Ringling brothers circus

"To build up that relationship of trust between a handler and an elephant is absolutely sacred," says the circus' Director of Animal Stewardship.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is an American circus that became the best-known traveling circus in the United States during the 20th century. It had its roots in the circuses guided by P.T. Barnum, James Bailey, and the Ringling Brothers, which ultimately joined forces. It stopped performances in 2017 and resumed in 2023.

Vintage Circus | Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus (1962)

Ringling Brothers, family of U.S. circus proprietors who created the Ringling Brothers circus empire in the late 19th century. They organized their first small circus in 1884. In 1907 they bought the Barnum & Bailey Circus, becoming the leading circus in the U.S., the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Explore merrycapers' 42 photos on Flickr!

The Braathens, Sverre and Faye, were active and avid circus fans and collectors. Sverre’s passion for circus began in the early 1900s when h...

Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus will close in May, bringing an end to 146 years of the famed show. With displays of exotic animals, bright costumes and daring acrobatic stunts, the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’ has been a part of American culture since the mid-1800s. Here are some photos SI has taken over the years, which include acrobats The Amazing Guerreros and Italian clown David Larible who, from 1993 to 2005, quickly became the show's main attraction.

Serious mustache action going on!

Nina Leen's life, from early on, was one in which travel played a key role – a life that, in retrospect, had something of a purposefully nomadic quality.

Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus