Haskin Circus Complex

Haskin Circus Complex, Tallahassee, FL 32304, USA

SAVE

Established in 1947 by Jack Haskin, the Florida State University "Flying High" Circus was launched when the institution first became coeducational, offering male and female students an opportunity to collaborate in a unique extracurricular program under the Division of Student Affairs. Today, any degree-seeking student at FSU can audition for the troupe each fall. The circus delivers a professional-grade, three-ring aerial and stage spectacle without animal acts. True to its student-driven spirit, cast members manage every operational detail, rigging equipment, stitching costumes, running sound and lighting, and erecting the iconic Big Top on campus.

While students master roughly 20 distinct aerial and ground acts, only a select few pursue entertainment professionally; most go on to traditional careers in their fields of study. The organization sustains itself by staging campus home shows each fall and spring and hosting its annual Flying High Circus Camp for youth ages 7-17. Over more than seven decades, the circus has earned global acclaim, touring Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean; earning repeat honors as a Southeast Tourism Society Top 20 Event; and receiving formal proclamations from both the City of Tallahassee and the State of Florida. That legacy was underscored in 1981 when veteran circus owner Jerry Collins gifted the Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus to FSU, cementing the university's reputation as a world-class home for circus arts.