A Destination for Children of All Ages - Circus World Museum

Story and photographs
by Tom Straka

Circus World Museum is a Wisconsin Historic Site, and it has plenty of history; but at the same time, it's a fascinating adventure into the railroad circuses which provided some of the entertainment of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Circus World is a national-level museum of circus history and culture. It has a bit of everything circus: historic buildings, circus posters, circus wagons, an elephant house, a sideshow, rides, museum exhibits, an animated circus display, a carousel, and a big top with live performances. It sits on a 64-acre site bisected by the Baraboo River. Circus World could almost be considered an adjunct to the Wisconsin Dells; it is just 20 minutes south, off of U. S. Highway 12 in Baraboo.    

First of all, some history; how did Circus World end up in Baraboo? Baraboo has the nickname of Wisconsin's "circus city," due to the national-level circus activities that grew out of the city. The most famous of those was the Ringling Bros. Circus founded in Baraboo in 1884, with its first performance there. Within a few seasons it expanded from a wagon-based show to a railroad-based show, gaining national prominence. The Ringling Bros. World's Greatest Shows had its winter headquarters in Baraboo from 1884 until 1918, and its fame and glory grew over those years.

At its peak, the circus had over 1,000 employees, 335 horses, 26 elephants, 16 camels, and travelled in 92 railroad cars.  In 1907 it bought out its major competitor, the Barnum & Bailey Circus -- The Greatest Show on Earth and in 1919 the two great circuses merged, forming Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Combined Shows -- The Greatest Show on Earth. The Ringling Bros. became the "Kings of the Circus World." The combined circuses would operate until 2017. Several other circuses had their roots in Baraboo, along with related circus equipment production facilities.

Those circus roots left some other circus attractions in Baraboo. The International Clown Hall of Fame & Research Center is located in downtown Baraboo, with museum exhibits of clown performers, costumes, props, miniature cars, and posters. The Al. Ringling Theatre was built in 1915, financed by the oldest of the Ringling Bros. as a gift to the city of Baraboo. It has the reputation of being "America's Prettiest Playhouse," which sound like an exaggeration until you've seen it. The Al. Ringling Mansion is also worthy of a visit.  

After the two circuses merged, the winter headquarters moved to Sarasota, Florida, where there is another circus museum today, the Ringling Museum of the Circus. A retired attorney for the Ringling Brothers retired back to Baraboo, and along with another Baraboo circus family, began efforts to preserve the city's circus history. In 1959 Circus World Museum was founded and the property transferred to the Wisconsin Historical Society, who continues to operate the museum today. Circus World grew dramatically from that beginning, with strong efforts to preserve scores of nineteenth and early-twentieth century circus wagons which were deteriorating across the country. That effort, in particular, can't be missed at the museum, there are dozens and dozens of colorful restored circus wagons. For years, Circus World paraded the wagons in Milwaukee (sponsored by the Schlitz Brewing Company).

Today, the Circus World site sits on some of the original Rigling Bros. winter grounds and contains most of the remaining original buildings of the circus. Its collection of circus material is one of the largest in the world and includes carnival material and some Wild West show artifacts. It's unusual to find a museum where it is possible to have so much fun and learn history at the same time.  

POSTERS COLLECTION AND CIRCUS MINISTRY

Once inside the museum the first thing to catch my eye was a temporary exhibit on the circus ministry, followed by scores and scores of circus posters. The close association between the church and circus developed after the relocation to Sarasota. The circus performed benefits for St. Martha Catholic Church, with the proceeds going to the local community and for a new church building. A tradition developed of a blessing of the Ringling Bros. and Barnam and Bailey train as it headed out of Sarasota for the season. The tradition continues until today, with St. Martha's considered the United States Circus Church. A temporary Circus Ministry exhibit displayed brightly-colored circus-themed vestments alongside traveling mass kits used by members of the clergy to help bring this little-known aspect of the big top to life.

Circus World has one of the largest circus poster collections in the world, with over 9,000 posters. Three of my favorites are pictured below:  

CIRCUS WAGON COLLECTION

Circus World has 250 circus wagons in its collection, with 90 in the huge Deppe Wagon Pavillion. Visitors can learn about the wagon restoration process and the artisans who return these historic circus treasures to their former glory at the C. P. Fox Wagon Restoration Center. Many of the wagons were part of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Baily Circus, including the Ringling Bros. Bell Wagon, Cinderella Carriage, and a Cole Bros. air calliope wagon. A small half-dozen sample of the huge wagon display is below:

The one and only Ringling Bros. Bell Wagon, commissioned by the Ringling Bros. for the 1892 circus season, and believed to be the only remaining circus bell wagon in existence. With an operator seated at the back, melodies like "My Old Kentucky Home" and "Rock of Ages" rang out across parade routes for decades, delighting young and old alike. This stunning wagon serves as an incredible soundtrack to the legacy of the American circus. 

I had to include the Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show wagon, as it was my favorite.

The Hagenbeck-Wallace Lion's Bride Tableau Wagon. Built by the renowned Bode Wagon Co. in Cincinnati in 1905, this wagon was a showstopper in the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus and served as a lead bandwagon for over 20 years. Later acquired by John Ringling in 1929, it took center stage in the 1945 War Bond Parade in New York. Its intricate design and history make it an absolute must-see! 

