After 133 Years, Ringling Bros. Circus To Close on January 15, 2017 Get link Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Other Apps A blind child in Chicago sits on the back of a kneeling elephant from the Ringling Brothers Circus in April 1917. Ringling Bros. will have elephants perform for the final time Sunday, May 1. This January 2005 photo, provided by the Animal Protection Institute, shows circus elephants chained in Jacksonville, Florida. Feld Entertainment Inc., which produces the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, agreed to pay $270,000 for allegedly violating the Animal Welfare Act on several occasions from June 2007 to August 2011, according to a 2011 news release from the U.S. Related articles Ringling picks 1st female ringmaster in 146-year history Ringling Bros. Circus to face final curtain after 146 years Ringling Bros. Performers Teach Students Life Lessons END OF AN ERA 'Greatest Show on Earth' closing after 146 years Why M-Commerce Is the Best Sales Weapon for 2017 The Bollywood and Hollywood titles to watch out for in 2017 Twitter Weird Science Facts, Volume 17 Official: Michelle Williams Will Play Janis Joplin in Biopic