I came to this place on a family vacation and was pleasantly surprised! While we only had about 2 hours before close, we made the most of it. The museum had a lot of history which included posters and pictures with artifacts; My children enjoyed looking at the wagons and black and white panoramic pictures. We came on a weekday so unfortunately we were not able to enjoy the face paintings and pony rides that were offered. We saw the last circus show of the day and it was very good. The acrobatics,jugglers, and father daughter duo unicyclists were so entertaining to my kids. I personally enjoyed the equestrian team and appreciated how they would get the crowd hyped up before a performance. It was raining pretty hard so they had a shuttle from the circus tent back to the building which was much appreciated with three kids and a stroller. There is a gift shop upon leaving with circus themed items and plushies. I do plan to revisit in the near future to enjoy more of the grounds and more interactive experiences. If you plan on coming to Wisconsin Dells make a stop here as well. You won't regret it. read more

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Circus World is a Wisconsin Historic Site that is a peek in the rich circus history of the town of baraboo. From a live circus show under the Big Top to museum exhibits explaining the beginnings of Al Ringling Bros and Bailey and Barnum, this place does a great job at pulling you into the world of trained animals, circus freaks and traveling carnies. Great place to bring kids and adults have a blast too! read more

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What a great way to spend the afternoon! Tip #1: Go to the outlet mall and get a coupon book. It gives you $5 off admission for up to 4 people! You get a lot of "bang" for your buck at Circus World! The museum is informative, but you also get live shows! We thoroughly enjoyed the musical performance, the Human Cannon Ball.... and best of all the big top show! There are also old circus cars you can view in the buildings in the back. Definitely make this a stop if you're in the Wisconsin Dells area! read more

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This place is great! It checks the boxes for all ages. If you're into history, you'll enjoy it! Also great for kids since they have face painting and a circus show. Definitely a place to check out if you're in the Wisconsin Dells area. There's indoor and outdoor exhibits. The outdoor portion has historical buildings, which was really cool. The circus show they have there is the closest thing that my kids will ever get to experience that was like the Ringling Brothers circus act. read more

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Tickets available online, but there was no line when we got there on a Tuesday morning in early August. Decent museum. 2 of the old buildings have decent displays, the rest need some restoration and don't have much to see. The big top show had great performers. One of the elephants had what looked like prolapsed rectum. My wife walked out. I heard this is the last year with elephants. Wild animals should be wild. There are elephant and pony rides for the kids after the performance. The circus wagons were the best part. Other than the big top show (1 hour long, at 11 and 2:30) and the carousel, I don't think kids would have a lot of fun. Snack bar on site with fair food. read more

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What a day!! What a wonderful, delightful day we had at Circus World! We had no idea what we were in store for and we were just enthralled more and more around every corner! You enter through the museum and get a vast amount of history of the circus, not just Ringling Brothers. We learned so much about the evolution and history of the circus with all the displays. A lot of work has gone into the presentations in the museum, they are very thorough and rich. Once you go through the doors to the outside you are transported back in time to the circus of your childhood memories! From the elephants to the circus in the big top, the side show tent to the carousel, it was just one fun and childlike moment after another! Our favorite part of Circus World was the carriage museum, it was jaw dropping!! We walked in the door to massive, ornate and beautifully restored carriages that once graced towns with their music, carvings, animals and performers. Imagining them parading through town brought smiles to our faces and music to our soul! Circus World is magical and I highly recommend everyone add it to their bucket list! read more

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Absolutely a great place. Walk thru museum to go outside. Museum has so much to see from different outfits to posters. Large piece that plys music when you pay it. VERY LOUD! Someone played it while we were near and made us jump. You walk across a bridge with beautiful scenery. You can watch the Circus perform acrobatics. So much fun. Watched the show about the holidays. Extremely entertaining. Had a few people driving around in golf carts to take you around. 2 large buildings - one has a ton of circus carts from all over world. Other is the restoration building where you can watch them restore stuff. Also has a huge scale model of a circus world. They serve food near with decent food at decent prices. Overall fantastic place!! read more

So much fun even without kids and during the the off season. Off season is cheaper too! In the fall you can do the tour in maybe 2 hours if you push it but allow yourself 3. Will be back in the summer to see the circus acts, historic carousel, and animal acts. read more

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What a surprise to find such a gem in the middle of suburban Baraboo. The amount of authentic historical artifacts really evoked the nostalgia of the circus time. This museum is huge with multiple exhibits, so leave yourself enough time if you plan to visit. There are live shows throughout the day. I attended during a special promotional day with reduced ticket prices but would have felt I got my money's worth had I spent full price, read more

ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!!! I can not say enough about this place! My dad and I visited Circus World and did not expect all it had to offer!!! There were buildings full of fabulous Circus displays, a woman was shot out of a flipping cannon (yes, a cannon), and there was an actual restoration building, too. Some of the items that they were restoring were well over 100 years old, and it was wonderful to see! They had a 100yr (or more) old Merry Go Round that I rode. It was great! Lastly, a Circus! Yep, they had a fabulous Circus. Just go to Circus World, it's well worth it! read more

I was looking forward to visiting Circus World Museum to get a feel for the history of the circus, however, I was disappointed and saddened to see they are still using live elephants for rides during the warmer seasons. I do not support this and do not plan on visiting Circus World. read more

This was an excellent destination when it was going to be colder. It ended up raining alot this day so we did not see the onsite circus show but everything else was great so i imagine it would have been great. Alot of outside things to do, alot of buildings to go thru learning about the beginning of how the circus was run. We had old and young in our group including teen agers and everyone enjoyed it. Next time i am back in town we will stop again. read more

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Definitely worth taking a few littles here. The prices for extras are good and won't break the bank ($1 carousel ride, $10 elephant ride). The circus performance is included with your admission ticket and is put on several times each day. It's a brief show and smallish venue but it has everything circus showish I could think of except trapeze. There's also an included music show each day highlighting an air calliope and other unique instruments. The highlight for me/grandaughter was the elephant ride (available after each circus show). When we were there, several local ladies (who regularly come by with elephant treats) had a wagon of watermelons for the elephants to enjoy. Clearly, they LOVE watermelon! read more

What a wonderful destination. My wife and I came for a day...and bought the season pass and stayed a week. Don't miss the live entertainments...they're really spectacular. read more

Over the past decade or more we've always enjoyed spending part of our day here at the Circus World Museum. The circus has a rich and fascinating history and it's all on display here. The highlight of our visit of course is the live entertainment that they have had here in years past. Where else of course can you see a live tiger or an elephant only feet away from you! The animals are well-cared for and the grounds are well maintained. The displays of course are museum quality. Fun for the whole family, highly recommended! Long Live the Circus! read more

Circus World - Armando and his friend ... - Museums Near Me - Baraboo, Wisconsin

Visit soon. The elephants will retire. Its always fun to visit especially with children. This review is an update with photos I forgot I had read more

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So much fun! While researching my trip to the Wisconsin Dells on TripAdvisor, I did not see this pop up, so I am glad we stayed in Baraboo and stumbled upon it. The park is very large and has so many interesting things to see. It is the winter grounds for the Ringling Brothers Circus so the existing buildings are still there along with a huge warehouse of restored carriages. They also have an area where you can watch old carriages being refurbished. In the visitor center, they have an extensive museum dedicated not only to the Ringling family but to the circus life in general. There are also numerous shows to attend as well. You can easily spend an entire day here. read more

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That was a stop well worth it. Plan over 2 hours even if you're not the type to read most the signs and even with a few things closed. It was really quite neat. read more

We were visiting from out of town on a road trip and Kim at the front desk refused to let us run through because it was 15 minutes before they closed. We begged her to let us just run through real quick because they weren't closed yet and she still said no and told us to come back tomorrow. We were unable to come back the next day due to the fact that we were passing through on a road trip. Very disappointed with the poor customer service. read more

Best attraction in the Dells!!! The big-top show was phenomenal, and where else can you ride an elephant? A real, live elephant. In 20 years your kids probably aren't going to remember riding the go-karts, but an elephant... now that is unforgettable. This was a high quality show, but so much more than that. There is so much to explore on the circus grounds. I didn't know much about the circus before my visit, but during just a few hours there I became so fascinated by the history of it. There was also a Tiger show with 8 tigers (2 of them rare, white, albino tigers). You can tell these folks really care for their animals. After the big show the performers were humble enough to shake every hand and talk to every person on the way out. The price was cheap (there is also a $5 off coupon in most brochures). I can't say enough good things about this place. Every seat is up close. We sat in the front row. My kids will never understand how awesome this really was until they are much older :) read more

