If you have ever wanted to run away to join the Circus, this is your chance. Come visit Circus World Museum in Wisconsin Dells at Baraboo. Why Baraboo? Baraboo was one of the wintering sites of the Barnum & Bailey Circus. They stayed here during the cold months from 1884 to 1918.Even after Barnums was swallowed by Ringling Brothers in 1907, becoming Ringley Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows, they came back to Baraboo, Wisconsin. In fact, they built permanent winter quarters here for them, their crew and the animals. John M. Kelly, a former Ringling Brothers attorney decided the legacy of the circuses now fading, would not die. As a result, he created what was to become The Circus World Museum. The Circus World Museum sits on 64 acres of land. It first opened to the public under the care and auspices of the Wisconsin Historical Society in 1959. Circus World Museum consists of some 30 permanent structures. These include several of the original structures used by the circuses during wintering. There is also the Ringling Brothers Train Complex. Inside the museum, you will find an immense wealth of circus-related material. In here, you are probably looking at the largest collection of Circus artifacts in the world. There are some 210 wagons. These are the originals from Ireland, America and England. The museum also displays 1000s of handbills, business records, journals, manuscripts and fine art paintings as well as programs. Yet, what captivates some visitors is the close to 10,000 many colored circus ads or posters. They come in all sizes. Within them is a history of the rise and fall of circuses.
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