Baraboo, Wisconsin

Baraboo is home to Circus World Museum, the former headquarters and winter home of the Ringling Brothers circus and now the largest library of circus information in the US. This living museum has one of the foremost collections of circus carts, and occasionally hosts a parade of these artifacts through the streets of Baraboo. The Al Ringling Theatre is an active landmark of the city's rich cultural history. This grand scale movie palace is larger and more elaborate than one would normally find in a town the size of Baraboo, owing to the financial assistance of the Ringling family. Baraboo is also home to the International Crane Foundation which is dedicated to the study and conservation of the world's 15 species of crane. The nearby Baraboo Hills is designated one of the Last Great Places by the Nature Conservancy because of its unique rocks, plants and animals. Devil's Lake State Park, Wisconsin's largest state park, contains large areas of the Baraboo Hills. Baraboo is 13 miles south of Wisconsin Dells, the states summer playground. The Ho-Chunk Casino, Hotel, & Convention Center is located on Highway 12 between Baraboo & Wisconsin Dells and is the nation's 4th largest Indian gaming site.