Discover how traveling sideshows captivated audiences across the United States.

Step right up for a journey into one of the most fascinating chapters of America’s story—the great American sideshow. Wildly popular throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, sideshows entranced audiences from small-town fairgrounds to bustling city streets, becoming a fixture of American popular entertainment.

In this program, presented by Tom Phoolery Productions, we’ll trace the evolution of the sideshow from its humble beginnings to its golden age and eventual decline.  Along the way, we’ll look behind the curtain to discover the real lives of some of its most famous performers.