HemisFair '68 was the official 1968 World's Fair (or International Exposition) held in San Antonio, Texas, from April 6 through October 6, 1968.

In 2001, the River Walk was extended again under the new Convention Center Expansion and is now connected to a small lagoon inside HemisFair Park.

HemisFair began on April 6, 1968, with the gates opening at 9:00am and official ceremonies beginning at 10:00 am in the new Convention Center Arena.

National pavilions at the fair included: Canada, Mexico, Italy, Spain, France, Japan, Belgium, Bolivia, Republic of China, Colombia, West Germany, South Korea, Panama, Portugal, Switzerland, Thailand and Venezuela.

Today, the City of San Antonio owns approximately 50 acres (200,000 m2) of the site, 30 of which the Henry B. González Convention Center occupies.

[11] In 1986, many unused remaining structures built for the fair were removed and in celebration of the 20th Anniversary of HemisFair '68, approximately 15 acres (61,000 m2) of the site were redeveloped with cascading waterfalls, fountains, playgrounds and lush landscaping.

[15] Above the windows on the exterior is a mural titled "Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas," created by Mexican artist Juan O'Gorman for HemisFair '68.

In recent years the building was renovated again and now serves as additional banquet and ballroom facilities for the Hilton Palacio del Rio Hotel (also built for HemisFair) across the street.

Southern Baptist Pavilion – This building was originally a house, built in the late 19th century, as a wedding gift from Sam Edgar to his daughter.

This pavilion also remained after the fair closed and became the Institute of Texan Cultures, which is now a museum and the third campus of the University of Texas at San Antonio.

It was built as a permanent structure to help meet the requirements of urban renewal, as well as to be part of the re-use plan after the fair.

One idea was for it to be re-used as a student union building, as one proposal was to locate the new University of Texas at San Antonio campus on the site.

After decades of use as a storage facility by the Institute of Texan Cultures, several women who were originally involved with the pavilion are working to restore and reopen it.

[18] Along with the renovations, the San Antonio City Council voted on and approved HPARC's master plan for the redevelopment of the former site.