Shrine Circus

Near this site, on February 26, 1906, some three thousand spectators watched the nation’s first Shrine Circus. Detroit’s Moslem Shrine Temple’s one-ring show was the beginning of a major fund-raising venture for Shrine temples throughout the country. In 1907 Shrine temples in other cities began sponsoring circuses, and in 1925 the Shriners featured their first three-ring show. Originally operating for one week, Shrine Circuses appear across the nation throughout the year. Clyde Beatty and his wild animals were the main attraction in Detroit from 1925 to 1965. The Nelsons, aerialists and acrobats, and the Romigs, clowns, of Michigan were also featured performers during the early years. In the 1980s annual attendance at Shrine Circuses exceeded that of any other circus in America.