The experience me and my son had on this place beats all those times we went on all those waterparks in the dells combined. No cap. We love every single minute we had in this place and so sad just to find about it this year. Me and my son promised we will make an annual visit, that's how much we love this place! Ample of parking outside and very clean. Staff are extremely knowledgeable, friendly and welcoming. We had so much fun with the shows, playground, carousel, food, exhibits, pony ride and of course the elephant ride that my son keeps raving about to our family and friends. I mean, it's not everyday you get to ride an elephant. My son went twice and on the second ride he didn't even want to come down. The show on the big top was the highlight. The showman was definitely talented and it's so transparent that he loves what he does and so as the other people alongside him. Me and my son's favorite phrase, "May all your days be circus day!" Thank you guys for giving us a memorable experience and we cannot wait to come back. We did left a donation, it's not that much but we hope it'll help. read more

Circus World - He was like, "mama take a picture of me" - Museums Near Me - Baraboo, Wisconsin

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As a kid, my family took me to the circus every year. Visiting Circus World was nostalgic as it brought back so many of those childhood memories of silly clowns, daredevils, trapeze artists, jugglers, acrobats, etc. Well you get the idea. The whole museum is a tribute to the Ringling Brothers, PT Barnum, J.A. Bailey and others who toured the country. The Posters from a century ago are well worth seeing. The circus carriages are elaborately painted - do not miss them. Circus World sits on the site where the Ringling Brothers wintered. There are several buildings, that once served as stables and work areas that now house exhibits to some aspect of the circus. And there are live action events from tiger tamers, to circus bands and a short circus. This activity is good for young and old alike. read more

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The best place in Baraboo for sure! I had so much fun learning about circus history. They exhibit costumes, train cars, and many other artifacts, while also highlighting the careers of pivotal circus performers and clowns. My younger sister loved the clown and the fact that she got to practice clowning around with him. Adorable memories! The live shows are also pretty spectacular. Well worth a visit! read more

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We really had fun here, we spent a few hours. They have a small gift shop as soon as you go in the building, I didn't go in there we just purchased our tickets and started enjoying our Day at the circus. There is so much stuff to see from circus trains and costumes They have a theater that plays a movie about the Barnum brothers and how the Barnum and Bailey circus came to be. They also have a comedy show put on by the clowns. Then they have a tiger show it was very interesting they had 6 tigers and 2 white tigers, my husband and I really enjoyed it. Then who doesn't love the circus right. We made our way to the big top and got front ring seats it was so exciting to see the acrobats and the elephants were my favorite there were jugglers and clowns and oh yeah, popcorn, cotton candy and they were doing a 1960's tribute it was a great way to spend the day. read more

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We visited here in the summer with our young son, it was awesome. There is so much history, and so many great people, it really exceeded our expectations. Our favorite parts were the restored wagons, interacting with the circus characters and seeing some of the shows in the big top. The big top shows are very interactive - so if you have very young kids, encourage them to be part of the show. It does get pretty hot here in the summer, so bring plenty of water and an umbrella or shade for your babies. I also recommend a stroller, it's a bit more walking than we expected. This museum is ideal for kids under 10, history buffs, or people who like the circus. You should plan on spending about 3 hours here, but you can spend more very easily. It's not too far away from the International Crane Foundation - we did the two of these and a lunch on the same day. It was a great break from the water parks. read more

When planning a trip to the Dells with our 2 year old twins, I was trying to find one major thing per day to keep them occupied. I came across Circus World and thought it would be a good side trip. I wish I knew that a large part of the park would be closed-down after Labor Day (rides, etc.) but it was still well worth the admission (reduced at this point). I would have loved this place even without kids because of the detail in the various displays. We had fund wandering through the (air conditioned) wagon exhibit and taking photos on the elephant tricycle and the animal cage as well. I would totally come back during "high" season for the shows! read more

Very interesting history in the museum portion, and entertaining and impressive performances. My two year old had the best day of his life, he especially loved the antique carousel and getting a tattoo from Bill the Clown. read more

I brought my wife and 3 year old daughter here for a day of fun.... They have a set schedule of events that take place daily. So we got right to it and went to the first show at the Big Top Tent. They had clowns, magicians, juggelers, balancing acts, unicycles, elephants, tigers, dogs, horses, ponies and so much more..... We got an opportunity to do an elephant ride which was cool. How many people can say rode on an elephant? They had face painting booths, food concession stands, ice cream booths, an outdoor park for kids to play, musuems for history, horse courasel rides and more. So much going on here and so much to do... i recommend taking your kids. It is kind of a sad thing that the younger generations will never truly understand how important the circus once was. What it meant when the circus came into town years ago. Make sure you teach our youth how important the traditions of the past Circus was so they can pass it down to thier little ones. read more

