Ringling Museum - Part 2

After touring the Ringling Mansion, we headed over to the Banyon Cafe to have lunch.  The food was good, although a bit pricey.

After lunch, we headed over to the Circus Pavilion.

I decided to drive over, and we all squeezed into this car for the short 20 foot trip over to the door.

It's amazing the amount of workmanship that went into the wagons and train cars!

I can't imagine being shot out of this!

It was amazing to read about the massive undertaking it was to pack everything up and transport it for the mostly one day visit to the towns and cities.

The woodwork was beautiful and I liked the small stained glass arch windows above the larger windows.

There was a work area next to the train car that gave us a hint of what was to come next!

Upon entering the display area, billed as the largest miniature circus in the world, you first walked through the train yards where the circus trains were unloaded.  Along the displays, photos and narratives explained the process and the organization of how the circus came to town.

The side show . . . 

This was interesting . . . the area housing the restrooms . . . 

Love this one!

The left side of the big tent.

The center ring.

The right side . . . 

Every seven minutes the lights would dim in the display area, and the lights within the setups would come on to give you a nighttime view.

From a second level, you can look down on the displays.


We were all amazed at the scope of the miniature circus display, and it gave us a glimpse into all that was involved in setting up and tearing down, day after day. Incredible!!!