Visiting the museum and the carousel:
Performance Season
Circus World Performance Season Admission prices
Adults $14.95
Senior citizens (65 and older) $12.95
Children (5-11)
(children under 5 are free) $7.95
Off-Season
Circus World Off-Season Admission prices Type Cost
Adults $7
Senior citizens (65 and older) $6
Children (5-11)
(children under 5 are free) $3.50
Hours
Performance Season
May 17 — Sep 1, 2008
Open daily: 9 am—6 pm
Off-Season
Apr 19 — May 16, 2008
Open daily: 10 am—4 pm
Sep 2 — Oct 27, 2008
Open daily: 10 am—4 pm
Oct 28, 2008 — Apr 18, 2009
Open weekdays only: 10 am—4 pm
From the Circus World web
site:
"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.
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."