The Great Exhibition , also known as the Crystal Palace Exhibition , was an international exhibition held in Hyde Park , London , England , from 1 May to 15 October 1851 and the first in a series of World 's Fair exhibitions of culture and industry that were to be a popular 19th century feature . The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations or The Great Exhibition , sometimes referred to as the Crystal Palace Exhibition in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held , was an international exhibition that took place in Hyde Park , London , from 1 May to 15 October 1851 . It was the first in a series of World 's Fair exhibitions of culture and industry that were to become a popular 19th-century feature .