RIP Ringling Brothers Circus

[heyabbott]

Boomers killed the circus. After they outgrew it.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

They’re baaaaaaaack:

Ringling Circus Is Returning. Lions, Tigers and Dumbo Are Not.

Oh ... my ...

 

[HanSenSE]

Boomers killed the circus. After they outgrew it.

Or was it the mysterious Generation Jones? [/crossthread]

 

[Oggiedoggie]

I can now just say, “Not my circus.”

Because there are no monkeys.

 

[User 149557]

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Early in my newspaper career I had my second and final sports desk job in Baraboo, Wis., the original home of the Ringling Bros. Circus. The old circus headquarters is a state-sponsored circus museum, Circus World, that has daily big top shows during the summer. All season long, from my crummy little flat a few blocks away I could hear the museum's calliope play "Are You from Dixie." Over and over.

Back then the museum loaded its wagons and animals on a train every summer and hauled them to Milwaukee for a big-deal parade. The train route would dip down into the Chicago burbs so locals could gawk and the "honored guests" could guzzle a few more cocktails along the route. One year the trip was too much for Circus World's resident giraffe, Tu-Tall, and he croaked. I think it was sometime in the aughts when the last Milwaukee parade was held.

The parade lives on in Baraboo, though, and will promenade through town in about a month. Check out this band wagon. https://bigtopparade.com/

The Pabst sign next to the Al. Ringling Theater marks the Square Tavern. A neat old bar with great burgers.

But yeah, once they couldn't abuse the animals anymore the circus was dead.

Did I mention that Ernest Borgnine like to put on clown makeup every year and join in the Milwaukee parade? Try to think of something creepier than Borgnine in clown makeup.

My favorite Borgnine line: appearing on "Fox and Friends," the hosts asked Ernie, then 91, the secret to his longevity. He replied, "I masturbate a lot."

 

[heyabbott]

Sarasota was the Winter Home of Ringling Bros B&B. St Armand’s Circle on Siesta Key is their Hall of Fame. Around the circle are dozens of Plaques for the HOF Circus Performers.

 

[maumann]

And Feld Entertainment's headquarters are in Palmetto, Fla., just a few miles from the RV park where we spend the winter. I had no idea until this year that they hold the rights to Monster Truck Jam and Marvel Superheroes performances, in addition to Ringling/Barnum & Bailey, so their ability to make money has been severely curtailed by COVID.

They're basically hoping for a Cirque du Soleil type vibe, I guess.

 

[playthrough]

I'm not going back to the circus. Or to Circus Circus. Complete dump and the tables were never good to me.

 

[User 149557]

“The Circus-Circus is what the whole hep world would be doing on Saturday night if the Nazis had won the war.” - Hunter S. Thompson

 

[Slacker]

If this was an @Vombatus post I would assume
he'd be there hitting on the bearded lady fat lady.

“Just give me a crease. Just a crease!”

 

[Deskgrunt50]

I'm not going back to the circus. Or to Circus Circus. Complete dump and the tables were never good to me.

Chicken-in-the-Pot was always fun to waste time away from cold tables and before it was time for Keno.

 

[I Should Coco]

Early in my newspaper career I had my second and final sports desk job in Baraboo, Wis., the original home of the Ringling Bros. Circus. The old circus headquarters is a state-sponsored circus museum, Circus World, that has daily big top shows during the summer. All season long, from my crummy little flat a few blocks away I could hear the museum's calliope play "Are You from Dixie." Over and over.

Back then the museum loaded its wagons and animals on a train every summer and hauled them to Milwaukee for a big-deal parade. The train route would dip down into the Chicago burbs so locals could gawk and the "honored guests" could guzzle a few more cocktails along the route. One year the trip was too much for Circus World's resident giraffe, Tu-Tall, and he croaked. I think it was sometime in the aughts when the last Milwaukee parade was held.

The parade lives on in Baraboo, though, and will promenade through town in about a month. Check out this band wagon. https://bigtopparade.com/

The Pabst sign next to the Al. Ringling Theater marks the Square Tavern. A neat old bar with great burgers.

But yeah, once they couldn't abuse the animals anymore the circus was dead.

Did I mention that Ernest Borgnine like to put on clown makeup every year and join in the Milwaukee parade? Try to think of something creepier than Borgnine in clown makeup.

My favorite Borgnine line: appearing on "Fox and Friends," the hosts asked Ernie, then 91, the secret to his longevity. He replied, "I masturbate a lot."

We took the kids to Circus World sometime in the mid to late 2000s, when we went on a family trip to Wisconsin Dells. I don't recall a parade through Baraboo, but I remember they had a show with acrobats, clowns, etc. And a whole building filled with old circus wagons.

The kids liked Circus World well enough, and I remember we started the day going to some crane sanctuary near there -- it was a break from the water parks, boat rides and mini golf. Early elementary school was the right time to take our crew to the Dells ... and I won't lie: my wife and I had fun at Noah's Ark, too.