Circus World

Circus World Museum

The Circus World Museum is a large museum complex in Baraboo, Wisconsin devoted to circus-related history. The museum, which features not only circus artifacts and exhibits, but also hosts daily live circus performances throughout the summer. The museum is the major participant in the Great Circus Parade, which was held in Milwaukee in 1963, and was held in various cities between 1985 and 2005, primarily Milwaukee (1985-2003) and Baraboo, Wisconsin (2004-2005). The location of Circus World Museum in Baraboo, Wisconsin, is due to the city's significance in circus history. Baraboo was home to the Ringling Brothers, and it was in Baraboo during 1884 that the Ringling Brothers Circus held its first performance. The circus would expand quickly and tour cities across the United States each summer, but Baraboo remained the circus's headquarters and wintering grounds until 1917, when the Ringling Brothers Circus combined with the Barnum and Bailey Circus, which the Ringling Brothers had bought out in 1908. The combined entity, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, was very successful, and is the largest surviving circus company in the United States. The museum also commemorates a number of other circuses formerly based in Wisconsin. In 1954, a former attorney of the Ringling Brothers named John M. Kelley incorporated Circus World Museum with the intent of forming a museum of the Ringling Brothers Circus and circus history in general, for by this time the popularity of circuses and other live shows was declining greatly in favor of new mediums such as television. After an initial period of organization and fundraising, the museum was able to acquire a large site in Baraboo that included the former wintering grounds of the Ringling Brothers Circus. This site was deeded to the Wisconsin Historical Society to be used as the museum's location, and Circus World Museum opened to the public on July 1, 1959. - www.circusworldmuseum.com

430 miles

Some of the circus posters were gorgeous. Very colorful.

Cinderella's carriage.

Wow! Mark can ride a unicycle!

They have a children's circus twice a day. They have kids act in it.

While the kids were getting dressed, they invited Mark up to conduct the one-man band.

He didn't do so well. The music stand fell down and the musician couldn't follow him so they asked him to sit down.

Then they asked me to come up.

I did much better.

The Ringmaster being led through the "Ladies and Gentlemen..." speech.

Two of the cutest lions ever.

They can sit up and beg.

Ahh! Let us out!

Showing how the circus cars were loaded on and off the trains. P.T. Barnum actually made several innovations in moving the circus via the trains. He designed longer flat cars, ramps so that vehicles could be driven on to the flat cars and removable metal plates that could be placed between the cars during loading among other things.