The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus we once knew and loved officially packed up its tent for the last time on May 21st, after 146 years of putting on the Greatest Show On Earth.
Low ticket sales, restrictions on animal acts and the increased cost of operation caused Ringling Bros. to derail, and now we're left with nothing but the memories of what went on under the Big Top for over a century.
Don't get me wrong, it's a good thing we now have stricter laws regarding animal acts, but I'm always sad to see a part of our history fade away and can't help but feel bad for kids who won't get to see the circus come to town.
BuzzFeed put together a high-flying assortment of photos that span the one and a half centuries of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey history, so we can look back on what made the circus so great even after it's gone for good.
See This Is What Over 100 Years Of Circus History Look Like here