Wisconsin's great circus train

[Lord Atmo]

i dont know how many of you know about this train, but there's a small town in wisconsin known as Baraboo that has a circus-themed museum. every year, they load their wagons etc onto a circus train and go to Milwaukee for a huge parade. on the way, they stop the train at cities to display it. well, now they have held this party at Baraboo instead for 2 years now. i fear the train may never run again. anyone else know about this? anyone think the trains is gone for good?

[Markgro]

Unfortunately, budget concerns have prevented Circus World Museum from bringing the Circus Train/Show/Parade to Milwaukee for the past few years--not enough money to do it for the time being. So for the past 2 years now, the Parade and Circus Show have been held back in Baraboo instead--and from what I've heard, with rather lackluster attendance, which in turn, isn't generating enough revenue for the musuem either.

This isn't the first time such a thing has happened, though. It was indefinitely cancelled from Milwaukee for quite a few years during the 1970s-80s after Schitlz Brewing (corporate sponsor at the time) dropped out. So for several years the Circus Train/Show/Parade wasn't held in Milwaukee. Then in the mid-1980s, they got up enough money/sponsors to hold the events again annually right up throguh 2003.

So unless someone with deep pockets full of money steps up tro the plate with a donation/corporate sponsorship, it might be a while before Circus World Museum hauls the train to Milwaukee to host shows and a parade there again. Hopefully someday it will return, because it's a very interesting and unique event that attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators, local and non-local. There isn't anything like it anywhere esle in the world.

[Noah Hofrichter]

The Strong Corporation had been a large Financee for the Parade being in Milwaukee and the train, and something happened to them a few years ago, causing them to stop their sponsor ship. And Circus World certainly can't afford it on their own, considering that they are still just trying to raise enough money to cover there 2005 season.

I sure hope they get the train up and running again, and get some one to finance it, because I'd really like to see it again. I saw it once, and that was the last year, and let me tell you, those two WSOR SD40-2's looked awefully nice pulling those cars.

Noah Hofrichter
-A teen who just wants to see the circus leave Baraboo by train again......

[Lord Atmo]

man, i always wanted to see that train. now i never will. this bites. i mean, i'd have loved to see that train go accross the long merrimack bridge