DAVENPORT, Fla. — If you drive through Davenport, you will see a booming town full of growth and business. But what you may not know is that at one point, it was home to a theme park.
Circus World opened back in 1974. It featured clowns, trapeze artists, and other circus performers. The park also had a petting zoo, rides, and an experience where guests could become a clown.
Tampa Bay 28 spoke with Visit Central Florida about tourism in this area, and they say that is when the boom for Davenport really took off.
“You have to go back into the late 70s and really early 80s as well. There was an attraction that was there called Circus World. And Circus World was a vibrant attraction and was great for kids and adults as well. It was right at the corner where Posner Park is right now. And that went on for years. You know, millions of people went there. It was just a great, great place,” said Mark Jackson, the Executive Director of Visit Central Florida and Visit Central Florida Sports.
He continued, “So that was the genesis of the Davenport. Well, with the exception of going back to the 20s, when it was really a business hub as well, sort of the crossroads of the state of Florida, if you will, with the accessibility to pretty much everything you want to do within minutes. And that's the attraction.”
Circus World eventually closed after 12 years and would become Boardwalk and Baseball, which was another short-lived theme park.
