Name: Spring Grove Cemetery
Address: North 7th Street, Delavan, Wisconsin, 53115, United States

About

Located in Delavan, Wisconsin, Spring Grove Cemetery dates back to the mid-19th century and reflects one of the most unusual chapters in Wisconsin history. From 1847 to 1894, Delavan served as the birthplace and wintering ground for traveling circuses, with more than two dozen companies passing through or settling in the area. Many performers never left. Today, over a hundred, and possibly more than 200, circus workers, performers, and managers are buried within Spring Grove and nearby cemeteries, including influential figures like circus promoter William C. Coup, Chicago dime museum owner George Middleton (who gave Harry Houdini his start), and the legendary dentist showman Dr. George Morrison.

What sets Spring Grove apart is how visibly that history remains. Numerous graves are marked with small identifying plaques noting circus affiliations, and some burials are tied only to stage names, reflecting the transient lives many performers lived. The cemetery itself is quiet, traditional in layout, but layered with a cultural identity rarely seen elsewhere in the Midwest. It is not just a cemetery, but a resting place for what was once considered the “circus capital of the nation,” a place where elephants, performers, and entire traveling communities once overwintered.

The cemetery’s reputation as haunted originates from local tourism and storytelling. According to regional accounts, including a Delavan tourism feature, former circus workers buried here are said to linger, with claims of apparitions resembling clowns, acrobats, and even circus animals appearing after dark. The idea of performers who lived under assumed identities, died far from home, and were buried under stage names creates a narrative that naturally invites speculation. At Spring Grove, the line between history and folklore is thin, and that tension is exactly what draws curiosity.