Circus World's Wagon Collection the World's Largest

Barnum & Bailey'sTwo Hemispheres
Bandwagon (on loan from John Zweifel)

In the 1820s American circuses started showing under canvas and moving almost daily. The first wagons used to haul the baggage of these shows were plain and utilitarian, however folks always turned out to watch the wagons roll into town, and it wasn't long before the circus decorated the wagons.  First they used brightly colored paint, then added mirrors and simple carvings, until the wagons became artistically designed, highly carved masterpieces covered in gold. The circus parade reached a zenith in 1903 when Barnum & Bailey returned from a five-year tour of Europe and mounted a huge parade to announce their return."The Greatest Show On Earth" had several elaborate, new wagons constructed. Before long all of the other shows followed suit, creating wonderful new wagons for their parades.

After World War I, many of the big circuses ceased parading and their beautiful wagons were modified to carry baggage until they were worn out. Some wagons were placed in storage but most ended up being burned to save space. A few lucky wagons survived as movie props in Hollywood, while the unlucky ones were purchased by farmers and turned into animal pens for chickens and pigs.