Menlo Circus Club

ABOUT MENLO CIRCUS CLUB A group of young girls met on an Atherton Estate around 1920 to ride their horses and play. These girls created a "club" and decided to put on a circus for the delight of their parents, friends, and neighbors, as young children do. The mother of one of the girls, Mrs. W. B. Weir, offered that the revenues of the circus be donated to the Stanford Convalescent Home (now known as Lucile Packard Children's Hospital). The first circus was hosted on the W. B. Weir property at Middlefield Road and Glenwood Avenue in the summer of 1920. Youngsters rode their own horses and ponies, while others brought along pet cats, goats, and dogs that they had trained to perform stunts. The Stanford Convalescent Home received $500 from the first circus. The circus flourished the following year. Adults turned the circus into a social gathering, attracting visitors from as far north as San Francisco and south as San Jose. The circus grew in size, as did the social event, in the third year, and it became clear to parents that the circus had overrun the two fields. Land was purchased in the fall of 1922 for the creation of the Menlo Circus Club, which was formed the following year. AVAILABLE EVENT SPACES The Menlo Circus Club, located in the heart of Atherton, provides welcoming and gracious accommodations for private events such as Weddings, Holiday Gatherings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Class Reunions, Birthday Parties, and Cocktail Receptions. The large entrance immediately sets a classy tone that is appropriate for any occasion. For your event, the Clubhouse can accommodate up to 350 people. Each suite boasts a different view of the Club's lushly maintained grounds. Our beautiful dishes have been painstakingly picked by our amazing culinary experts, and we provide private outdoor events overlooking one of the Bay Area's finest Polo Fields.