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The Palace of Transportation was designed by Chief of Design, E. L. Masqueray to resemble a huge train station. The building was 525 feet by 1,300 feet. It covered fifteen acres, had a domed roof, and three massive entrances.

In the center of the palace was a mammoth steam engine called the “Spirit of the Twentieth Century.” The engine was mounted on a rotating platform. As it turned, the 79-inch wheels rotated and its headlights shone around the building. The turntable carried a total of 162 tons and revolved in a 75-foot circle. Four miles of railway surrounded the engine inside the building.

The building was dedicated to displays of modern and historical methods of transportation including the horse car, the trolley, motorboats and other watercrafts. There were also models of railway stations and equipment.

In 1904 the automobile industry was still in its infancy, so only 160 cars were exhibited. As for air travel, it was still considered science fiction by most people. A prize for the person who could travel by balloon from St. Louis to the Washington Monument in Washington D.C. was never awarded because the two men who entered failed in their attempt.