Traveling Carnivals: Origins & History

The setting of Ride the Cyclone is an abandoned warehouse, storing old carnival rides. In their introduction, Karnak mentions how they were “sold to the Wonderville traveling fairground.” And as Karnak reveals to the audience, the students of St. Cassian Chamber Choir meet their demise while riding The Cyclone. Even though traveling carnivals may not have played a large part in the daily lives of these students, it characterizes the world these six teenagers find themselves in while in a state that is not quite life nor death. Because of this, let’s dive into the history of traveling carnivals in the United States and their Canadian counterparts.

Origins:

The 1893 Chicago World’s Fair (World’s Columbian Exposition) is identified as the inspiration and starting point for traveling carnivals in America. Midway Plaisance, a mile-long park in Hyde Park, connecting Washington Park (western border) and Jackson Park (eastern border), served as the World’s Fair entertainment zone. Exhibits or “villages” meant to represent different countries/cultures lined Midway Plaisance. Representatives for each country’s pavilion greeted guests in buildings meant to reflect the popular architecture of their country, demonstrating traditional dances and wearing traditional clothing. National delegations of the 1893 World’s Fair were in charge of constructing their own pavilions, but how they were placed and advertised to visitors reflected a white, Euro-centric view on progress and superiority.

Attractions also occupied Midway Plaisance, allowing visitors to “ascend in a captive hot air balloon, or zoom around on the refrigerated ‘ice railway’ (toboggan roller coaster)” (Elliot). During the 1893’s World Fair, the Ferris wheel was introduced to the public for the first time, a staple of most carnivals and amusement parks today. It was engineered by George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. and stood at 264 ft. tall with “36 cars, each able to carry 40 passengers so that 1,440 people could ride at one time” (Showmen’s Museum). Established traveling shows, such as Buffalo Bill’s Wild West, stopped near Midway Plaisance while the World’s Fair was open to offer guests additional entertainment. With its range in attraction and entertainment offerings, Midway Plaisance sold more than 2.25 million admission tickets during its six month operating period. Because of its popularity, “Midway Plaisance, was shortened to ‘midway’ and entered the English lexicon as a term denoting any carnival area with games, rides, and vendors” (Elliot).

On the Move:

Because multiple traveling shows were set up around the Chicago’s World Fair, partnerships began to form that would impact a company’s future offerings. Once the Chicago World’s Fair concluded, “multiple-attraction carnivals that would travel from town to town” emerged and began to spread throughout the country (Newman). These combined carnivals typically included some sort of show and an area where rides would be set up. The types of shows these early traveling carnivals partnered with ranged from circuses to Wild West themed shows to vaudeville to magicians. Prior to the Chicago World’s Fair, each show would operate on its own (traveling) circuit and manage their own business, in terms of travel logistics and reserving a performance venue.

In direct reference to the origins of traveling carnivals, Otto Schmidt, a showman at the World’s Fair, formed the Chicago Midway Plaisance Amusement Company, which featured thirteen traveling acts. Most of these acts were also present at the World’s Fair and quickly set out on a tour of the northeast United States. However, before even completing its inaugural tour, the company went under due to poor business practices. While this maybe contributed to Schmidt’s poor business management, its premature closure also illuminates another factor in the success of traveling carnivals. Because these traveling carnivals depended on “guaranteed crowds,” revenue tended to fall below expectations when stopping in smaller towns due to “the sparse population outside urban centers in North America” (Showmen’s Museum). Therefore, multiple-attraction carnivals, with proper management, could attract a larger crowd or encourage people from greater distances to travel to a tour stop if an array of amusement offerings were present. This was proven true as several members from Schmidt’s endeavor formed their own successful traveling carnivals after the initial closure.

“The first documented traveling carnival, the Canton (Ohio) Carnival Company, opened its first show in Chillicothe, Ohio, on May 30, 1899, and it heralded a continuing relationship between carnival commerce and social service clubs in America’s small towns. For the next century, Elks and Moose and Kiwanis clubs raised money for their local charities by sponsoring annual fairs and hiring traveling carnival organizations to bring amusements to vacant lots on the edges of almost every small town in the United States.” (Showmen’s Museum)

A little under ten years later, in 1902, “seventeen traveling shows in the United States” were recorded as making their way across the country (Showmen’s Museum). And by 1905, “the number grew to forty-six” and continued to increase each year, that “by 1937 there was an estimated 300 traveling shows touring the country” (Showmen’s Museum). The rise and ability to maintain this many traveling carnivals is attributed to the lack of competition from other entertainment mediums. Because traveling carnivals attempted to bring amusement and served as a source of entertainment for towns all across the country, the lack of competition from places such as movie theatres, which would not become prominent until the 1920s, likely led to these fairs’ success in the early 20th century.

Exploring the Grounds:

Since most traveling carnivals used the railroad to transport their equipment and workers from one stop to the next, more carnivals began to set-up by the local railway station. In doing so, a carnival became easily accessible not only for those in the local town, but for families living in the surrounding cities, who were connected by the railway, too. The popularity and draw of these carnivals led to local and state governments building an established fairgrounds for their area. Over time, these state and county fairs would contract various attractions from a traveling carnivals repertoire to set up for the duration of their fair. So, despite the establishment of more of these sponsored fairs, traveling fairs could remain in operation as their business was moved to these locations and no longer operated as standalone events.

At the beginning of the 20th century, “Fairs were encouraged to feature morally sound attractions that ‘ladies and children can visit without escorts,’” which likely contributed to the image of fairs being a family friendly entertainment spot (Newman). And from their inception, these traveling carnivals included rides of varying thrill levels, shows, and food stalls selling carnival food, such as corn dogs and cotton candy.

