Circus World Museum (Baraboo, Wis.)

The museum was established in 1959 by a group of circus fans and a former Ringling Bros. attorney, John M. Kelley, under the auspices of Circus World Museum, Inc. Its mission is to document and disseminate information on American circus history. The site was chosen because it was the original winter quarters of the Ringling Bros. Circus. At the museum's creation, ownership of all collections and property was transferred to the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. A lease management agreement was set up between Historic Sites Foundation, Inc., a private non-profit corporation, and the society. Through this agreement, Historic Sites Foundation, Inc. manages all collections and properties of the society relating to the museum and continues to transfer ownership of all property to the society. Circus World Museum, Inc. remains as a friends organization. In 1965, a library was established to manage the paper, sound, and visual collections. It was dedicated as the Robert L. Parkinson Library and Research Center in 1994 to honor its first library director.