Ladies and Gentlemen.....

It’s your last chance!

Your last chance to see the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus. They will perform through May, then shut down operations after 146 years. The owners have cited “high operating costs” and the retiring of elephants in 2015 after major criticism by an animal rights groups and ongoing lawsuits.

The closest venue that I could find was the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati March 10-19. Check online for dates and tickets.

If you can’t work that into your schedule, let me tell you about the Circus Museum in Baraboo, Wisconsin. A few years ago my husband and I took what was advertised as a “mystery tour.” We were given advice about what type of clothing to pack, but that was the only information that we had.

Many people may not enjoy such an “adventure.” I loved it! And would do it again.

One of our stops was the Circus Museum. It is a large complex which contains a number of buildings that house circus memorabilia, artifacts and displays. Among those we viewed were posters, photos, circus wagons, and signs.

Why Wisconsin, you ask? Baraboo was where the Ringling Brothers began their first tour in 1884. Those early shows were accomplished only with colorful, painted and artistically decorated circus wagons. Later they used the railroad and employed as many as 225, and that was followed by modern-day transportation. Baraboo remained the circus’ headquarters until 1918 when the two troupes combined.

The idea for the Circus Museum was first suggested in 1954, then opened in 1959 at its present site which includes the winter home of Ringling Brothers. Today you can wander through some of the original buildings that housed such things as wardrobe, the horses and other animals, etc. There is also a library and research center.

My favorite was the building that contained all the circus wagons. There was every color imaginable and lots of gold. While some wagons only had bars on all sides, artistic renderings of wild animals, Asian scenes, American Indians, dragons and other exotic places decorated many of those displayed. Some are huge, all much larger than I expected.

Perhaps they had a different theme each year. Maybe they wanted customers to be transported to worlds they had never seen and might never visit. That could account for the great variety.

The hippodrome features a live show each day. We saw trained dogs and elephants, jugglers and clowns and a trapeze performance.

If you haven’t ever been to the circus, don’t miss the last chance to experience an American tradition. You’ll enjoy it and so will your children and grandchildren.

Circus wagons are just part of the display at the Circus Museum in Baraboo, Wisconsin. Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus will present their final performance at the end of May. If you’ve missed the circus this year or just want a further circus experience, visit the museum. The wagons are colorful and feature elaborate designs such as those pictured. Photo by Carolyn Schwartz.