 
History
History | Ringlingville
| National Landmark
Wisconsin became known
as "The Mother of Circuses" a century
ago by virtue of having been the home or winter
quarters of more than 100 traveling tent shows
– that’s more circus fun than any
other state! But none attained greater acclaim
and stature than the Ringling Bros. Circus founded
in Baraboo here in 1884 by five brothers: Al,
Otto, Charles, John and Alf T. Ringling. Their
successful circus wintered in Baraboo 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.
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. And
where better than in Baraboo, with its Ringling-rich
circus heritage?
In 1954 Kelley, who had been born on a farm
in nearby Portage, Wisconsin, returned to Baraboo
for his retirement years.
In the same year, 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 on the
very same banks of the Baraboo river where the
Ringling circus had wintered for 34 years.
Since its opening in 1959, Circus World Museum
has been owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society.
Since 1960, the Museum has been operated by
a not-for-profit, educational foundation, now
known as Circus World Museum Foundation.
Ringlingville
This area on the north bank of the Baraboo River
is home to the remaining structures of the original
Ringling Bros. Circus Winter Quarters. Several
of the buildings are open to the public, and
no trip to the Museum is complete without a
visit to them.
National
Historic Landmark Site
The Ringling Bros. Circus Winter Quarters is
a National Historic Landmark. National Historic
Landmarks are “nationally significant
historic places designated by the Secretary
of the Interior because they possess exceptional
value or quality in illustrating or interpreting
the heritage of the United States.”
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