Wisconsin > Sauk County > Landmark #187514

Ringling Brothers Circus Headquarters

Also known as: Ringlingville, Circus World Museum
Bounded roughly by Water, Brian, Lynn, and East Sts., Baraboo, Wisconsin

The home and winter quarters of the Ringling Brothers Circus, now home to the Wisconsin Historical Society's Circus World Museum.

Photos 

Circus World Museum Main Entrance

The site of the Ringling Brothers Circus Winter Quarters is now the Wisconsin Historical Society's Circus World Museum.

Photo taken by J.R. Manning

Map 

Description 

This site was the winter quarters of the Ringling Brothers Circus, founded in 1884 by five of the Ringling Brothers. It served as the winter quarters until 1918, one year prior to the Ringling Brothers merging with Barnum & Bailey to form the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows. The site opened as Circus World Museum in 1959 and uses many of the original buildings. The museum features circus memorabilia and also houses the largest collection of circus wagons in the world.

National Register information 

Status
Posted to the National Register of Historic Places on August 4, 1969
Reference number
69000032
Area of significance
Entertainment/Recreation
Level of significance
National
Evaluation criteria
A - Event
Property type
District
Historic functions
Camp; Animal facility; Fair
Current functions
Museum; Business
Periods of significance
1900-1924; 1875-1899
Significant years
1884; 1918
Number of properties
Contributing buildings: 9

Tags 

19th Century (35,551)
Baraboo, Wisconsin (15)
Built 1884 (442)
Built during 1880s (5,995)
Circus (7)
District (9,718)
National Historic Landmark (2,180)
Sauk County, Wisconsin (42)
Wisconsin (2,241)

Update Log 

  • August 12, 2010: New photo from J.R. Manning
  • August 2, 2010: Updated by J.R. Manning: Corrected GPS Coordinates and Updated Landmark Data

Sources 

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