Weekend Getaway Brian E. Clark
Delavan celebrates its rich circus heritage
from: jsonline.com Milwaukee Delavan Chamber of Commerce
Romeo the elephant, who was owned by the Olympic Circus in 1854, resides in Tower Park in Delavan’s downtown. Other statues in the park include Ginny the giraffe. The famed P.T. Barnum Circus was organized in Delavan in 1871. During the second half of the 1800s, as many as two dozen circuses flocked to the Walworth County town of Delavan to winter their horses, elephants and other big tent critters.
The famed P.T. Barnum Circus was organized in Delavan in 1871. And more than 130 members of Delavan's 19th-century circus colony - including some storied clowns - are buried in Spring Grove and St. Andrew cemeteries.
The Mabie brothers, who ran the U.S. Olympic Circus - during its time the largest traveling show in the country - quartered their animals during the off-season at the site of the Lake Lawn Resort on Delavan Lake because of its abundant pastures and water.
Alas, the last circus closed its winter digs in 1894, and within 25 years, the huge ring barns and other landmarks were gone. Today, the city celebrates its circus heritage with statues around town.
Delavan also is worth the trip if you're interested in Victorian architecture, fishing or experiencing one more weekend of fall colors in rural Wisconsin.
Things to doA stroll through downtown Delavan will transport you back in time more than 150 years. The streets are lined with flower baskets - at least for a few more weeks - and some homes and shops date to the 1860s. A short walk will lead you to Tower Park, where you'll find a 6-foot clown statue dwarfed by an imposing 20-foot-tall elephant. The statue represents Romeo, who weighed 10,500 pounds and was owned by the Olympic Circus in 1854. Other statues in the park include Ginny the giraffe. See www.delavanwi.org.
For a sense of Delavan's performing-animal past (and present), consider a show at The Dancing Horses Theater, 5065 Highway 50. The equestrian program features a variety of breeds that perform alongside their trainers in what is billed as a "fantastic cavalcade of equestrian artistry." See www.dancinghorses.com.READ MORE AT:http://www.jsonline.com/features/travel/delavan-celebrates-its-rich-circus-heritage-132313573.html
The famed P.T. Barnum Circus was organized in Delavan in 1871. And more than 130 members of Delavan's 19th-century circus colony - including some storied clowns - are buried in Spring Grove and St. Andrew cemeteries.
The Mabie brothers, who ran the U.S. Olympic Circus - during its time the largest traveling show in the country - quartered their animals during the off-season at the site of the Lake Lawn Resort on Delavan Lake because of its abundant pastures and water.
Alas, the last circus closed its winter digs in 1894, and within 25 years, the huge ring barns and other landmarks were gone. Today, the city celebrates its circus heritage with statues around town.
Delavan also is worth the trip if you're interested in Victorian architecture, fishing or experiencing one more weekend of fall colors in rural Wisconsin.
Things to doA stroll through downtown Delavan will transport you back in time more than 150 years. The streets are lined with flower baskets - at least for a few more weeks - and some homes and shops date to the 1860s. A short walk will lead you to Tower Park, where you'll find a 6-foot clown statue dwarfed by an imposing 20-foot-tall elephant. The statue represents Romeo, who weighed 10,500 pounds and was owned by the Olympic Circus in 1854. Other statues in the park include Ginny the giraffe. See www.delavanwi.org.
For a sense of Delavan's performing-animal past (and present), consider a show at The Dancing Horses Theater, 5065 Highway 50. The equestrian program features a variety of breeds that perform alongside their trainers in what is billed as a "fantastic cavalcade of equestrian artistry." See www.dancinghorses.com.READ MORE AT:http://www.jsonline.com/features/travel/delavan-celebrates-its-rich-circus-heritage-132313573.html
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