Circus World Woes
A WPR Special Report
Produced by Brian Bull
7/31/06
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Lion tamers, bearded ladies, daring young men on the flying trapeze, and other circus icons have all but disappeared from the mainstream American experience. Today’s youth are spending more time and money in arcades and water parks rather than under the Big Top. The Wisconsin Historical Society – which oversees the Circus World Museum in Baraboo – is taking steps to win back crowds, as it faces its lowest attendance numbers, ever. Brian Bull prepared this report...
running time 5:08 |
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For the last several years, Circus World Museum has seen business dip in the red. Staff have been pared back, and for the first time in the organization's history, the annual Circus World Museum Parade was canceled. Attendance hasn't peaked since the early 1970s, and competition from X-Boxes, waterparks, multiplex cinemas, and other high-tech thrills and spills have also stolen youth from the Midway.
Arguably, the traditional Circus has been in decline for more than a century. Back in the 1900s, circuses often traveled the nation via railways, causing entire towns to essentially shut down so that workers and schoolchildren alike could sit on the benches and watch acrobats and dancing bears. But after World War I, Hollywood began to edge onto the horizon, followed by radio and television. Audience were no longer as regaled by fat ladies or Siamese twins...many of these wonders and more were just a dial away.
Still, circus buffs maintain that the real-life feats of people and animals can be entertaining. To that end, organizers of the Circus World Museum have hired in an illusionist, a Chinese Acrobatic troupe, stepped up promotions, and created more open, educational programs such as Elephant Encounters that let people get a closer look at how circuses operate. Many exhibits and rare artifacts have also been made public, which may well drawn in crowds.
The Wisconsin Historical Society --- which oversees Circus World's operations -- say they also need to raise a $500,000 endowment to keep competitive and operational. Organizers admit they've a major challenge, but say the wonders of the site can enthrall people today as the crowds of yesteryear.
