For more than a century, the Shrine Circus has dazzled audiences around the U.S. with family-friendly delights. Shriners chapters all over the country sponsor these circuses annually, offering their members a chance to reach out to the community and giving children of all ages the chance to see thrilling stunts and exotic animals at reasonable prices. The Shrine Circus has been a bedrock of many American communities' yearly calendars for decades, creating a long-lasting tradition that builds bonds both in and between families.

Shrine Circus Background

Established in 1872, Shriners International has been one of America's premier fraternities promoting fellowship and brotherhood. Known throughout the world for their philanthropic efforts with Shriners Hospitals for Children, which offers sliding-scale medical services to children in need of orthopedic, cleft lip and palate, burn, and spinal injury care, the Shriners have also been beloved for the circuses they put on around the country.

Similar to the mission of the Shriners Hospitals, the Shrine Circus puts the idea of affordability for all families front and center. The first Shrine Circus was held in 1906 in Detroit at the Moslem Shrine Center. Since then, Shrine chapters all around the country have put on their own versions of the big show. While the circuses are more often held inside arenas than under big tops, attractions remain familiar, varying from city to city but usually including massive elephants, kooky yet friendly clowns, and high-flying acrobats.

Circus stars like the Wallendas, Clyde Beatty, and the Zacchinis have all been included in the Shrine Circus' past lineups. In 2019, the Detroit Shrine Circus featured the Dominguez Motorcycle Stunt Show, made up of former Ringling Bros. daredevils who perform death-defying tricks while encased in a steel globe. The St. Paul Osman Shrine Circus is the longest continuously running Shrine Circus in the U.S.