ralper

The Greatest Show on Earth!

I was never a big fan of the circus. My parents took me to see it in Madison Square Garden a few time when I was a kid, but they stopped taking us when they realized that neither my sisters or I really enjoyed it. Still, it was something of an American tradition. Founded 146 years ago, it was one of those things that always existed and would always exist. That is until now. Ticket sales have been down for the last few years, and when the elephants, a standard part of the circus, were retired to Florida and removed from the show, ticket sales fell even faster. The Feld family, the current owners, have announce that 2017 will be the last year of the circus and the final shows will be in May of 2017. After May there will no longer be a Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Have you ever gone to the Ringling Bros., Barnum and Baily Circus? Did you like it?

Nowhere left to run away to: The final days of the circus

See Ringling Brothers’ ‘Greatest Show on Earth’ Through the Years

Legal Bill

I went twice, both times as a young adult. I enjoyed it, but that was enough for me. I am sorry to see it closing down.

ralper

Back in 1994 the circus had a special event. A baby elephant was born. As a special promotion and celebration of the birth of the elephant, the Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus offered a free ticket to any baby born the same year. The ticket could be used any time in the future.

Adam was born in 1994 and Liz sent away for the ticket. We've been to local circus' and even the Big Apple Circus in New York City, but never to the Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus. We still have the ticket but now I doubt that Adam will ever get to use it. I'm hoping it becomes a collectors item.

dlq04

Never was really a fan of that carny either.

MsPerky

I haven't been to that circus in a long time. It is kinda sad to see it go. But we have some connection to the circus here - Bailey's Crossroads in Falls Church. Many years ago there was a carousel, some other kiddie rides and petting zoo in that location. I'm sure most of the people who drive through or live there have no idea of the history. It's interesting...

"The Bailey family was long connected with the community. They were prominent members of the Dulin Methodist Church, and intermarried with many Falls Church people. Hachaliah Bailey moved here from New York state and on December 19, 1837, he purchased a tract of land on the outskirts of Falls Church including what is now the intersection of Leesburg Pike and Columbia Pike. He needed a place on which to winter his circus animals. On this tract he built a large house known as "Bailey's Mansion" or "Moray;" it was reputed to have contained 100 rooms. The mansion sat at a location now known as Durbin Place. It abutted Glenforest Drive, the oldest outlet road to Leesburg Pike. Circuses were part of the Bailey family business. Hachaliah's son Lewis Bailey (1795–1870) operated a travelling circus and pioneered the use of canvas circus tents before eventually settling in 1840 to farm land in Bailey's Crossroads. Hachaliah's nephew George F. Bailey managed several shows, too, designing a tank in which a hippopotamus could be moved from place to place. Another nephew, Fred Harrison Bailey, recognized a potential circus talent in James Anthony McGuiness, later James Anthony Bailey, who united the Cooper and Bailey with Phineas Taylor's Barnum circus to form the Barnum and Bailey Circus, which later joined with the Ringling Brothers Circus to form the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus."

Dat_Jerzy_Dude

Was thinking of taking my kids to the last show. I never been to the circus, the wife has taken the kids before.

MsPerky

Yes, I/we may go in April when they will be in town. Closes for good in May.

trapper

I've been to that circus twice. Once in the late 40's and the last time in the mid 60's.
The first time the show was in my home town of Pittsfield, MA and they had a parade up the main street to the circus site.
The last time was in Philadelphia and I got to ride on an elephant....or at least sit on one for a minute or two.
I enjoyed the events.

My wife, Barbara, was at their show in Hartford, CT in July 1944 with her mother, father and brother on that terrible day when the tent caught fire. Her father spotted it early and they managed to get from their seats to the ground and out under the side wall of the tent. 167 or so other people were not so lucky.

zeroptzero

I feel sorry for the employees, there isn't much you can do career wise once your circus employer closes up shop.

dlq04

Yikes! That would provide a lasting memory.