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Who would have guessed that Baraboo played such a significant role in the history of the circus in the US? The history shared here was fascinating - this is the place where the Ringling Brothers started their circus in 1884, and they wintered here until 1918. The museum site includes several of the original buildings used for wintering and contains a huge quantity of circus memorabilia, including 2/3 of the world's remaining circus wagons. The museum is open year-round, but performances are only offered during the summer season. Prices fluctuate to reflect the fact that there is less open during the winter. Summer tickets are fairly pricy, but there are shows scheduled throughout pretty much the entire day, in addition to the museum and exhibit areas. The shows include things like a magic show, a big top show, an interactive show for the kids, and an elephant encounter. The museum contains information about each Ringling brother and talks about how the circus joined up with Barnum & Bailey. There is also a cute little costume dress up area for the kids - this place is a great one to take them! There are also circus posters and a giant model circus. Once you get out into the grounds, you can walk through some of the original winter buildings, many of which now contain exhibits about aspects like circus music and instruments. There's an original railroad car that carried horses that you can walk around, a giant tent that has replicas of famous sideshow acts, a huge building full of circus wagons, and more. There are some great touches all around - a cute playground that lets kids pretend they are riding a unicycle or walking a tightrope, trashcans with elephant heads and clown faces on them, and the like. There's even a water fountain that makes it look like you have your head inside a lion's mouth - too funny! There are also some extra rides and activities that cost extra - stop at the big elephant to get tickets - things like pony and elephant rides and pictures with a giant snake. There are some exhibits that could use some maintenance to get them in top notch shape, but overall, it's a fun experience, especially with kids. read more

Been here a few times as a kid, but haven't visited in over 10 years. Initially I had kept away because I felt like the admission price was high and I hate making the drive to Baraboo/The Dells, but I came with a group on a tour bus this week and now I realize that I was being dumb. For the big top performerance alone, the $20ish admission price is nothing. The family that does juggling, unicycles, and acrobatics was so impressive, and the animal trainers clearly have worked very hard. All of the performers seem dedicated and like they are just trying their very best to make sure that you have a great experience. They have done a great job of keeping the show relevant, including a lot of current popular music in their show and providing a mixture of acts that appeal to a wide range of audience members. Paying $20 to see them do their thing was a bargain, in addition to having access to all of the other museum exhibits. I have never really been a clown person (mostly because slapstick humor isn't my thing), but even their clown act got me laughing a few times. It really wasn't much different from watching a comedian on TV, he was just dressed silly. Clowns get a lot of hate, but I think they were doing a nice job with what they did here. There is a children's participatory "circus" where the kids are the performing animals, and it's absolutely adorable. I love that there is active restoration going on, and that you can watch them working. You can see the careful work that goes into restoring the beautiful parade wagons and wooden carousel figures by hand. I didn't ride an elephant this time, but I highly recommend it to everyone - you never realize how prickly their hair is, or how hairy they are, until you've been up there! Elephant rides are wonderful, I'm glad to see them offering this still. I think you can't truly appreciate the work and funding that it must take to keep this place up and running until you visit. Even if you have mixed feelings about circuses, clowns, or trained animals, this place is worth a visit to give credence to the fact that the circus is an undeniable piece of our Wisconsin history, and that it was a way of life and livelihood for so many people who were talented, hardworking, and shared the same human trials that we all experience. I agree with other reviewers that there are more unexplored layers of circus life that they could delve into, but it would have to be done very carefully. Four stars, almost five, but I was bummed they had ZERO t-shirts with my favorite logo, which is the same one that's on their plastic cups: http://wkow.images.worldnow.com/images/22070486_SA.jpg read more

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With all the buzz surrounding the newly released "The Greatest Showman" I couldn't help but recall upon our visit to Circus World, home to Ringling Brothers and where their very first tour left from in 1884. My girls ages 5&7 and I had a lovely time here. We saw a pretty entertaining magic show in one of the tents, they let off some steam in the playground and we visited each and every building which housed vintage carriages and costumes. That was without a doubt our favorite part!! I actually got chills being able to touch the carriages and see the intricate costumes up close. There was definitely a magic about being so close to it all. The evolution of the circus, the performers, the props, vehicles and garb was so interesting to see. There's much to learn about the circus before animals were ever brought into the picture. I am knocking a star off because I saw another Yelper's recent photo of live elephants performing at the museum which actually in my opinion warrants 1 star, but because they were not here when we visited and I wouldn't have visited if they were, that's not really fair for me to do. If you ever find yourself in Baraboo, Wisconsin (which by the way, I can't believe I've been to twice) and are into history, I would absolutely stop by (provided the animals are not being used for entertainment anymore). It's located not too far from The Dells and there's a fantastic restaurant with a distillery called Driftless Glen a few doors down for lunching afterwards. We had a wonderful time! Prices were fair and there's FREE street parking! Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 & 8:30 pm until Labor Day, the circus goes spooky for an adults only haunted tour for just $10 Fun! read more

