While short-lived in Pigeon Forge, Tommy Bartlett’s Water Circus is fondly remembered by those few who attended
It took ten years to find the perfect land for Tommy Bartlett’s Water Circus in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. In 1976, 110 acres of farmland were finally purchased with 450 feet of US Highway 441 frontage. A 20-foot-tall dam was built to hold 8.5 million gallons of water to form the man-made Gatlinburg Lake. 25,000 lbs of steel was used to construct the 4500-seat stadium. And yet, the attraction only operated in Pigeon Forge from 1978-1982. However, despite its short run, Tommy Bartlett’s Water Circus is still fondly remembered by those who were lucky enough to catch a show in the late ’70s and early ’80s.
Tommy Bartlett’s Water Circus in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is a gone but not forgotten attraction. It featured incredible stunts by talented performers across a man-made lake. There was even a water-skiing clown and a Helicopter Trapeze Act. Ultimately, it closed in the 80s, but parts of the attraction remain in Pigeon Forge.
IN THIS ARTICLE
What was Tommy Bartlett’s Water Circus?
The water circus in Pigeon Forge began with a parade of boats and was followed by water skiing acrobatics, ballet, trapeze artists, trampoline acts, a juggling comedian, and even a water-skiing clown named Aqua. One of the main events was the Helicopter Trapeze Act, which featured Dave Merrifield. It is exactly what it sounds like — a trapeze artist, trapeze-ing about, while suspended from a helicopter. Merrifield “helicoptered” coast to coast and was featured on national television. As an 11-year-old, he practiced every day on a homemade trapeze suspended from a backyard tree. (Don’t try that at home).
Pigeon Forge’s water circus also featured Rudolph Delmonte, a “handsome-as-a-Greek god” contortionist extraordinaire who came from a long line of show business performers. One of the early “slapstick comedy” routines came courtesy of the Huntzicker & Botsford Trampoline Comedy Act. The duo showed off their athletic ability as they entertained the crowd with corny jokes. Water skiers from all over the country would come to perform at the water circus in Pigeon Forge, with performers from Texas to Connecticut. The attraction even featured a handful of local performers native to Pigeon Forge and Knoxville. The entire program was said to have been under the personal direction and supervision of Bartlett himself.
Who was Tommy Bartlett?
Bartlett never attended high school. He had a modest start in the entertainment industry doing kids’ roles on the radio when he was 13. He eventually moved to Chicago and grew to become Chicago’s No. 1 radio personality. During World War II, he pivoted to flight and became a flying instructor in the War Training Service. He then served as a Northwest Airlines pilot from 1943-1947. Eventually, he returned to radio, where he hosted shows like “Meet Tommy Bartlett”, “Tommy Bartlett Show” and “Welcome Travelers”.
When network TV came around, Bartlett saw that it was time to pivot in his career yet again. After being inspired by a water skiing show in Chicago, he saw an opportunity and set up a water ski show. The show started touring in 1952 and appeared in Madison, Wis. The next was in Wisconsin Dells. At that time, the show consisted of two tow boats, four jumping boats, a pick-up boat, a few trucks and trailers and twelve men and women who doubled as skiers and boat drivers. The show ran for 26 years in Wisconsin Dells before Bartlett brought the show to Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
Bartlett compared himself, in a small way, to Walt Disney. He believed in the quality of his acts. Ironically, Bartlett himself only reportedly water-skied once in his life, on his 70th birthday. Bartlett passed away in 1998 at the age of 84.
What happened to Tommy Bartlett’s Water Circus?
According to an article in the Chicago Tribune, the company sold the Pigeon Forge attraction to finance “Tommy Bartlett’s Robot World,” reportedly a $2.5 million investment that planned to display an array of animated androids. Today, that investment is known as the Tommy Bartlett Exploratory, an interactive science center with more than 175 hands-on exhibits. It is currently open and operating in Wisconsin Dells.
The water circus is permanently closed in Wisconsin Dells. As for the land in Pigeon Forge, the canopy is still rusting in place on Sugar Hollow Road. The lake has been filled, and Life Changers International Church sits nearby.
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Do you remember Tommy Bartlett’s Water Circus? If so, let us know in the comments!
My wife and I attended the shows for about 3 years in that time frame and were very entertained. Missed them when it closed.
Is this the water circus that was once on hwy. 321 in townsend tn ?
Don’t remember this but do you remember a place called Fairy Tale land or something like that. Must have been around 62 because everyone was talking.
I remember going and watching a show here back in the early 80’s when I was around 1a yrs old. I remember how beautiful it was set in the mountains, green lush Forrest. Another beautiful place I remember was Hungry Mother Park where I had an encounter with a Puma one night, wish I could go back and do it all again.
Tommy Bartlett’s Water Circus and Porpoise Island were magical for me when I went there on a family vacation in 1980. Such wonderful memories. My Dad loved it! I remember him saying that it was one of the few places he had been where he really felt that he had gotten his money’s worth.
Both places were so unique…sadly, nothing like them left in the area.
Tommy Bartlett’s Water Circus was magical for me when I went there on a family vacation in 1980. Such wonderful memories. My Dad loved it! I remember him saying that it was one of the few places he had been where he really felt that he had gotten his money’s worth.