Themed to the "challenge to greatness", it was designed for the 1964 New York World's Fair by Leon Deller of the architectural firm Charles Luckman Associates.

Occupying the second floor was the American Journey ride, where visitors watched a short Cinerama film from slow-moving vehicles.

[7][8] As early as June 1960, United States Congress members from New York had proposed legislation to allow the U.S. government to host an exhibit at the fair.

[12] Another proposal, drawn up by the engineer Theodore J. Kauffeld based on a New Jersey teenager's idea, called for a 180-foot-diameter (55 m) sphere atop a series of piers.

[8][23][a] After the congressional appropriation failed, New York City Mayor Robert F. Wagner asked U.S. President John F. Kennedy to endorse the U.S. government's involvement in the fair.

Senator Jacob Javits introduced an amendment to a foreign-aid bill in June 1962, allowing the U.S. government to provide financial support to the fair.

[44][45] U.S. commerce secretary Luther H. Hodges appointed an advisory committee to pick out the theme, which was inspired by a quote from Archibald MacLeish, the Librarian of Congress.

[46] The General Services Administration (GSA), United States Department of Commerce (DOC), and World's Fair Corporation (WFC) all had to review Luckman's design.

[44] Luckman had already begun working on the plans before his firm was formally selected,[12][47] and the U.S. government decided to use his designs due to time constraints.

[49][50] After the artist William Walton showed the designs to Kennedy, the president asked other architectural advisers to review Luckman's other proposals.

[57] U.S. Representative Benjamin Rosenthal also proposed adding a hall of human relations in accordance with the pavilion's "challenge to greatness" theme.

[58] The U.S. government tentatively approved an alternate plan for the United States Pavilion in November 1962,[53][50] which called for a hollow square on stilts.

[76] Following a discussion with U.S. assistant commerce secretary Herbert W. Klotz,[77] Kennedy approved plans for a hall of presidents at the pavilion in November 1963, shortly before he was assassinated.

[91] The World's Fair formally opened on April 23, 1964,[92] and President Johnson dedicated the United States Pavilion the same day.

[103] The pavilion also hosted special events such as a party for its sponsors,[104] a press conference by Johnson,[105] and an Armenian Independence Day celebration.

[106] Toward the end of the 1964 season, a scale model of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., was displayed at the United States Pavilion.

[113][114] The U.S. government appointed a committee to curate the displays in the hall of presidents,[114] and an exhibit about "the challenges and opportunities facing the American people" was also added.

[132] The Mayor's Committee on the Future of Flushing Meadow had recommended in mid-1965 that the United States Pavilion be razed after the fair, citing the high cost of renovations,[133][134] though Winston supported its preservation.

[137] Hofstra University and the Center for Applied Linguistics also made bids for the pavilion,[127] and there were also proposals to give the structure to a city government agency.

[148] If the United States Pavilion were to be retained, it would have to be upgraded to meet New York City building codes,[145] and a heating system would have been needed.

[6][164] The same year, the New York State Legislature passed a bill to allow the city to acquire the building,[149][168] but the U.S. government ultimately retained control over the structure.

[149][168] According to Flushing Meadows Park Action Committee chairman Al Mauro, several small fires were set inside, and there was evidence of squatting on the property.

[176] St. Francis College students David Oats and Eric Ierardi organized the Flushing Meadows Corona Park World's Fair Association in 1970, proposing that the building be converted into a cultural center in advance of the 1976 United States Bicentennial.

[200][201] U.S. Representative Mario Biaggi requested that the DOC delay the building's destruction while Congress voted on whether to add part of Flushing Meadows Corona Park to the Gateway National Recreation Area.

[254][49] An editorial for Architectural Forum described the original plans as "three giant flying saucers, seemingly suspended in mid-air, and looking rather like the familiar pawnshop sign known to every inhabitant of every skid row".

[247] When the building was completed, the Christian Science Monitor said the "use of lightweight structural glass has reached new artistic zeniths" in the U.S. and New York State pavilions.

[224] The American Institute of Steel Construction gave the building an architectural award in 1964,[210] and Newsday wrote that, during the fair, the pavilion had received largely positive reviews from architects.

[244] A Christian Science Monitor critic wrote of the American Journey and Voyage to America films: "I think you will leave with a feeling of vivid renewal.

[250] Conversely, a critic for The Baltimore Sun praised the complexity of the ride but said "a less hectic pace might leave a more lasting impression of the picture content".

[253] Lawrence R. Samuel wrote retrospectively in 2007 that the American Journey "was a tour de force of equal parts patriotism and entertainment".