As I wandered the banks of the Baraboo River toward the Big Top tent, an ornate circus wagon rumbling beside me and a circus barker coaxing me toward Jo Jo the Dog-Faced Boy, I felt as if I’d been transported in time.
Back to the days when the Ringling Bros. Circus called this small Wisconsin town home. Back to an era when trapeze artists from Russia, lion tamers from Germany and clowns from around the world honed their crafts in tents dotting the riverbank. Back to a time when Gen. Tom Thumb and the Bearded Lady walked the streets unnoticed.
The Ringling Brothers are long gone, and the Greatest Show on Earth has packed up the tents and moved to Florida.
Still, this quirky town nestled between ancient quartzite bluffs boasts a welcoming atmosphere cultivated from a decades-long history of embracing colorful characters.
The Circus World Museum, with its daily Big Top circus show and exhaustive collection of circus artifacts, is the main attraction. But a weekend in Baraboo offers a mix of entertainment for any tastes.
If it’s the outdoors you crave, a hike through Devil’s Lake State Park provides a nice day’s workout and some of the most breathtaking views in the state. If you’d rather shop and sightsee, Baraboo has a quaint downtown loaded with bookstores, artist galleries and a historic movie theater. Nature lovers can spend a day observing the world’s tallest flying birds at the International Crane Foundation. And gamblers can spend the day (nights too) at the nearby Ho-Chunk Casino.
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Baraboo has a handful of nice hotels, but we chose to stay at Baker’s Sunset Bay Resort in nearby Lake Delton because we wanted a waterfront view. The hotel, just a few miles from town, has the lake’s largest beach and a nightly bonfire.
A friend and I began our two-day visit on Friday night with a stop at The Al. Ringling Theater in downtown Baraboo. The movie palace was designed in 1915 by Chicago architects C.W. and George Rapp. Styled after the old European opera houses, it’s virtually unchanged today.
The sheer elegance of the theater is evident as soon as you step into the lobby, which is surrounded by a decorative frieze and punctuated by a monstrous bronze and glass light fixture. Walk into the theater and you are greeted with a cavernous auditorium, ringed with gilded theater boxes. The floor is covered with a plush red carpet, the ceiling with detailed frescos. A red velvet curtain pulls back to reveal a huge movie screen.
Initially, we had planned to spend part of our weekend trip in Wisconsin Dells–as a recent transplant to the Midwest, I’d never been there–but one night in the quaint town of Baraboo changed those thoughts.
We set out early the next morning for the International Crane Foundation, a center for the study and preservation of the world’s largest flying birds. Visitors can see more than a dozen crane species in open-air pens, wander through a restored prairie and visit an exhibit hall.
If you time your visit properly, like we did, you can capture a glimpse of staffers nurturing crane chicks. We did not, however, get to see the daily crane flight demonstration, which typically takes place at 11:45 a.m. daily. The demonstration is on hold until early August.
We kept our visit short so we could spend most of our time in downtown Baraboo and, more specifically, at the Circus World Museum.
Baraboo’s historic business district has a wide variety of galleries, bookstores, restaurants and even a cute corner drugstore that has an old-fashioned soda shop. We had lunch at the Alpine Restaurant, which opened in 1930 and hasn’t changed much since. We sat in a wobbly wooden booth and watched as the waitress greeted everyone by first name.
We breezed through a few downtown stores, including the Corner on Wisconsin, which has a wide variety of local wines stored in an old bank vault, and Timeless Treasures, which sells works by local artists and craftsmen.
Then we hit the Circus Museum, which stretches for 50 acres and hugs the banks of the Baraboo River.
Even a non-circus fan can appreciate this lively museum, which features death-defying circus acts performed under the Big Top, the world’s largest collection of historic circus wagons and a vast array of rare circus memorabilia.
The Ringling brothers, Al, Otto, Charles, John and Alf T., started their circus in Baraboo in 1884. Each year, they took their show on the road, but returned to this cozy Wisconsin town inwinter to rest and regroup.
Our tour began at the Irvin Feld Exhibit Hall, which traces the colorful history of the Ringling circus through a collection of rare circus posters, black and white photos and colorful costumes.
Perhaps most impressive, though is the museum’s collection of 200 antique circus wagons. In the glory days, these horse-drawn, hand-crafted chariots carried a procession of people, animals and equipment to towns across the country. Their arrival was an event in and of itself.
If you’ve never seen an old-time circus wagon, they are something to behold. They are big–about 20-by-11 feet. They are colorful–vibrant reds, blues, greens and yellows. And they are imaginative–featuring wooden carvings that represent themes and scenes.
In a nearby exhibit hall, you can watch as craftsmen painstakingly restoring antique and damaged circus wagons.
The big attraction, of course, is the daily Big Top circus show.
This year’s event features a troupe of artists from the Great National Kazakh Circus, including aerial gymnasts and Russian muscleman Vladimir Vanine, who juggles massive cubes and steel balls. The highlight of the show was 11-year-old Roman Tomanov, a wisp of a boy who performed aerial stunts hanging high above the ground from two canvas straps.
Of course, no circus visit is complete without a stop at the sideshow tent. This one did not have current acts. Instead, it has mannequins of the most famous acts in history–Jo Jo the dog-faced boy, Gen. Tom Thumb and Madame Clofullia, the bearded lady, among others.
As we left the museum and walked across the footbridge, I couldn’t help but think that, in its heyday, the banks of the Baraboo River must have been one of the liveliest places in the country.
