The 1893 World's Fair in Chicago was a spectacular international exhibition that showcased many great achievements in science, technology, culture and entertainment. As organizers of the fair, players work diligently to increase their influence on the fair. The organizer who has built up the best reputation at the start of the fair will emerge as the winner.

On each turn of the 1893 World's Fair, the active player sends a supporter to one of the five areas and collects all the cards therein. New cards are then added to areas and it is the next player's turn.

The five areas represent sections of exhibits, such as Art and Electricity. The game consists of three scoring rounds, each of which is activated when players collectively collect a certain number of Midway tickets.

Players receive reputation points for leading supporters into an area and for collecting the most tickets in each round. Players receive reputation points at the end of the game based on the breadth and diversity of their approved exhibits.