Chautauqua of P.T. Barnum at Dangberg Historic Park

Chautauquan Doug Mishler will portray circus showman P.T. Barnum at the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park on Wednesday, July 11 at 6:30 pm.

Phineas Taylor Barnum was an American showman, politician and businessman remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and for founding the Barnum & Bailey Circus. The circus business was the source of much of his enduring fame. He established "P. T. Barnum's Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan & Hippodrome", a traveling circus, menagerie, and museum of "freaks", which adopted many names over the years.

As an entrepreneur, and a man of many talents and ideas, P.T. Barnum had a grand presence telling wondrously fractured tales gathered during his 50 years of humbug and showmanship. His stories of mermaids, dwarfs and circuses uncover the heart and soul of 19th century American culture.

Over the last twenty years, Chautauqua scholar Doug Mishler has become nationally recognized for bringing “history to life.” In addition to P.T. Barnum, Mishler has presented Jack Warner, D.W. Griffith, Theodore Roosevelt, Stonewall Jackson, and fourteen other historical figures in Chautauquas nationwide. Mishler has a Ph.D. in American cultural history from the University of Nevada, Reno.

This event is also made possible with the assistance of Nevada Humanities, an independent affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The cost for the Chautauqua event is $5 for adults, free for members and for 16 years and younger.

The full Dangberg Summer Festival event schedule is available at dangberghomeranch.org.

The Dangberg ranch house will be open for one hour before the concert for anyone who would like an introduction to the Dangberg family history and the park's artifact collection.

This an outdoor event, and visitors should bring their own seating. Please no dogs, legitimate service animals only. The park is located at 1450 Hwy 88, ¼ mile north of the Carson Valley Veterinary Hospital.

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