Circus World Museum - Great Circus Parade

Great Circus Parade

The Great Circus Parade, which featured historic circus wagons from the Circus World Museum, was held in Milwaukee in 1963, and in various cities between 1985 and 2005, primarily Milwaukee (1985–2003) and Baraboo, Wisconsin (2004–2005). When held in Milwaukee, the parade entailed a two-day journey by train across Wisconsin, from Baraboo to Milwaukee, making brief stops at cities along the way. An encampment on Milwaukee's lake front allowed visitors to view the circus wagons up close, take elephant, camel, and zebra rides, and view historical circus artifacts. The parade itself took a three-mile route through downtown Milwaukee. It was on hiatus during the mid 2000s, but it returned to Milwaukee in 2009. The parade is expected to run every few years in the future.