A wonderful experience reliving the history of circus performances. A great place to visit. Don't miss it. Plenty of activity for the young and old alike. read more

My family and I visited during their winter schedule, so weren't able to catch a show or anything, but I still found the museum to be so amazing! I was really lucky to be able to go see a Ringling Bros. circus when I was probably around 7 years old, so I had that magical circus experience as a kid. Visiting the museum was a very nostalgic experience for me in that way, but also as someone who enjoys history, art, and...well...strange things, this was a great intersection. The posters were so cool to walk through (and then get to buy some of at the end in the gift shop!), and the wagon barn was spectacular! It was so neat how it was just totally open and you could view the wagons 'in the round' so to speak. Also a pretty wicked place for a game of hide and seek, just saying... This is a great example of a niche museum of Americana culture. It is worth another trip up to the Dells all on its own, and we will probably try to come up again during the summer to be able to catch a live show. It is an especially bittersweet visit now that circuses are in decline at this point in time (for better or worse), and offers an interesting perspective on sociocultural history. read more

This place just oozes with entertainment tradition and history. I have been visiting this gem for over 35 years, and I still love the place. I still love the big top performance, the silly clown show, the white tiger encounter, the wagon pavilion and the various exhibits, indoor and out. Great place to go to take a break from the water parks. Great for a rainy day in the Dells...most of this is "indoors". While in Baraboo, try Log Cabin restaurant...great breakfast. read more

I had been here once as a child and was not impressed, so going back here as an adult I did not really know what to expect. As an adult, I enjoyed this place much more and have a greater appreciation for it. Obviously, if you have issues with clowns, you should avoid this place. They have events all day, showcasing different parts of the circus along with circus history. We were able to catch part of a demonstration of a bunch of different circus instruments. We were then able to roam the museum and grounds. There is an impressive collection of posters for different acts and and shows and buildings housing costumes, replicas, and other paraphernalia. The large warehouse that housed an expressive collection of old wagons. They were strange and beautiful. There was a carousel that looked like it could use a little TLC but you could ride for a few dollars. My friends and I didn't get to watch too much of the actual circus show due to the rest of our plans for the day, but it would be great if you were going there with kids. I hope this place gets the visitors it deserves because the history presented here is strange and different and really worth exploring. read more

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I'm in the middle on this. Not because of the place. It's a nice place full of history but I'm such an animal lover that all I could think of was the torture of all the animals riding in and pulling those thousands of pounds wagons. The had weights posted on them. The old smell was so overwhelming. And I could feel the souls of the lost animals. I would have hated to have been in there alone after dark. It was a slowish day so o walked alone through most of the wagon display. So eerie to me. read more

I went in the 60s, 70s, 90s and this week and always learn/see something new! I do wish the archivist who knows about the wagons could do a longer tour--or just wander around so we could ask more questions--he knew so much more than he could share. The musical show was great--check out their Facebook page for some little mini-shows during COVID time. Adn the circus show was fantastic--great entertainers and every seat is a good one! We had one elderly person in our group and she managed to get rides on the free golf carts to go from the Big Top to the circus wagon pavilion at the other end of the place. LOVE the miniature circus and the original buildings. So much history in one small place! read more

I love circus history!!!! I will let the photos do the talking for this review. The museum and the circus performance were so exciting that the day passed before I got to finish my museum tour. read more

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We arrived late in the day so our experience was limited, but the Big Top Show was great. We also were able to watch the Nothing but Nonsense show. We will return. read more

Circus World - Museums Near Me - Baraboo, Wisconsin

First off I wish I could leave them no stars. The golf cart driver told me they take very good care of the animals, not from what I saw. After the circus and elephant rides the elephants were led to a small pen with no water available. I asked one of the employees why there was no water in the pen she gave me a pissy answer. She said they are always on the move. Then we looked At the restored circus cars, that was very interesting. Then we went to the other side and saw the terrible condition the tigers lived in six tigers in a very small pen with more in even smaller pens. My daughter in law wanted to go to the gift shop so we did the woman there was rude. I will never go to anything else that has an animal act from what I've seen the animals are never well cared for. read more