The 1937 Paris Exposition, though opening amidst an unsettling international climate, became a great success, drawing attention with the elaborate exhibits from various countries. To commemorate the Exposition, Marguerite Long spearheaded the planning and publication of two piano collections. One was “À l’Exposition” (At the Exposition / published by Deiss), a collection of works by eight French composers (Auric, Delannoy, Ibert, Milhaud, Poulenc, Sauguet, Schmitt, Tailleferre). The other was “Parc d’Attractions-Expo 1937” (Amusement Park - Expo 1937 / published by Max Eschig), a collection of works by nine foreign composers residing in Paris (Tcherepnin, Martinu, Mompou, Rieti, Honegger, Halffter, Tansman, Mihalovici, Harsányi). Both collections are interesting not only for showcasing the individuality of each composer but also for vividly capturing various scenes of this final historical event of the interwar period.

Milhaud contributed “Promenade at the Exposition” as a newly composed piece for “À l’Exposition.” Strictly speaking, it was not a new work but rather an adaptation of his unpublished “Promenade,” composed in June 1933. In 6/8 time, the introduction (Souple et Animé) begins in F major, and the main section (Très vif) begins in G major. After freely developing with frequent modulations and bitonality, it concludes in F major, the same key as the introduction. The lively musical character seems to depict a leisurely stroll through the exhibition grounds, visiting pavilions one after another at will.

Marguerite Long was known for her interest in contemporary music, participating in the premieres of many new works, and actively encouraging her students to perform them. Including the present work, the following six pieces by Milhaud are confirmed to have involved Long:

• Enfantines (for piano four hands): Long supervised the editing and fingering (1928).
• Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 127: Dedicated to Long, who premiered it (1934).
• Madame Bovary's Album, Op. 128b (collection of piano pieces): Premiered by Long's students (1934).
• Promenade at the Exposition, Op. 162 (the present work, 1937).
• Contribution to Variations sur le nom de Marguerite Long by eight composers, celebrating Long's 50 years of teaching at the Paris Conservatoire (1956): Valse en forme de ronde “La Couronne de Marguerite” (Waltz in Rondo Form “The Daisy Crown”), Op. 353.
• Contribution of a short piece (Exercice) to Long's La Petite Méthode de Piano (1961).

Milhaud and Long, both hailing from Southern France, shared a natural affinity. Furthermore, Milhaud's wife, Madeleine Milhaud, had studied piano under Long in her childhood. Moreover, it is noteworthy that Long's late husband, Captain Joseph de Marliave (a musicologist known as the dedicatee of the sixth movement, “Toccata,” of Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin), recognized Milhaud's talent early on and predicted his future potential after hearing Milhaud's String Quartet No. 1, Op. 5, the year before Marliave departed for the front (1913).

The premiere of this work took place on June 24, 1937, at the “Pavillon de la Femme, de l’Enfant et de la Famille” (Pavilion of Women, Children, and Family) within the exposition grounds. It was performed by 9-year-old Jean-Michel Damase Kahn, a student of Long (at the time, Damase used a double surname, including his mother's, who was a renowned harpist). The fact that this boy became a rising composer and winner of the Prix de Rome ten years later remained in Milhaud's memory, and there is a mention of it in Milhaud's autobiography. It is also notable as the starting point of Damase's brilliant career as a pianist.