The Origins of Ringlingville 1884-1918

The Ringling Bros. Circus was founded in Baraboo, WI, in 1884 by five brothers: Al, Otto, Charles, John and Alf T. Ringling. Ringlingville was the name for the original Ringling Bros. Circus winter quarters in Baraboo. The buildings, standing along the north bank of the Baraboo River, date from 1897 through 1918 and are the largest surviving group of original circus structures in North America. There are also remains of a footbridge which employees took to cross the river in the winter.

The world-famous circus wintered in Baraboo for 34 years until 1918, the year before it merged with the Barnum & Bailey Show (which the Ringlings purchased in 1907) to become the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows.

The entire area has been declared a National Historic Landmark Site.

Circus World Museum 1959 – Present

As the heyday of the great railroad circuses began to fade, John M. Kelley, who for 33 years had been the Ringlings' personal attorney, envisioned a museum where the golden era of this stupendous entertainment medium could be preserved.

At his retirement in 1954, Kelley incorporated the Circus World Museum as a historical and educational facility. Following state-wide fundraising efforts, the museum was deeded debt-free to the state and opened to the public July 1, 1959.

The original museum site, which began on less than once acre, included the Ringling Camel House and Ring Barn properties both acquired in 1957. Over the years, land and structures were added. Today Circus World Museum encompasses approximately 64 acres of land with approximately 30 permanent structures; including four more original winter quarters buildings and the original Ringling Bros. Circus Train complex.

The museum's collection of circus artifacts is perhaps the largest in the world. It includes over 210 original wagons and vehicles once used by American, English and Irish circuses. It houses an exceptional collection of circus ads and posters. Over 9,500 multi-colored circus posters range in size from half-sheets to an 80-sheet Buffalo Bill Wild West poster which measures 9’ high and 70’ long. Thousands of journals, manuscripts and business records are available as well as original fine art oil paintings, hand bills, heralds, programs, artifacts of circus performers and a collection of rare photographs and negatives.