We capped off our day with a stop at Hooty’s Sports Bar & Grill, which has 100 different types of beer, including at least 45 imports. A local favorite, Hooty’s has a dance floor, big screen TVs, pool tables and friendly service. The food isn’t bad either.
Though the place was hopping, we didn’t stay late as we had a full day of hiking at Devil’s Lake planned for Sunday.
Devil’s Lake sits along the Ice Age Trail and offers spectacular 500-foot cliffs, hiking trails for any skill level, swimming, diving, fishing, picnicking and some of the best rock climbing spots in the area.
The park has 26 miles of trails that stretch around the lake. We chose to hike the East Bluff because it has a greater variety of hikes and offers the best views, including the rock formations Balanced Rock and Devil’s Doorway.
However, I have to admit, we hiked the rugged and exhausting trail to Balanced Rock and, apparently, passed it without notice. It wasn’t until about one-half mile later, when we ran into a fellow hiker, that we realized we’d missed it.
“Don’t worry, honey,” she told us. “I’ve lived here for 43 years and I’ve never noticed it.”
We considered, briefly, turning around. But the thought of traipsing down those stone and rain-slick rocks was not appealing. Instead, we continued on to the Devil’s Doorway trail.
Devil’s Doorway trail is an easy trek along the edge of the bluff where you can see some drop-dead gorgeous views of the crystal blue lake and the craggy quartzite below. Carry your camera, because the photo opportunities are abundant. Also, pack a lunch because the trail has some prime “natural” picnic areas where you can rest, replenish and watch turkey vultures glide through the valley below.
Finally, we hit the Grottos trail to check out the Potholes rock formations, depressions in the rock that look like elephant footprints. The short trail leads to the bottom of the East Bluff and an easy hike back to the parking lot.
As we hopped into the car and drove out of the Baraboo Valley, I was exhausted and fulfilled.
But after a weekend here, I can see why the Ringling Bros. chose a central Wisconsin town, of all places, for their winter home.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Weekend expenses for two:
Lodging (Two nights) … $222
Meals ………………. $84
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Gasoline ……………. $26
Entertainment ……….. $64
Total ……………… $396
IF YOU GO
GETTING THERE
Baraboo is about 195 miles northwest of Chicago and about 50 miles north of Madison. From Chicago, take Interstate Highway 90 past Madison and take exit #106 (Baraboo/Portage). Then, at the stop sign, turn right onto Wisconsin Highway 33 and follow that a few miles into town.
LODGING
Bakers Sunset Bay Resort (921 Canyon Road, Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965; 608-254-8406; www.sunsetbayresort.com) is located on five wooded acres overlooking Lake Delton. The resort has the largest beach on the lake and offers volleyball, horseshoes, table tennis, free rowboats and an indoor pool. Rooms, which have gone up in price since we visited, are $122 to $250 per night during the summer.
DINING
Hooty’s Sports Bar & Grill, (S5718 Highway 123, Baraboo; 608-356-7707; www.hootys.com. Serves sandwiches, steaks, ribs, gyros and salads and more than 100 different types of beer. Live entertainment a few times a month. Cost range from $6 to $15 per entree.
Alpine Restaurant, (117 4th Street, Baraboo; 608-356-4040) has changed ownership (and menus) since I visited a month ago. The new name is Jen’s Alpine Cafe. The restaurant serves generally the same fare as before, including breakfast and soups and sandwiches. Hours are 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.
ATTRACTIONS
Circus World Museum (426 Water St., Baraboo, WI 53913;608-356-8341; www.circusworldmuseum.com) offers displays of circus wagons, costumes, posters and other historical artifacts; summer circus performances; parades; large public library collection of circus information. Admission through Labor Day, $14.95 for adults, $7.95 for children when the museum and circus grounds are open. After Labor Day, only the museum is open, and the admission fee has not been set yet.
Al. Ringling Theater (136 4th St., Baraboo; 608-356-8864; www.alringling.com) was designed mainly as a movie house, but also offers live performances during the summer months. Guided tours are available at 11 a.m. every day from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Cost is $3. Movie cost is $6.50 for adults, $4.50 for kids.
International Crane Foundation (E-11376 Shady Lane Road, Baraboo, WI 53913; 608-356-9462; www.savingcranes.org) houses all 15 species of the world’s tallest flying birds. You can wander the place by yourself or take a guided tour. Open daily from May 1 to Oct. 31, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost: $7 adults, $3.50 for children. Free picnic area.
Devils Lake State Park, 3 miles south of Baraboo off U.S. Highway 12, includes 9,300 acres of forest, marshes, meadows, bluffs and a 360-acre lake. The park is open year-round and has 15 walking trails from strenuous to easy. It also offers swimming, fishing, diving, boating, mountain biking, picnicking and camping. Cost is $7. Park is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. 608-356-8301; www.devilslakewisconsin.com.
SHOPPING
Historical downtown Baraboo has a host of specialty shops, artist galleries and restaurants that surround Courthouse Square. Of special note are the Corner Drug Store, which has an old-time soda fountain; the Corner on Wisconsin, which sells specialty food baskets, gifts and a large collection of wines; and the Cornerstore Gallery. All are located within a four-block shopping district.
INFORMATION
The Baraboo Area Chamber of Commerce has a complete list of local stores. P.O. Box 442, Baraboo WI 53913; 608-356-8333 or 800-BARABOO; www.baraboo.com/chamber.
— S.B.