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. It also has a hall of fame that celebrates important people from circus history. You can find it in Peru, Indiana. It's built on the old land of the Wallace Circus Winter Quarters. This place was also called the Peru Circus Farm. The property still has old circus buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s. It's a National Historic Landmark because of its important history.

History of the Circus Grounds

The land in Peru was a busy farm. Benjamin Wallace bought it in 1891. He owned the famous Wallace Circus. From 1891 until 1944, this property was a winter home for many circus companies. These circuses often joined with or took over Wallace's business.

In 1921, the American Circus Corporation bought the property. They also took over Wallace's circus. They made the facilities bigger and better. Later, in 1929, John Ringling bought the American Circus.

The property then housed the Ringling Brothers operations. But the circus business slowed down. The winter quarters closed in 1944. After that, the land went back to being a farm. Many of the old circus buildings were changed or taken down.

History of the Museum

The Ringling Brothers Circus had its own winter home. It was in Sarasota, Florida, starting in 1927. In the mid-1950s, circus fans in Sarasota had an idea. They wanted to create a hall of fame. This hall would honor amazing circus artists.

The Circus Hall of Fame opened in 1956. It was near the Sarasota airport. The Hall of Fame had many exhibits. These were in several buildings. They showed circus items like costumes, props, and posters. There were also old circus wagons.

Besides the exhibits, the Hall of Fame had live circus acts. These shows happened several times a day. They ran for many months each year. The Circus Hall of Fame became quite famous.

It even appeared on TV. NBC-TV showed "The Circus Hall of Fame All Star Circus" in 1970. The show celebrated new people joining the Hall of Fame. These included the Rieffenach Sisters, Mayme Ward, Ira Millette, and Billy Smart Sr..

Many tourists visited the Hall of Fame. Up to 80,000 people came each year. But by the late 1970s, it was not making money. The owners decided to close the museum. Its last show was on May 27, 1980.

In 1981, people from Peru, Indiana, heard about the circus items. They learned that the Hall of Fame's collection was for sale. They wanted to save these important circus artifacts. They worried the items might be sold separately.

So, people, businesses, and the state government in Indiana helped. They raised money to buy the whole collection. They brought it to the old Wallace property in Peru. Since then, many more items have been added. This includes 16 old wagons. These wagons were rebuilt in the Hall of Fame's own shop.

Famous People in the Hall of Fame

See also

• Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus
• Terrell Jacobs Circus Winter Quarters
• International Clown Hall of Fame
• List of museums in Indiana
• List of National Historic Landmarks in Indiana
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Miami County, Indiana