An End to the “Greatest Show on Earth”

MICHAEL S. WILLIAJSON—THE WASHINGTON POST/GETTY IMAGES

An End to the “Greatest Show on Earth”

After 146 years, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is closing forever. Its final show will take place at the Nassau County Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, on May 21. Declining attendance, high operating costs, and battles with animal rights groups have caused what is called ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ to come to an end. “This has been a very difficult decision for me and for the entire family,” said Kenneth Feld, chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment. The Feld family bought the Ringling circus in 1967. The Felds say their existing animals — lions, tigers, camels, donkeys, alpacas, kangaroos, and llamas — will go to suitable homes. The company will also continue operating the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation. The Ringling Bros. circus and its exotic animals, flashy costumes and death-defying acrobats has been a part of American culture since the mid-1800s. The circus emerged out of P.T. Barnum’s popular traveling group of animals and human oddities. Barnum eventually joined with the five Ringling brothers, who performed skits in their home base of Wisconsin. The troupes grew and traveled across the U.S. by train, becoming routine family entertainment by the mid-1900s. But by the 21st century, the circus had a tough time competing with new kinds of entertainment — like video games and smartphones. "We tried all these different things to see what would work, and supported it with a lot of funding as well,” Feld said. “We weren't successful in finding the solution," said Kenneth Feld.

Have you ever been to a circus? Do you think circuses should have animals performing? Why or why not