Sunshine Memories

The Circus Made Us Famous

The circus' Winter Headquarters was the largest attraction in the state in the '30s and '40s.

December 28, 2016 Published in the January 2017 issue of Sarasota Magazine

Karl Wallenda, patriarch of the famous circus family--and godfather of Nik--in the 1960s.

Photography by State Archives of Florida

Little people were long a presence in Sarasota due to the circus. Here, a dapper pair pose next to the circus train as it prepares to head north in 1948.

Photography by State Archives of Florida

Hundreds of townspeople labored to create the elaborate costumes and props. Here's Vicki Cristiani in 1959.

Photography by State Archives of Florida

Loading up the circus train for another season, circa 1946.

Photography by State Archives of Florida

The Winter Headquarters was the largest tourist attraction in the state back in the '30s and '40s.

Photography by Tibbals Digital Collection

Crowded quarters for the roustabouts aboard the circus train, 1941.

Photography by State Archives of Florida/Steinmetz

Even the animals became celebrities. M'Toto the gorilla, with keeper Jose Tomas, had a nightclub named after her and her own house on Virginia Drive.

Photography by State Archives of Florida/Steinmetz

The circus' Winter Headquarters was the largest attraction in the state in the '30s and '40s.

Nik Wallenda, Circus

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