MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – The Wisconsin Historical Society will assist preserve the future of a historic theatre in Baraboo after acquiring it last week.
The society’s board approved the acquisition of the Al. Ringling Theatre on Friday, but talks have been ongoing since July 2022, the society explained in a Facebook post.
The acquisition includes $3 million in community donations to support the theater long-term. The Al. will become part of the society’s Circus World operations as part of this support.
“This is the outcome that we wanted to see to secure the long-term future of the Al.—it’s a win for Baraboo, a win for the regional arts community and a win for historic preservation in Wisconsin,” Vice President of the Al. Ringling Theatre Friends, Inc. Paul Wolter said “The theatre will now benefit from the Society’s resources, operating infrastructure and expertise.”
The historical society says they will be ramping up programming at the theater slowly and hiring a technical director to run operations.
The theater was founded in 1915 by Al Ringling and his brothers from the Ringling Brothers Circus, who were natives of Baraboo.
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