The variety of rides and game booths that were present at each fair allowed them to offer a different form of entertainment than the shows they partnered with. Just like the traveling carnival’s origin, Ferris wheels of a smaller scale were a common sight at these fairs. Other standard rides at these early traveling fairs included precursors to the modern day parachute-type ride and towers that people of all ages could climb the interior of, then make their way back down via a slide (Helter Skelter). In later years, roller coasters, tilt-a-whirls, and dark rides, taking the forms of haunted houses or tunnels of love, would become staples at these traveling fairs too.

Carnival games at these early fairs took many of the same forms as they do today. Games where players have to toss a ball into a bucket, ring toss, and shooting galleries were common. Sentiments about these games being rigged have also been around for almost as long as these games traveled with carnivals. If a person was skilled enough to win, “it appears [prizes] could have ranged from vases to knives to night stand clocks” (Blackwood).

“Unlike circuses, which dazzled their primarily passive audiences with often large-scale spectacles and exotic animals and performers, carnivals allowed the patrons to participate--at a price, of course--by playing games and riding rides.” (Newman)

When some carnivals began to travel independently again, new shows were added to a fair’s line-up to continue entertaining visitors. The two most intriguing examples included shows that simulated a train crash and diving elks. However, these shows grew out of popularity due to heightened interests in film, which could record footage from the scene of an actual accident, and questions over humaneness. Suspicion regarding the ethicalness of such performances led these fairs to phase out shows that put a high demand on animals, as well as freakshows/side shows.

Traveling Carnivals Today:

Due to the Great Depression and World War II, which reserved the railway for military activity, traveling carnivals faced a decline in business that caused several companies to close. Gradually, traveling carnivals returned to their circuits and resumed traveling around the country. Rather than each company traveling across the continental U.S., managing companies have also established their own circuits that cover a specific region, such as Fanelli Amusements, which travels around the New England area, or RCSFun, which travels around the Southwest United States. These traveling fairs by themselves or in conjunction with a state/local fair have placed an even greater attention on providing entertainment to visitors. This can be seen today by the amount of space dedicated to rides and fun zones in comparison to exhibit halls, which would have served these state fairs original function as a way to share agricultural advancements and achievements. 

While many of the early carnival staples remain, such as Ferris wheels, carousels, and large slides, carnival’s today are also likely to feature several roller coasters, inversion pendulum rides, and multi-story funhouses. Larger traveling fairs may also separate their rides between a dedicated children’s area and an area with rides targeted more for teenagers and adults. Carnival foods have also taken on new life today with some food vendors serving creations that are meant more for pictures than their taste. Additionally, carnival games continue to resemble their early 20th century counterparts, but today, stuffed animals tend to be the most common prize.

Canadian Exhibitions:

In Canada, traveling and seasonal fairs are known as exhibitions. While the purpose or draw of each exhibition may differ, a focus on promoting agricultural history and modern advancements still appears central to many of these events. This is seen in Saskatchewan’s own annual exhibit, known as the Canadian Western Agribition (CWA). This show takes place over six days near the end of November and is recognized as “the best beef show on the continent and the largest livestock show in Canada.” A description from their website states that this exhibition’s offerings include “a unique blend of agriculture, Indigenous culture, education, shopping, and live entertainment.” Additionally, when browsing through their event schedule, a livestock exhibition, tradeshow, and the Maple Leaf Finals Pro Rodeo are some of the main features of this event.

Elsewhere in Canada, the Quebec Winter Carnival offers a variety of outdoor attractions, operating from late January to early February. While the Quebec Winter Carnival focuses more on being fun rather than educational, attendees view their time spent at this exhibition as their “way of making the best of the winter” and for those “who like to get out and celebrate” Quebec’s winter weather (Grescoe). In keeping with the winter/cold weather theme, a snow sculpture competition, ice slide, and sleigh race are some of the carnival’s annual offerings. And despite the lack of carnival rides that are a trademark for U.S. fairs, the Quebec Winter Carnival has plenty of other attractions that offer visitors the same chance for thrills. As guests travel to these different offerings, located throughout Quebec City, this allows them to stop in local restaurants or shops to take in more of the local culture. In this way, The Quebec Winter Carnival appears to integrate itself within the city, which is equally met by the store owners who welcome carnival attendees.

Sources & for Further Reading:

Blackwood, G. (2023, Oct. 23). Carnivals & Freaks: A History. Genavieve Blackwood. https://genavieveblackwood.com/2023/10/23/carnivals-and-freaks-a-history/ 

Elliot, K.K. (2021, July 9). The World’s Columbian Exposition. Smarthistory, https://smarthistory.org/worlds-columbian-exposition-midway/

Grescoe, T. Quebec’s Carnival. National Geographic Traveler. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/articles/1095quebec.html

International Independent Showmen’s Museum. Carnival Fun Facts. https://showmensmuseum.org/history-traveling-shows-america/carnival-facts/

International Independent Showmen’s Museum. History of Traveling Shows in America is Rich and Colorful. https://showmensmuseum.org/history-traveling-shows-america/

Jenss, R. (2012, Feb. 23). Celebrating Winter a la Quebec. National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/celebrating-winter-a-la-quebec

Newman, M. (1994). Meet Me at the Fair. Billboard, 106 (44). EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=sso&db=a9h&AN=9411161783&site=ehost-live&scope=site. 

Images Sourced From:

Doc’s Midway Cookhouse. History Of The Carnival Business – Old Midway Photos [Photography]. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024. https://www.docsmidwaycookhouse.com/old-carnival-midway-photos/ 

Arnold, C.D. & Higinbotham, H.D. (2007, Oct. 2). Official Views of the World’s Columbian Exposition [Photography]. Project Gutenberg. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/22847/22847-h/22847-h.htm#PLATE_91