International Circus Hall of Fame

The International Circus Hall of Fame is a museum and hall of fame which honors important figures in circus history. It is located in Peru, Indiana, United States, on the former grounds of the Wallace Circus and American Circus Corporation Winter Quarters, also known as the Peru Circus Farm and Valley Farms. The property includes rare surviving circus buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and was designated a National Historic Landmark for its historical importance. Property history The Peru property was a prosperous farm when it was purchased in 1891 by Benjamin Wallace , owner of the Wallace Circus . From then until 1944 the property served as the winter quarters for a succession of circus companies, most created by succession or merger with Wallace's operation. In 1921, the American Circus Corporation acquired the property and Wallace's circus operation, and expanded the facilities. American Circus was sold to John Ringling in 1929, and it housed Ringling Brothers operations until declines in the circus business prompted its closure in 1944. The.