Circus Hall of Fame facts for kids

Wallace Circus Winter Headquarters
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
Buildings and a circus wagon at the Hall of Fame
Location in Indiana Show map of Indiana Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Nearest city	Peru, Indiana
Area	9 acres (3.6 ha)
Built	1892 (1892)
NRHP reference No.	87000837
Quick facts for kids Significant dates
Added to NRHP	February 27, 1987
Designated NHL	February 27, 1987

The International Circus Hall of Fame is a special museum and hall of fame that celebrates important people and moments in circus history. It's located in Peru, Indiana, on what used to be the winter home for famous circuses like the Wallace Circus. This place is important because it still has rare circus buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s. It has been named a National Historic Landmark because of its historical importance.

History of the Circus Home

Early Days with Benjamin Wallace

The land in Peru, Indiana, was a busy farm. In 1891, Benjamin Wallace bought it. He owned the famous Wallace Circus. From that time until 1944, this property was the winter home for many circus companies. These companies often grew from or joined with Wallace's circus.

Growing with American Circus Corporation

In 1921, the American Circus Corporation took over the property. They also took over Wallace's circus business. They made the buildings and facilities much bigger. Later, in 1929, John Ringling bought the American Circus Corporation. The property then housed the Ringling Brothers operations.

Closing the Winter Quarters

The circus business started to slow down. Because of this, the winter quarters closed in 1944. After that, the land was used for farming again. Some of the old circus buildings were changed a lot or taken down.

The Circus Hall of Fame Museum

Starting in Florida

The idea for a hall of fame to honor great circus performers came from circus fans. This was in the mid-1950s in Sarasota, Florida. The first Circus Hall of Fame opened there in 1956. It was near the Sarasota airport.

What You Could See There

The Hall of Fame had many buildings filled with circus items. You could see costumes, props, posters, and old circus wagons. These were things that belonged to famous circus artists and leaders. The museum also had live circus acts several times a day. These shows ran for a few months each year.

Moving to Indiana

Many people visited the Circus Hall of Fame in Florida. But by the late 1970s, it was not making enough money. The owners decided to close the museum. Its lease ended in 1980, and the last show was on May 27, 1980.

In 1981, people from Peru, Indiana, found out that the circus items were for sale. They wanted to save these important circus artifacts. They were worried that everything might be sold separately. So, people, businesses, and the state government in Indiana helped. They bought the entire collection. This brought it to the old Wallace property in Peru. Since then, many more items have been added. This includes 16 historic wagons. These wagons were rebuilt in the Hall of Fame's own workshop.

Famous People Honored

The International Circus Hall of Fame has honored many amazing people. These are just some of the famous inductees:

See also

• Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus
• Terrell Jacobs Circus Winter Quarters
• International Clown Hall of Fame