The CANFIELD FAMILY CIRCUS consists of operating railroads, a typical American town with street parade, LAUROLYN amusement park and a complete tented circus with Midway, Menagerie, Big Top, and Backyard. The exhibit occupies and travels in an 8' by 16' trailer.

The two trains circling the layout are the third section of the Canfield Family Circus train and a replica of the Great Milwaukee Circus Parade train reproduced by Walthers. The Canfield Family Circus train consists of flat cars, stock cars and coaches. The train carries all the equipment and animals from town to town and is the home for all the circus personnel. Many of the cars are handmade while others are adaptations.

The Circus Parade marches through the town to lure the spectators to the circus grounds. Although most circus parades disappeared early in the century, the Canfield Family circus has recreated a quarter mile of the spectacular grandeur which is the street parade including replicas of the historic Two Hemispheres Band Chariot (the largest Bandwagon ever built) and the Ringling Brothers Russian Bell Wagon originally built in 1892. The town has many familiar sights from hometown USA of a few decades ago, and features operating traffic lights and simulated neon signs. Look for the accident near the railroad crossing that has brought out the flashing emergency vehicles. And the backyard Garden Railway.

The circus Midway is the front end of the circus lot and contains the Sideshow, animal rides, concessions, and the Circus Main Entrance leading to the menagerie. The Sideshow is packed with unusual and talented attractions from around the globe, including the world's strongest man, tiny midgets, a colorful tattooed lady, a daredevil sword swallower, the fattest lady in the land, Hawaiian Hula dancers, and many more. Be sure to watch the knife thrower and his revolving target. In front of the sideshow the bannerline and barkers extol the wonders on the inside while elsewhere around the midway a steam calliope lures the public, elephants and ponies give rides, games of skill offer fabulous prizes, and butchers sell hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, pink lemonade, cotton candy, and balloons. Circus tickets are for sale at the bright yellow ticket wagons and just beyond the Main Entrance Marquee is the menagerie containing over 20 cages and pens. This is the worlds largest traveling zoological exhibition bringing over 70 exotic animals from the four corners of the earth to your town.

The Circus Big Top is a mammoth arena of canvas covering 1 & 1/2 acres and seating over 4000 children of all ages. Thrilling action takes place in all three rings, around the hippodrome track, and high in the air. The three rings contain interchangeable animated acts, while overhead aerial artists and highwire daredevils display their courage. Around the hippodrome track funny clowns, talented animals, and fascinating acrobats perform for the sold out audience.

The Circus Backyard is alive with daily activities of the Circus families. The dressing tents contain the costumes and personal effects of the show's 400 performers . The Spec tent contains costumes and floats for the Grand Spectacle. The Dining Top (Hotel) seats 700 people (performers on the right and roustabouts on the left). The Cook House prepares over 4000 meals a day and employs over 50 cooks and waiters. Watch the hard working waiters serve the performers. Alongside the cookhouse, the mechanical department maintains and repairs all the equipment for the show. The Pad Room houses the performing horses and parade stock with individual stalls for over 100 horses. Behind the Pad Room, the blacksmith works hard keeping the horses in shoes, while the Circus Doctor (veterinarian) cares for the horses and all the animals of the Circus. Throughout the backyard, performers hone their skills and practice new acts. Watch the dogs practice tricks and new bareback riders learn their act.

Many other tents cover the 11 acre circus lot for a total of 45 tents. These include many donnikers(restrooms), individual star performer and management tents, concession supplies and rest tops for the band, ushers, animal handlers and roustabouts. All around the circus lot town activities continue. In one corner the cemetery provides a final rest for the town while in another a lakeside park lures campers. A nearby farm holding out against the towns industrial expansion has discovered oil while across the tracks a lazy Windmill turns in the breeze.

LAUROLYN PARK opened its gates in early 1981 along the Mainline of the Module Railroaders, Orange County Division and now accompanies the CANFIELD FAMILY CIRCUS on exhibits. It contains many operating rides from your favorite park including a Ferris wheel, a Tilt-A-Whirl, sky gondolas, a carousel with musical band organ, a chair swing , a double Ferris wheel, and a miniature train. The flashing lights of the Cyclone roller coaster fill the sky. A Fun House lures customers just outside the main entrance. Good food can be enjoyed at the snack bar, the overhead revolving Crystal Room, the top of the gondolas, or aboard the floating Mississippi paddlewheeler. The operating grist mill provides flour for the park's restaurants. The miniature golf course provides lots of fun and the petting farm provides city children with a taste of the farm life.

The thousands of pieces making the CANFIELD FAMILY CIRCUS display come from many sources most of which are available at your local hobby stores. The Circus wagons and Circus cars are made from kits by Circus Craft, Wardie Jay, Walthers, Circus Train Miniatures, and Simmons or are built from scratch. The tents are all handmade from plans created and now available through the CANFIELD FAMILY CIRCUS. The people and animals are from a wide variety of sources including Preiser, Merten, and Circus Craft. The engines and coaches for the circus trains are by Proto Power, Athearn, and Tyco. The buildings, motor vehicles, scenery, lighting and electronics are from numerous sources including Lifelike, Tyco, Bachmann, Atlas, Faller, Woodland Scenics, Campbell Scale Models, Matchbox, Tomica, Mattel, Peco, Truscale, Merit, Brawa, Busch and others. The ferris wheel and Tilt-A-Whirl are built from kits by Cummons Scale Amusements. The sky gondolas are from Brawa in Germany. The miniature train is a Z-scale train from Marklin & Kadee, the carrousel and sky wheels are kits from IHC, and the chair swing is a kit from Faller.