First moving walkway appeared at 1893 Chicago World's Fair
The mechanical attraction offered two different speeds for a five-cent fare to transport visitors from the pier to the Peristyle.
The first moving walkway was introduced at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, according to a report by the Times of India. The attraction, described as a 'moveable sidewalk', carried passengers from the steamship pier to the Peristyle.
The structure featured a continuous double platform that allowed for two different speeds. One section moved at three miles per hour, while the other moved at six miles per hour, according to John J. Flinn’s 1893 Official Guide to the World’s Columbian Exposition.
Visitors paid a fare of five cents to use the service. The walkway provided separate levels where passengers could either sit or stand during the journey.
The walkway connected the steamship landing to the entrance of the exposition grounds. Guinness World Records stated that the structure was destroyed by fire in 1894.
Other transport options were available at the fair, including the Intramural Railway, which charged ten cents for a circuit of the grounds. Electric boats and gondolas also provided travel across the lagoons and basins for various prices.