Because of a money crunch and low visitor turnout, Circus World Museum in Baraboo has closed for the winter. The museum board decided earlier this week to close the facility located at the site of the Ringling Brothers winter quarters and lay off four employees. Circus World Museum will reopen as scheduled May 22. Executive Director Steve Freese said the museum averages only 1,700 visitors between Jan. 1 and May 21 and about half get in for free because of promotions. And between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, only about 2,000 visitors come to Circus World Museum. Attendance this year was 62,000. Because much of the museum is outdoors, few people showed up last week and this week because of cold weather. "We have challenges just like all nonprofits," Freese said Thursday afternoon. "Our funding has been impacted by our donors because of what has happened to the stock portfolios." Freese pointed out that the museum, which celebrated its 50th year this season, closed during the winter between 1959 and 1991. Circus World Museum is owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society and most of the other properties owned by the society close down during the winter. "Christ, I would have thought Wisconsin would be one of the first States favored by the Obama Stimulous Package". Buckles |
Friday, December 18, 2009
From Jim Cole
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3 comments:
All us cheeseheads got was a visit to a Madison grade school.
We have the Packers to keep us in good spirits, so we didn't get all kinds of stimulus money!
We only got a state budget that is more than last year and is underfunded, even with increases for almost all our taxes.
The only tax increase that didn't happen was the one on spirits.
Bob Kitto
Buckles,
This is aAlso bad news for those of us who depend on the Museum's library to help find dates, name spellings, photos and other information when writing circus stories.
The library's chief archivist, Erin Foley, a very knowledgeable lady in all things circus, was on the layoff list.
Really a bummer.
Jack
I've heard the Circus museum biz was off, but to cut down to only 3 staff personal does seem drastic. Isn't the research library and Ms. Foley the very reason for having a museum? I know they do put on circus performances in the summer months and have a parade, but who decides who is going to stay on? Does the state of Wisconsin own the place? With Ms. Foley gone, who's going to assist researchers and historians and keep up the huge collection of circus artifacts and wagons?
I aggree with Mr. Ryan...a major bummer!
Charles Cusick
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