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Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus

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Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Company typePrivate
IndustryCircus entertainment
PredecessorBarnum & Bailey's Greatest Show on Earth, Ringling Bros. World's Greatest Shows
Founded1871
FounderP. T. Barnum, James Anthony Bailey, Ringling brothers
Defunct2017 (paused), resumed 2023
FateSuspended operations in 2017; resumed in 2023 with animal-free production
Headquarters
Ellenton
,
United States
Area served
International (touring)
Key people
Kenneth Feld (President of Feld Entertainment)
ProductsCircus shows and entertainment productions
OwnerFeld Entertainment

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, frequently referred to as Ringling Bros., is a renowned American touring circus company famously promoted as The Greatest Show on Earth. Established in 1871, it experienced a pause between 2017 and 2023. The circus originated in 1919 following the fusion of Barnum & Bailey's Greatest Show on Earth—created by P. T. Barnum and James Anthony Bailey—and the Ringling Bros. World's Greatest Shows. Although the Ringling brothers purchased Barnum & Bailey Ltd. in 1907, they operated both circuses independently until their eventual amalgamation.

After 1957, the organization transitioned from traditional mobile "big top" tents to fixed locations such as sports arenas and stadiums. In 1967, ownership transferred to Irvin Feld, his brother Israel Feld, and Houston judge Roy Hofheinz. The circus was sold to Mattel in 1971 but was reacquired by the Feld family in 1981. Following Irvin Feld’s passing in 1984, Feld Entertainment, under the leadership of his son Kenneth Feld and headquartered in Ellenton, Florida, has managed the circus as part of its international entertainment ventures.

Due to decreasing ticket sales, increased activism from animal welfare groups, and escalating operational expenses, the circus discontinued its animal performances in May 2017 after concluding its final show at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

In September 2023, after a six-year suspension, Ringling Bros. returned with an animal-free production debuting in Bossier City, Louisiana. This revamped presentation eliminates clowns and a ringmaster to modernize the format and attract today’s audiences.

Predecessor circuses

Hachaliah Bailey was among the pioneers of American circuses after acquiring an African elephant named "Old Bet" circa 1806, shortly following John Bill Ricketts’ introduction of the circus concept from Great Britain to the United States. P. T. Barnum, initially a ticket agent for Bailey’s show, managed Barnum's American Museum in New York City starting in 1841, expanding its attractions with exotic animals and a freak show. Barnum toured with this museum under the name "P.T. Barnum's Grand Traveling American Museum" until devastating fires in 1865 and 1868 ended this enterprise.

In 1871, promoters Dan Castello and William Cameron Coup persuaded Barnum to join their Wisconsin-based circus venture, resulting in "P.T. Barnum's Great Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan, and Hippodrome," which blended museum exhibits, menagerie animals, variety acts, and circus elements—later marketed as "The Greatest Show on Earth."

Simultaneously, James Anthony Bailey partnered with James E. Cooper to establish the Cooper and Bailey Circus, a significant rival to Barnum’s operation. To strengthen their competitive position, Barnum merged their enterprises on March 28, 1881, creating "Barnum and Bailey's Circus". Bailey notably enhanced the spectacle by acquiring Jumbo, promoted as the largest elephant worldwide.

Following Jumbo’s death, Barnum donated Jumbo’s remains to Tufts University, where the Barnum Museum of Natural History opened in 1884; Jumbo continues as Tufts’ athletic emblem. After Barnum’s death in 1891, Bailey bought out the circus from Barnum’s widow and expanded tours throughout the Eastern United States and Europe between 1897 and 1902.

Meanwhile, five of the seven Ringling brothers began a modest circus operation in Baraboo, Wisconsin in 1884. Their business grew swiftly from horse-drawn wagons to railroad transportation—the most extensive traveling amusement venture of its era. With Bailey touring Europe during this period, Ringling Brothers advanced eastward; facing competition from Bailey who relocated west of the Rockies in 1905 before passing away in 1906. Subsequently, the Ringling Brothers acquired his circus company, solidifying their dominance within the industry.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus

In 1907, the Ringling family purchased the Barnum & Bailey Greatest Show on Earth, maintaining both circuses as separate entities until 1919. By that time, only Charles Edward Ringling and John Nicholas Ringling remained from the original brothers, prompting them to merge the two enterprises into the "Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows" on March 29, 1919. This consolidation was driven by labor shortages and complications with rail transportation during World War I and was promoted as an unprecedented large-scale spectacle. Although Charles E. Ringling passed away in 1926, the circus continued to flourish throughout the Roaring Twenties.

John Ringling moved the company's headquarters to Sarasota, Florida in 1927. Two years later, he expanded operations by acquiring the American Circus Corporation for $1.7 million, which included five additional circuses along with their winter quarters.

