For generations, the circus announced its arrival long before the first performers stepped into the ring.
Towering roadside billboards. Hand-painted posters. Flashing marquees. Colorful banners carried in parades of animals and performers promised impossible feats and unforgettable entertainment.
From July 30 through Oct. 4, the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati celebrates that tradition with a special exhibition, Freaks & Sideshows: American Circus Banners 1920 – 1970, exploring the colorful world of circus signage and the artistry behind the advertisements that brought generations of families under the big top. Learn more and plan your visit to the American Sign Museum, opens a new window. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Also, July is Disability Pride Month, and along with Freaks & Sideshows, the museum is looking beyond the colorful imagery of circus banners to explore a more complicated history.
Jason Harris, who studied Disability Studies at Syracuse University, contributed research to the exhibit and will lead a deeper discussion of how the circus both exploited disabled people and created spaces for community.
Beyond the Banners: How the Circus Impacted the Disability Community
Thursday, Aug. 27 | 7-8 p.m.
If the exhibit inspires you to learn more, Kenton County Public Library has plenty for you to explore.
When the Circus Came to Town
Long before theme parks and streaming entertainment, the circus was one of the biggest events of the year. When it arrived, entire communities turned out to watch the parade, marvel at the animals and experience a world unlike anything they'd ever seen.
The library's Faces & Places digital archive preserves remarkable photographs from that era.
One image captures crowds surrounding the Cole Bros. Circus in Covington, where horse-drawn wagons, performers and spectators filled the streets.
Another shows the Ringling Bros. circus setting up near Dayton, Kentucky, with a baseball game being played just a short distance away, a reminder that extraordinary events often unfolded alongside everyday life.
The collection also preserves more recent circus-themed memories, including a colorful postcard of Sid and Marty Krofft's Circus '70 attraction at Cincinnati's Coney Island. It was a live, psychedelic black-light puppet show that ran daily from 1969 through 1971.
Even local retailer Johnny's Toys got into the circus act with an elephant entertaining shoppers during "Circus Days" in Greenhills.
View More Photos in the Faces and Places Archive
Together, these images tell the story of how deeply the circus became woven into life throughout Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati.
Continue the Adventure With a Good Book
History comes alive when you can read beyond the photographs.
To complement the topic, we've curated a reading list featuring circus history, famous performers, the evolution of the American big top and the graphic artistry that helped make circus advertising unforgettable.
Explore the full reading list here:
Fiction and Non-Fiction selections set under the big top.
The Greatest Stories Never Leave Town
One of the joys of visiting a museum is discovering a story you never expected. The same is true at Kenton County Public Library. A museum exhibit sparks curiosity. A historic photograph preserves a memory. A book adds the people and stories behind the image.
As the summer winds down, you can experience all three.
Visit the American Sign Museum's in Freaks & Sideshows: American Circus Banners 1920 – 1970, then continue your journey through circus history and stories with KCPL's curated book list and the Faces & Places digital archive. You may discover that the greatest show on Earth left an unforgettable mark much closer to home than you ever imagined.
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