Circus Collection Including Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus

The Big Top is always in town at the Pennyroyal Area Museum in Hopkinsville, KY with a circus collection including Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus memorabilia. This once-private collection of trains, clowns, animals, antique toys, and vintage posters dates back to the 1920s. From original Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey Circus posters to a fun-house mirror, there’s plenty to amuse and amaze anyone who’s ever loved the Big Top.

Charles Jackson, a Pennyroyal Area Museum founder, built the circus collection over his lifetime. Other items in the collection include Jackson’s World War II Army Air Corps military uniform and “Crusader” – an electric horse that entertained kids for 56 years at Cayce-Yost Hardware on Main Street in Hopkinsville.