , ▁which ▁was ▁found ▁in ▁many ▁other ▁am usement ▁areas , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Pr ater ▁by ▁ 1 8 9 6 . ▁Also , ▁the ▁experience ▁of ▁the ▁en closed ▁ideal ▁city ▁with ▁wonder , ▁r ides , ▁culture ▁and ▁progress ▁( elect ric ity ), ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁an ▁ill us ory ▁place . ▁ ▁The ▁" mid way " ▁introduced ▁at ▁the ▁Columb ian ▁Ex position ▁would ▁become ▁a ▁standard ▁part ▁of ▁most ▁am usement ▁par ks , ▁fair