Work on Big Top Wisconsin: A Digital Circus Storytelling Project is officially underway! Yesterday I made the first of several visits to Circus World Mueum in Baraboo. Outside of daily performances and tours of historic Ringlingville, Circus World Museum is also home to the world’s largest circus wagon collection. According to the Circus World Museum website, two-thirds of the world’s known circus wagons are located on premises.
The majority of the collection is housed in the W. W. Deppe Circus Wagon Pavillion. I wasn’t sure what to expect as I walked into the warehouse. Outside of faint circus music reverberating off the wagons, it was silent; however, the sense of history in the warehouse was overwhelming. Gazing into the wagons and admiring their intricate carvings, it was hard not to imagine the sort of excitement they must have generated when parading through towns. 
Behind the Scenes Dispatch by:
Amelia Pisapia, a member of the EngageWisconsin team
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HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE: Were you -or- do you know of someone who is/was a Wisconsin resident and in the circus? If your answer is yes, please contact Amelia Pisapia to learn more about how you can get involved in WPT’s digital storytelling project, chronicling Wisconsin’s unique circus history. In particular, she is looking for Wisconsin residents presently or previously involved in clowning or other circus-related acts.
Email: amelia.pisapia@engagewisconsin.org
ABOUT BIG TOP WISCONSIN, a circus storytelling project — Despite the advent of television, video games, and the internet, the circus continues to excite the imaginations of people of all ages. The PBS series Circus will provide a modern-day glimpse into the inner-workings of this unique cultural phenomenon. “Big Top Wisconsin: A Circus Digital Storytelling Project” is inspired by Wisconsin’s distinct role in the development of the circus in the United States.
