Updated: 3/1/2012 
Circus World Museum
Baraboo, Wisconsin
Description

Circus World Museum collects, preserves and interprets archival material and artifacts relating to the history of the American circus. In addition to the circus museum, it maintains and operates a circus library and research center. Through its exhibits and educational outreach programs, Circus World Museum strives to encourage an appreciation of the historic role of the circus in American life, including the presentation of live circus performances during the summer season. The summer season includes a full range of family entertainment including stage shows, circus music demonstrations, train loading demonstrations, clown acts, animal and carousel rides, and educational animal training demonstrations. During the fall and winter seasons, exhibit facilities are open for self-guided tours. A variety of seasonal programs change as the seasons do.

History

The Museum opened in July 1959 in two of the structures built by the Ringling Brothers to house their circus during the winter in Baraboo, Wisconsin. During the fifty years it has been open, Circus World Museum has grown to include eight of the ten remaining winter quarters buildings, and over 50 acres of land along the Baraboo River.

Artifact Collections

The collection documents circus history, including wagons, tents, sideshow banners, art, wagon-making tools, wardrobe, concession items, ticket booths, circus models.

Research Collections

One of the largest collections on American Circus history in the world, Circus World Museum's Library and Research Center attracts researchers from all over the world.

Programs

Exhibition building houses displays on the Ringling family and their circus. Large display of historic wagons in two buildings on the grounds. The Ringlingville Winter Quarters buildings display a variety of artifacts and interpret the history of the different buildings and of circus in America. Summer activities include live daily circus performances, tours of the original buildings and of the wagons.

Governance

The Wisconsin Historical Society owns Circus World Museum and its collections. The museum operates under a lease-management agreement with the nonprofit Circus World Museum Foundation, Inc. The Foundation was originally incorporated as the Historic Sites Foundation under a management agreement with the Wisconsin Historical Society that was approved in 1960. The board includes at least nine but not more than 21 elected directors including a representative of the city of Baraboo and the Sauk County Board of Supervisors, a Governor's appointee, two members of the Society's governing Board of Curators, the Society's Director and honorary directors.

Library

Access: General Public

Appointment required: True

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MUSEUM CONFERENCES

April 27 - April 29, 2025

Oregon Museum Association 2025 Conference

TBA

Independence, Oregon

Beginning in 2025, the OMA annual conference will be held in Spring rather than Fall

The conference this year is all about trying new things. We are hoping to organize the conference into the following four tracks: Collections Care, Leadership, Emergency Preparedness, and Tourism

Check our website for more details in early 2025

The OMA newsletter is emailed every month with updates on OMA events, museum news, other events, trainings, jobs, grants and more for the museum community in Oregon.

For more information, please email connect@oregonmuseums.org.

October 1 - October 4, 2025

Western Museums Association’s (WMA) 2025 Annual Meeting

TBA

Reno, Nevada

Save the Date for WMA 202

As we celebrate our 90th anniversary, join us to build relationships and soar higher than ever before. With the theme of ELEVATE, WMA 2025 will explore ways to lift up the experiences of cultural professionals and the communities they serve.

In Reno, Nevada, 4,400 feet above sea level, we will forward the progress of museums by looking to the future.

May 6 - May 9, 2025

2025 American Alliance of Museums (AAM) ANNUAL MEETING & MUSEUMEXPO

Los Angeles Convention Center

Los Angeles, California

AAM 2025 will focus on the theme, Museums & Trust.

Museums have long inspired high levels of public trust, surpassing news outlets, government organizations, researchers and scientists, corporations, and social media platforms. This consistent finding underscores our institutions’ unique position in society as stewards of knowledge, culture, science, and history—areas where credibility and reliability are paramount

In an era marked by mistrust and misinformation, museums have a rare ability to counterbalance the proliferation of false narratives and polarized perspectives. Using our trusted position, we can cultivate a more healthy, empathetic, and informed society.

But to do so, we must maintain our credibility proactively, embracing thoughtful, transparent, and collaborative practices that will defend against influences like bias, resource challenges, abuse of power, and social injustice

An Incredible MuseumExpo

AAM is again partnering this year with the Museum Store Association to host an incredible combined expo hall. Find the most innovative services, products, and solutions in the museum field. With 350 exhibitors, you are bound to find the right partner for your museum’s current challenges and opportunities.

May 5 - May 9, 2025

Museum Store Association FORWARD 2025 in LA

The Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California

Join MSA in LA

We’re excited about our next MSA FORWARD Conference & Expo in “The City of Angels” – Los Angeles, California in conjunction with the American Alliance of Museums

Join the Museum Store Association (MSA) and hundreds of nonprofit retail professionals for the 70th Annual MSA FORWARD Retail Conference & Expo, taking place May 5-9, 2025 at The Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California

Once again, MSA FORWARD will be held in conjunction with the 2025 American Alliance of Museums (AAM) Annual Meeting & Expo

Learn best practices and new ideas for store merchandising, operations, marketing, and sale

Participate in dedicated networking events and create connections that will inspire new ideas

Meet with over 200 MSA vendors about your product needs

Hear from knowledgeable industry experts during session breakouts and keynote presentations

Network with AAM attendees and exhibitor

September 10 - September 13, 2025

2025 Am Assoc for State and Local History Annual Conference

TBD

Cincinnati, Ohio

The 2025 AASLH Annual Conference, in partnership with Ohio Local History Alliance, will take place as the history field makes the final preparations to kickoff off the 250th commemoration of the founding of the United States.

The 2025 conference theme, inspired by AASLH’s Making History at 250: The Field Guide for Semiquincentennial, is an opportunity to broadly explore one of the guide’s themes, The American Experiment. For many in the American colonies in 1776, independence from Britain represented a “leap into the dark” into an unknown future

We are excited for you to join us in Cincinnati as we encourage discussion about our democracy and civic institutions and how they can help strengthen understanding, inspire action, and reveal ways that all of us can participate in and shape the ongoing American experiment.

For more information, please call 615-320-3203 or email info@aaslh.org.

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