In 1938, the circus extended an attractive offer to adventurer and animal collector Frank Buck to become their headline performer; however, Buck declined due to his refusal to join the American Federation of Actors union. He aimed to preserve his scientific reputation rather than be classified as an actor. Despite union threats of strikes, Buck obtained special permission to showcase Gargantua the gorilla without registering as a union actor.

Although financially strained by the Great Depression, the circus remained active. After John Nicholas Ringling's death, his nephew John Ringling North took charge of the indebted company during two periods between 1937 and 1943. Amid World War II travel restrictions, President Roosevelt granted special authorization for the circus's use of rail transportation. During this time, renowned photographer Maxwell Frederic Coplan captured many iconic images of the circus.

Robert Edward Ringling assumed presidency in 1943 before North resumed leadership in 1947. This era demonstrated the company's durability and capacity to adapt within the entertainment sector.

Hartford circus fire

On July 6, 1944, during an afternoon show in Hartford, Connecticut attended by approximately 8,000 spectators, a fire erupted in the Big Top tent, resulting in at least 167 fatalities and hundreds of injuries. Investigations revealed negligence on part of circus management, leading to jail sentences for several Ringling executives. For the following decade, all profits were allocated toward settling claims filed by Hartford city authorities and victims' families.

Feld family

Following World War II, the circus faced declining attendance and rising expenses despite general economic growth. The final big top performance occurred in Pittsburgh on July 16, 1956. That same year, John Ringling North and Arthur Concello transitioned the show into an indoor format and engaged promoter Irvin Feld—recognized for marketing rock concerts in Washington D.C.—to oversee advance ticket sales. By 1959, winter quarters were established in Venice, Florida.

In late 1967, Irvin Feld along with his brother Israel Feld, Judge Roy Mark Hofheinz, and investor Richard C. Blum purchased the company from North and the Ringling family for $8 million during a ceremony at Rome's Colosseum. Irvin Feld introduced strategic reforms aimed at enhancing profitability and repositioning the brand as family-friendly by removing freak shows and standard acts.

In 1968, Feld founded the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College to rejuvenate clown performances and acquired Europe's Circus Williams for $2 million to secure star trainer Gunther Gebel-Williams. He also divided the circus into two touring units—Red and Blue—allowing simultaneous performances with distinct acts. That year marked hiring The King Charles Troupe—the first African-American circus troupe performing unicycle basketball—for an eighteen-year tenure.

The company went public in 1969. Kenneth Feld joined as co-producer in 1970. In 1971, Mattel purchased the circus for $40 million but retained Feld family management. Following Walt Disney World's opening near Orlando that year, Circus World theme park was launched in Haines City in 1973 to tap into tourism; however, financial challenges delayed its opening until 1975. Amid broader financial losses, Mattel put the circus up for sale late in 1973.

Gulf Oil’s recreational division Venture Out acquired the combined shows in January 1974 but postponed Circus World's debut until early 1976. By May 1980, expansion included three circuses with addition of International Circus Festival of Monte Carlo touring Japan and Australia.

The Feld family repurchased the circus (excluding Circus World) in 1982. After Irvin Feld’s death in 1984, Kenneth Feld assumed control. Logistical difficulties led to relocating winter quarters from Venice to Tampa’s Florida State Fairgrounds in 1990; Clown College moved to Baraboo, Wisconsin in 1993. The Center for Elephant Conservation (CEC) was established by the company in 1995.

During the early ’90s, Kenneth Feld hired Clair George as a consultant involved in monitoring journalists and animal rights activists such as PETA. Clown College operated at Sarasota Opera House until its suspension in 1998.

In February 1999, Ringling introduced Barnum's Kaleidoscape—a one-ring upscale circus intended to rival Cirque du Soleil—but it ceased performances after 2000 due to limited success.

Nicole Feld became Ringling’s first female producer in 2004; by 2009 she shared production duties with Alana Feld.

A lawsuit filed by The Humane Society of the United States concerning elephant treatment began in 2001 and concluded with a $25.2 million settlement favoring Ringling in 2014. In March 2015, Ringling announced plans to retire all elephants by 2018 at CEC but expedited retirement to May 2016.

In January 2017—eight months after elephant retirement—Ringling declared it would hold thirty final shows before closing owing to declining ticket sales linked to elephant absence and high operational costs. More than 462 employees were laid off between March and May that year. The concluding "Circus Extreme" tour ended on May 7, 2017, in Providence, Rhode Island; its final performance before hiatus took place on May 21 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in New York.

