The exhibit is on the third floor of the museum as a permanent record of the Barnum Festival’s rich history in the greater Bridgeport area. Capturing the unity and sense of pride stimulated by Barnum Festival founder Herman W. Steinkraus in 1949 and 59 years of annual celebrations, the exhibit explores and features Bridgeport’s cultural heritage, embodying the festival’s mission to enhance the “economic and emotional well-being of the people.”

On May 12, 1949, Mr Steinkraus said: “I have been asked to write a few lines as to how the idea of a Barnum Festival originally came to me. It came as I was thinking about Bridgeport and its people, and what might be done to help our citizens appreciate the city more and at the same time help the rest of the country realize the importance of Bridgeport.”

The Barnum Festival has been in constant operation since 1949 and has established a legacy of outstanding fundraising efforts to demonstrate commitment to the community through organizing and running a broad range of events open to the general public. The popular events include the Great Street Parade, Sky Blast, Champions on Parade, the Royal Family Competition and the Jenny Lind Competition and Concert, among others.

The exhibition enshrines the vibrant history of these extraordinary programs, and opens doors for the community to engage, reflect and delight over the stories and memorabilia of past festival years. There are ball gowns, portraits of past Ringmasters, popular pins, posters and props, old festival photographs and other Barnum Festival paraphernalia to view and reflect upon as symbols of the community spirit and historical significance the festival has given to the City of Bridgeport.

The exhibit was funded by the Greater Bridgeport Area Foundation, the City of Bridgeport and private donors, and clearly commemorates P.T. Barnum’s famous quote from 1891: “The Noblest Art is that of Making Others Happy.”

The Barnum Museum has three floors of absolutely fascinating exhibits that illustrate the extraordinary life of Phineas Taylor Barnum. P.T. Barnum, one-term mayor of Bridgeport and four-term member of the Connecticut General Assembly, was born July 5, 1810, in Bethel and died April 7, 1891 in Bridgeport. The original museum building, owned by the City of Bridgeport, is listed in the national Register of Historic Places and is totally handicapped accessible.

The Barnum Museum is at 820 Main Street in Bridgeport. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 seniors and college students, and $3 for ages 3-17.

Regular hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 4:30 pm, and Sunday from noon to 4:30 pm. Call 203-331-1104 or visit Barnum-Musreum.org for additional information.