At the conclusion of the final competition, Lu Parker of South Carolina was crowned by outgoing titleholder Kenya Moore of Michigan.

[1] The pageant was hosted by Bob Goen for the first of three years replacing Dick Clark, with color commentary by Arthel Neville and a special guest appearance by Laura Harring, Miss USA 1985.

During the live broadcast, the organizers of that year's Miss Universe pageant held in Manila, Philippines were introduced during the show along with that country's representative to said international competition, Charlene Bonin Gonzales, Miss Philippines 1994.

[2] Contestants arrived on January 27 for two weeks of events and preliminary competitions before the final telecast.

This included a dinner event in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, put on by the mayor and city officials, which became an issue when rebel activity on the United States-Mexican border led to fears for the contestants' safety.