CIRCUS WORLD

By  Mike Miller July 31, 2025

Circus World, a circus-themed amusement park near Haines City, Florida, at Interstate 4 and US Highway 27, operated from February 21, 1974, to May 10, 1986.

Developed by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, it aimed to be the circus’s winter headquarters and a major tourist destination, 30 miles from Orlando.

Despite its unique offerings, it struggled against Walt Disney World and closed after 12 years.

Circus World Big Tent

In 1972, Irvin Feld announced Circus World to capitalize on Central Florida’s theme park boom. The Circus World Showcase, a 27,000-square-foot big top-style preview center, opened in 1974 after a 1973 groundbreaking.

Plans for a 19-story elephant-shaped hotel and Barnum City never materialized. Mattel, Inc. bought the park in 1975, adding rides like “The Roaring Tiger” coaster.

After Mattel sold it back to Kenneth Feld in 1982, developer Jim Monaghan purchased it in 1984 for $10 million.

Harcourt Brace Jovanovich (HBJ) acquired it in 1986, closing it to retheme it as Boardwalk and Baseball, which opened in 1987.

Circus World featured a big top tent with an IMAX theater and circus arena for live clown, acrobat, and animal shows, including elephants and polar bears.

Key rides included the wooden Roaring Tiger (later Florida Hurricane), the looping Zoomerang steel coaster (later The Flying Daredevil), a Center Ring carousel, the Grand Rapid Log Flume, and the 1001 Nights pendulum ride.

Interactive attractions like “The Day the Circus Came to Town” offered trapeze and tightrope experiences with safety gear.

The park also had a petting zoo, elephant barn, polar bear exhibit, Great Western Stampede show, flaming high diver act, clown face painting, and circus memorabilia displays.

Circus World saw moderate popularity in the late 1970s and early 1980s, drawing families and circus fans near Disney World.

Its trapeze and tightrope activities were memorable, with visitors like Michael Jackson reportedly enjoying the Roaring Tiger.

However, it never matched Disney’s crowds due to its smaller scale and less advanced attractions, peaking after ride expansions but with inconsistent attendance.

Circus World declined due to competition from Disney, its less accessible location, and standard carnival rides.

Under Mattel, it faced high staff turnover, poor marketing, and issues with cleanliness and food quality. Financial woes prevented grand expansion plans.

Circus World Zoomerang

HBJ closed it on May 10, 1986, deeming the circus theme unviable. The rethemed Boardwalk and Baseball closed in 1990 after HBJ sold its parks to Busch Entertainment.

After 1990, the site was mostly demolished, leaving the Baseball City Stadium (used by the Kansas City Royals until 2002) and IMAX building.

It was redeveloped into Posner Park, a shopping and residential complex, with no circus remnants remaining.

Circus World’s legacy endures in nostalgic memories, vintage postcards, and online forums where visitors recall unique experiences.

It briefly influenced Florida’s theme park scene, preserved in archives and cherished by historians, a fleeting dream overshadowed by larger rivals.