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 office desk, his 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.