It was opened by Princess Alexandra, the Princess of Wales (wife of the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII) on 3 May 1887, and remained open for 166 days, during which time there were 4.5 million paying visitors, 74,600 in one day alone.

[1] The site chosen for the construction of the purpose-built exhibition halls was the present-day White City retail park, then the Royal Botanical Gardens.

Amusements such as tobogganing slides and a sports arena were also provided, and decorations were provided by Ford Madox Brown,[2] assisted by Susan Dacre.

[3] Designed by the architectural practice of Maxwell and Tuke,[4] the buildings were constructed from cast iron gas pipes, and had large glazed areas.

[7] Temporary sidings for the Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway were completed in 1886, to provide convenient access for visitors.