In Sarasota, Florida, a miniature circus covers more than 3,800 square feet, according to The Ringling's Circus Museum teacher guide. The Ringling Circus Museum describes the Howard Bros. Circus Model as a historically accurate rendition of an early twentieth-century circus, made up of more than 42,000 pieces. It is the centerpiece of the museum's Tibbals Learning Center. One man made it. Howard Tibbals, a circus lover and philanthropist, built pieces for the model across most of his adult life, and his gifts helped pay for the building that houses it. The story covers how the model grew, how it reached Sarasota, and what else the Tibbals family left the museum.
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