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Ladies & Gentlemen

BOYS & GIRLS Welcome

TO THE GREATEST MUSEUM ON EARTH Prepare to be entranced and amazed by the magical adventure exploring the Circus with marvellous live performance and surreal effects. Four maginificent interactive experiences are on offer; so hold onto your hats and let the journey begin.

Your Experience Guide Jump on the Band Wagon

A thrilling interactive ride back in time through the history of the Circus. A unique sensory experience that travels through the Golden Era of 19th and 20th century traditional Circus; right up to the present day splendour of Contemporary Circus.

Circus Tales

Want to know more? Take a walk around our exhibition,which hosts the largest collection of Circus paraphernalia and costumes. As well as providing the complete history of the Circus the exhibition explores its impact on our Culture and explores human and animal rights issues.

Join the Circus Parade

How about running away to the Circus for a day? Be our guest. Book on one of five Big Top workshops; learn audacious new skills, and then show them off in our Parade. You will become a Circus Performer for the day complete with extravagant costume and colourful make up, of course!

The Circus of Darkness

As the evening draws closer the Circus Parade becomes Darker allowing an Adult only audience to explore a lost world of vintage sideshows and freak shows. This Circus of Horrors promises to provide an altogether more chilling experience‌.

Join the Parade Experience Jump on the Band Wagon Experience Hitch a ride aboard a replica Circus Band Wagon to start a trip back in time through the history of the Circus. Your journey begins in1800’s back in the days of the travelling circus. From the spectacular parades through the streets of Britain by Lord George Sanger’s Circus to the US Barnham and Bailey’s Greatest Show on Earth.

Gaze with wonder at the spectacle that unfolds around you as your senses are stirred by the sounds and smells of the travelling circus.

Victorian audiences demanded more thrills so animals such as elephants, lions, tigers and horses became key features of circus life. To help you understand their role this is explored sensitively through projections of past animal performances. No Animals perform live at the Circus Museum and our policy is clearly explained in the Animals Rights Exhibition.

Our journey continues to the 20th century splendour of The Chinese and Russian State Circus’s and more recent Cirque Du Soleil. Be in awe at the extraordinary displays of human achievement through huge 3D projections and live performances from skilled acrobats, jugglers, and tumblers and of course the family favourite, clowns.

Ever fancied running away to the Circus?

Be our guest for the day. As you embark on your thrilling adventure you will learn a selection of new skills in the Big Top workshops. Your only problem will be choosing which skill to learn!

Defy the laws of gravity and learn how to walk the high wire Dare to test the dizzying heights of the Flying trapeze Challenge your body with acrobatic balance and tumbling Perform amazing tricks such as juggling, Diablo or riding a Unicycle Master the art of Clowning around Book on a workshop for this amazing opportunity to not only be a Circus Performer but dress up in an extravagant costume and theatrical make up, of course!

Circus Tales Experience Want to know more? Take walk around the Circus Tales exhibition, which houses the largest collection of Circus paraphernalia and costumes. As well as providing the complete history of the Circus the exhibition explores its impact on culture and explores human and animal rights issues.

The exhibition includes An extensive collection of circus posters, programmes and paraphernalia from 19th century to present day Lavish Circus Costumes Antique & replica Circus Bandwagons Circus performance is also captured by a spectacular collection of sculpture and art Magical tales of Circus life unfold narrated

by Circus performers and artists from around the world Animal and Human rights issues are explored in detail

Circus of Darkness As the evening draws closer the Circus Parade becomes Darker allowing an Adult only audience to explore a lost world of vintage sideshows and freak shows. This Circus of Horrors promises to provide an altogether more chilling experience.