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Dallas, Texas
National Historical Landmark

FAIR PARK

by Clint Skinner

31. The Embarcadero

On the northwest corner of Cotton Bowl Stadium near the left wing of the Hall of State, the Embarcadero serves as another reminder of the Texas Centennial Exposition. When it was built for the celebration, the structure was called the Food Exhibit Building as a supplement to the Agriculture Building across the street, evidenced by the similarity in architectural design. The Food Exhibit Building actually consisted of two sections joined together by a small lobby. The lower part became the Embarcadero after the exposition and upper half served the public as the Creative Arts Building.

The Embarcadero
Photo courtesy Clint Skinner, February 2016

Walking up the steps toward the main entrance, visitors looking to the right will notice a smaller entryway that leads to a restaurant called The Dock. The eatery serves the standard cuisine during the fair, but offers plenty of insight into the fair's past. There are photos and illustrations of various attractions from days gone by, accompanied by sites which have withstood the test of time. One area showcases pictures of diners visiting for the Red River Showdown. There are also some historic relics displayed on the walls.

The main area of the building serves as a place for merchants to sell their products at the state fair. Outside of the annual event, the 27,000 square feet of space remains empty and unused. The oldest feature is an exhibit space owned by the Gebhardt Chili Company. Made for the exposition, it has wooden beams forming the ceiling, green walls for the sides, an armoire and front counter constructed from pecan, and a back counter made out of Mexican tiles.

Good Fulton & Farrell planned and supervised renovations for the Embarcadero to preserve its deteriorating structure. Although the company was contacted for the job in 2000, actual construction did not start until 2003 because there was a lack of revenue. The project came to a close in 2005.

December 12, 2016
© Clint Skinner

FAIR PARK:
Fair Park - Attractions:
1. Fair Park Station
2. Main Entrance
3. Founders Statue
4. Women's Museum
5. DAR House
6. The Texas Vietnam Veterans Memorial
7. Sydney Smith Memorial Fountain
8. Music Hall
9. Fair Park Esplanade
10. Centennial Building
11. Automobile Building
12. Hall of State
13. Tower Building
14. Big Tex Circle
15. Grand Place
16. Old Mill Inn
17. Magnolia Lounge
18. Hall of Religion
19. African American Museum
20. Leonhardt Lagoon
21. Dallas Museum of Natural History
22. Science Place I
23. Children's Aquarium
24. Fair Park Bandshell
25. Texas Discovery Gardens
26. WRR Headquarters
27. Science Place II
28. The Texas Star
29. Cotton Bowl Stadium
30. The Texas Skyway
31. The Embarcadero
32. The Creative Arts Building
33. Food and Fiber Building
34. Pan American Arena
35. The Woofus
36. The Swine Building
37. Briscoe Carpenter Livestock Center
38. Livestock Pavilion and Arena
39. The Horse Barn
40. Fair Park Coliseum
41. Top of Texas Tower

References:
1.Bigtex.com
2.Dallashistory.org
3.Dallas Morning News Archives
4.Fairpark.org
5.Slate, John H. Historic Dallas Parks. Arcadia Publishing, 2010.
6.Tshaonline.org
7.Watermelon-kid.com
8.Wikipedia.org
8.Winters, Willis Cecil. Fair Park. Arcadia Publishing, 2010.