The Immel Circus is a 100-square foot miniature replica of a complete circus. Massillon native Dr. Robert M. Immel started working on his circus in 1946, when he returned from the service. “I think everyone should have a hobby and should develop that interest young,” he said. He began his life-long hobby by carving circus wagons with his dentist tools, just as he started his practice. He moved from wagons to figures, and completed the carvings over a period of nearly 50 years.

The circus is comprised of 36 elephants, 186 horses, 102 assorted animals, 91 wagons, 7 tents and 2207 people – a total of 2620 pieces.

Dr. Immel singles out the eight-horse liberty act as one of his most prized carvings. Early during the six weeks it took to sculpt the ensemble, he discovered an allergy to the mahogany he was using. “I had to get allergy shots twice a week to be able to finish,” he recalled.

The most recent carving in the circus is a seven-piece elephant mount. Of the hundreds of hand-carved pieces on the board, none are alike. Some figures are hand-crafted pieces by friends, including retired circus troupers.

Shortly after Dr. Immel started carving and assembling his circus, he also began collecting circus memorabilia. Items which he has donated to the Massillon Museum in addition to his circus include 115 photographs of circus sideshow acts (the fat lady, Siamese twins, etc.), 559 circus letterheads, 128 books, costumes, figurines, posters, and 357 miscellaneous circus photographs. Among the 256 circus programs donated, Dr. Immel says that one stands out – a 1904 program in German that came from Buffalo Bill’s last tour of Europe.

Among the thousands of circus items Dr. Immel has collected, he favors the one-of-a-kind Tom Thumb memorabilia. Clothing worn by Tom and his wife, Lavinia, and their wedding album are included in the collection, along with the gold-tipped cane used by P.T. Barnum.

While the carved circus replica is among the few permanent displays in the Massillon Museum, the other artifacts in the gallery – costumes, posters, figurines – rotate regularly.