Riverview, Florida: Carnival History Museum

Now in a new building, the museum houses colorful artifacts, photographs, and eclectic memorabilia from the carnival and circus midways of the past, spanning over a century of traveling shows in America. Don't miss the Sound Truck Calliope, which played loud, rousing marches to let the public know that the Big Show was in town.

We went to the Showmen's Museum with a Groupon, but I would be okay paying the regular admission price. There was a ton of stuff in there to look at!

This carnival history museum includes over 52,000 square feet of exhibits, featuring carnival games, photos, rides, and relics.

52,000 square feet of American carnival history, highlighting the traveling shows. Includes several rides (1900s Ferris wheel and 1950s children's carousel among others), trucks, original sideshow banners/props, vintage signs, posters,carnival games, memorabilia, ephemera, a large model railroad-scale circus, calliope, and several travel wagons. The museum is staffed by volunteers from the International Independent Showman's Association and all of the items were donated by members. These are the folks who've invested in the business of entertaining us for the last 50 years or more. They've got great stories from the road, and all admission goes to the upkeep of the museum.

The museum contains an incredible collection related to the history of carnivals and amusement parks, as well as the history of the neighboring town of Gibsonton, which was once home to over 50 "human oddities" (sideshow freaks). The museum charges admission but you can view antique carnival trailers for free from the parking lot.

And in the surrounding neighborhoods -- which are still a base of operations for the carnival industry -- you can see many rides, trailers, and mobile hot dog stands in various stages of repair and construction.