Taking a Journey into Wisconsin’s Amazing Circus Legacy

You can call it curiosity that’s come full circle. Pete Schwaba, host of Nite Lite with Pete Schwaba, remembers nights in Milwaukee’s comedy clubs where he would often cross paths with performers who trained to be clowns. Schwaba even shared memories of some donning the iconic garb of Ronald McDonald! He recently welcomed Jennifer Cronk, curator of history for Circus World in Baraboo to his show, where they discussed Wisconsin’s amazing circus legacy. 

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Listen to the full segment here:

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Cronk reveals she found herself at the helm of one of the state’s most whimsical historical sites despite a lack of circus knowledge.

“I don’t have a circus background, which is terrible, I know,” she laughs. “But I have an anthropology background and love stories. And the circus gives you every kind of story you can imagine.”

Circus World, part of the Wisconsin Historical Society, sits on sacred sawdust. It’s the original winter quarters of the Ringling Brothers Circus, who began the now-legendary troupe in Baraboo in the 1880s. Some of the buildings date back to the late 19th century. Visitors can still feel the echoes of elephants parading through the streets and hear whispers of ringmasters past in the creaking wooden beams.

“The Ringlings were hearty Midwestern boys,” Cronk explains. “The troupe chose frigid Wisconsin winters over warmer climates. It was a good jumping-off point. And with farmers available in the off-season, they had the help they needed to care for animals and repair equipment.”

Since opening as a museum in 1959, Circus World has evolved into a living celebration of circus arts. There are live shows under the big top, and more than 250 beautiful historic wagons.

Also, recently restored exhibits are open – including a chilling “Iron Jaw” display, where performers suspended themselves from trapezes using only their teeth.

One of the most iconic stops is the sideshow tent. It’s complete with figures from the 1960s representing “freak show” performers but now contextualized with stories and histories to reflect modern perspectives. And if you’re a cinephile, artifacts from Cecil B. DeMille’s 1952 film The Greatest Show on Earth are tucked among the treasures. It’s part museum, part time-machine.

Cronk also shares it’s the 66th Anniversary of Circus World and there will be a celebration with $6 admission in June. Plus, the Big Top Parade returns to the streets of Baraboo on Saturday, June 14. There are also two special shows planned under the big top that day.

“You can easily spend the whole day here,” she says. “There’s a cookhouse, a kids’ circus, and two live performances daily. It’s for families, for history buffs, for anyone curious about what’s behind the curtain.”

And as Schwaba wraps up the segment with a nod to the museum’s quirky, jaw-dropping charm, he jokes about his own clown college dropout days. But as Cronk is proving, you don’t need to walk a tightrope to fall in love with the circus. You just need to walk through the doors of Circus World.