Wagons for caged animals, a highlight of the parade.

Barnum and Bailey Golden Age of Chivalry Tableau.  

THE SIDESHOW

My favorite exhibit, ignoring the big top show, was the sideshow tent. It featured "the peerless prodigies of physical phenomena and great presentation of marvelous living human curiosities."  P. T. Barnum opened his celebrated American museum in 1842, featuring exotic displays like the Fiji Mermaid, wax figurines of notable personalities, and human oddities such as little person Tom Thumb and Siamese Chang and Eng. Soon after fire destroyed the museum in 1868, Barnum took his exhibits on the road and established P. T. Barnum's Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan and Hippodrome.

Evert circus carried a sideshow during the Golden Age of Circuses from approximately 1872 until 1929. Strategically placed near the front entrance of the Big Top, the sideshow generated additional revenue and entertained audiences waiting for the main performance. Tickets were sold separately and considered a side attraction, hence the name sideshow.

Sideshows began fading from the circus midway by the mid-twentieth century. Ringling Bros, and Barnum and Bailey Circus discontinued its traveling sideshow in the mid-1950s. During the 1960s and 1970s, other shows such as the Mills Bros. and Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. continued to have limited sideshow acts alongside menagerie animals. Although no longer part of circuses today, independent sideshows can still be found throughout the country.

Sideshow banners entice circus-goers into the sideshow tent after paying an additional admission fee.

The Sword Swallower. The origin of sword swallowing dates back to India in 2000 BC when Fakirs and shaman priests practiced it with fire eating, fire walking, and other physical challenges to demonstrate power and invulnerability.

The Snake Charmer. Traditional snake charmers "hypnotized" snakes by playing musical instruments, but in circuses they mostly just handled large snakes like boa constrictors and pythons. The act grew out of the exhibition of large snakes at venues like natural museums and world fairs. Circus snake charmers were almost exclusively females.

The Fire Eater. Fire eaters were a popular sideshow act based upon a skill developed by the performer, rather than a natural deformity. Some swallowed molten sealing wax, hot coals, and brimstone, along with regular fire. Other fire eaters sipped flammable liquids and spit them across a torch to produce a fireball.  

The Hairy Boy. People with excessive or unusual hair were popular sideshow attractions, ranging from bearded lady to Circassian people. Performers referred to as "dog-faced" or "werewolves" in reality suffered from hypertrichosis, a rare congenital condition which results in excessive hair growth either over the general body or in localized areas such as the face.   

The Bearded Lady. The introduction of the bearded lady to the pantheon of sideshow performers can be attributed to P. T. Barnum exhibiting Madame Clofullia as the "Bearded Lady of Geneva" in his famous American Museum in 1853. They were presented as elegant ladies in fashionable clothing, often married, and normal in all aspects--except for excessive facial hair. Sideshow barkers often referred to them as Madame, Lady, or Princess to amplify their social status.   

Giant and Little Person. Often shown with the giant on the sideshow was the little person, an individual with short stature from either a genetic or medical condition. As was often the case, show owners exaggerated details for the performers to make them seem more impressive, such as adding years to their ages or taking inches from their statures.   

The Fat Lady. Obesity was uncommon before the twentieth century, and a person's weight was viewed as a curiosity, and often a sign of wealth and prosperity. Early examples of fat performers include exhibitions at local fairs in England during the 1700s and a Virginia tavern displaying a six-year-old child weighing 135 pounds as a "Mammoth Baby" in 1721. By the 1860s, a prominent entertainment newspaper in New York included advertisements seeking fat performers.   

The Siamese Twins. Chang and Eng Bunker were the cojoined twins, with the name "Siamese Twins" stemming from their immense popularity. Born joined at the sternum in Siam in 1811, they came to the United States in 1829. They toured off and on across the country, while marrying, having children, and becoming wealthy landowners in North Carolina.  

The Big Top Show

Of course, the highlight of Circus World is the Big Top Show. It is the traditional Big Top Show in a circus tent, but being a modern one, without the animals (they were horses). Still, it was great. The barker would have described it as a "breathtaking fusion of stunning artistry, heart-pounding acrobatics and jaw dropping feats of skill. From Cutie-Pie Cupid to star-spangled revelry, this extravagant, holiday-themed big top romp is perfect for audiences of all ages." Or, if the barker was being more specific:

• Daredevils of the Flying Trapeze! 
• Amazing aerial feats on the Russian Swing! 
• Gravity-defying Motorcycle Highwire Challenge! 
• Astounding acts of Incredible Horsemanship! 
• Quintessential clowning, World-Class Jugglers and More! 

ODDS AND ENDS

I will close the article with a few odds and ends from Circus World. Most won't need a caption, as they are just views of circus life and culture.

Ringlingville still exists as a series of buildings on the same street as the museum entrance. It is the original winter headquarters of the circus. It is a National Historic Landmark within a National Historic district.

The Circus Train. Train cars used by the circus combined elements of passenger and baggage cars. Of course, some of the cars carried stock. Advertising on the side was important to alert the local population to its arrival. 

This fiberglass cow serves to remind visitors what state the Circus World Museum is located in.

What better way to end than with a clown car!

Author/Photographer. Tom Straka is an emeritus professor of forestry at Clemson University in South Carolina. He has an interest in history, forestry and natural resources, natural history, and the American West.

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