Learn About The Greatest Show In Riverview, FL

About 40 minutes up the road from Bradenton, FL is Riverview, FL, home to the International Independent Showmen’s Museum, a 54,000+ sq-ft museum that is dedicated to preserving the history of the American carnival. With everything from one of the first Ferris Wheels to a large collection of rare photographs depicting the traveling carnivals of yesteryear, it’s worth the drive to see everything the Showmen’s Museum has to offer.

A Very Brief History of Traveling Shows

The origins of the traveling show can be traced back to the original Chicago World’s Fair of 1893, which drew over 25 million visitors from all over the world. After the 1893 World’s Fair, traveling carnival groups began touring the United States for as long as they could afford to run. These shows often featured sideshows that were filled with pop-culture and tall-tale legends like “the bearded lady”, though these types of sideshows died out in the first few decades of the 1900s as medical knowledge became more accessible.  Traveling carnivals also offered games, rides, and food, all of which are still present in the traveling shows – usually county fairs – we still see today.

Showmen’s Museum Exhibits

There are countless exhibits at the Showmen’s museum, ranging from original rail cars, a vintage carousel, antique carnival banners and signs, and an entire section devoted to sideshows. The museum also has thousands of photographs of old traveling carnivals, circuses, medical shows, wild west shows, and folly shows. You’ll learn about some of the most prevalent traveling show companies like Royal American, Strates Shows Railroad Carnival, and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circuses.

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When and Where

The museum is located at  6938 Riverview Drive – Riverview, FL 33578 and is open every Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., so you have plenty of time to enjoy a leisurely morning at home before heading up to Riverview for an afternoon tour of the museum. If you have any questions about hours, admission rates, or the museum in general, reach out to the museum at 813-671-3503.