2023 relaunch

In October 2021, Kenneth Feld, Chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment, alongside COO Juliette Feld Grossman, revealed plans to revive the circus in 2023 without featuring animal performances. Early in 2022, casting calls for the redesigned production drew over 1,000 artists from locations including Paris, Las Vegas, Ethiopia, and Mongolia.

By May 2022, Feld Entertainment announced a fall 2023 tour covering 50 cities, framing the circus as a "multi-platform entertainment franchise." This initiative is designed to refresh the brand’s image and broaden its market reach.

The renewed circus debuted on September 29, 2023, at the Brookshire Grocery Arena in Bossier City, Louisiana, marking its comeback after six years of inactivity. Future shows include a scheduled July 2024 engagement in Phoenix, signaling sustained expansion and revitalized global operations.


Circus trains

The circus utilized two train-based touring units known as the Red Unit and Blue Unit. Each train stretched approximately one mile and consisted of about 60 cars: 36 designated for passengers, 4 for livestock, and 20 for freight. The rolling stock carried the reporting mark "RBBX." These units alternated annually, touring major metropolitan areas with full three-ring performances.

The Blue Unit launched even-numbered editions beginning every even year, while the Red Unit presented odd-numbered editions starting every odd year—a continuation of a numbering tradition tracing back to P.T. Barnum’s 1871 show.

During the 1950s, the primary show operated on an extensive three-train system: one train transporting tents and setup crews with 22 cars; another carrying ushers and sideshow personnel with 28 cars; and a third providing sleeping accommodations for performers with 19 cars.

On January 13, 1994, eighteen cars derailed between St. Petersburg and Orlando. Approximately 150 staff members were aboard; fifteen suffered minor injuries. Tragically, clown Ceslee Conkling and elephant trainer Ted Svertesky lost their lives. The animals remained unharmed due to strategic placement of livestock cars—horses and elephants were positioned at the front to balance weight distribution, with other animals at the rear. The National Transportation Safety Board attributed the accident to a fatigue crack in one of the wheels.

Between 2003 and 2015, a truck-based Gold Tour operated a smaller-scale single-ring show aimed at markets unable to support the full three-ring productions.


Animal care and criticism

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus endured prolonged scrutiny from animal welfare organizations concerning the treatment of performing animals, with allegations focusing on cruelty and inadequate care.

In 2004, an investigation followed the death of a lion from heat exhaustion and dehydration during a train journey through the Mojave Desert. Earlier in 1998, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) fined Ringling Bros. $20,000 after charging them with forcing a sick elephant to perform.

In 2000, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) alongside other advocates filed suit against the circus alleging violations of the Endangered Species Act related to Asian elephants. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2009 due to plaintiffs lacking standing. During this litigation period, it was revealed that animal rights groups compensated the barn worker plaintiff $190,000. In response, Ringling Bros. initiated a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) suit in 2007 accusing these groups of conspiracy and interference with business operations. The ASPCA settled for $9.2 million in 2012; subsequently in 2014, The Humane Society and other organizations paid $16 million to Feld Entertainment.

From 2007 through 2011, USDA inspections uncovered multiple violations including documented mistreatment such as trainers employing bullhooks on elephants and striking tigers during rehearsals—evidence provided by PETA. The circus agreed to pay $270,000 in fines—the largest civil penalty ever imposed under the Animal Welfare Act—following reports citing poor conditions like damaged flooring and corroded cages.

In March 2015, Feld Entertainment declared it would phase out elephant performances by 2018 due to inconsistent local regulations regarding animal acts and prohibitions on bullhooks; this timeline was later accelerated to retire elephants by 2016. At that time, more than forty elephants were housed at the circus’s Center for Elephant Conservation.

In September 2017, while preparing for Hurricane Irma, a convoy relocated seven tigers, six lions, and one leopard from Florida. During transport, a Siberian tiger named Suzy escaped and was subsequently fatally shot after attacking a dog.

Film

In 1952, Paramount Pictures released the Cecil B. DeMille-produced film The Greatest Show on Earth, which portrayed the traveling circus during its 81st season since its inception in 1871. The cast featured Charlton Heston, Betty Hutton, James Stewart, and Emmett Kelly. The movie earned two Academy Awards, including the prestigious Best Picture honor. Later, a television adaptation inspired by the film was produced by Desilu Productions. This series, starring Jack Palance, aired 30 episodes on ABC between 1963 and 1964.

In August 2011, 20th Century Fox announced plans to create the biographical musical drama The Greatest Showman, directed by Michael Gracey with a screenplay by Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon. Hugh Jackman took on the role of P.T. Barnum and also served as a producer, while Michelle Williams portrayed Barnum's wife, Charity. Filming commenced in November 2016, and the movie was released on December 20, 2017.

See also

External links

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