Watch Replay: Ringling Bros. Circus 'Greatest Show On Earth' Final Performance

UNIONDALE, NY — The famed Ringling Bros. Circus held its final show at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island on Sunday, marking the end of a 146-year run of "The Greatest Show On Earth." The circus announced in January that it would be shutting down for good, citing high operating costs and declining ticket sales, which saw a dramatic drop once the circus stopped using elephants.

The final show on Long Island was the circus' "Out Of This World" production. The other production put on by the company, "Circus XTREME" closed out with its final show in Providence, Rhode Island. The Associated Press spent time with the circus in its final days, documenting what sets it apart, such as the fact that it's the last circus anywhere to travel by train.

Pressure from animal rights activists was credited as being a reason for the circus closing. Animal rights activists have long protested the show and how animals are treated. On its website, the animal rights group PETA cites 36 years of protests against the circus as the reason it is shutting down.

"Yes, people no longer have a taste for that kind of entertainment," Lisa Lange, senior vice president of communications for PETA, told NPR. "But we believe it's because they now know what that kind of entertainment costs those animals."

When the circus' parent company, Feld Entertainment, announced the closing of the circus, the Associated Press reported that some of the 500 or so employees would be given jobs at the company's other shows but most will be out of a job. And as for the animals, the circus said it will find homes for them.

The final show was live streamed on YouTube and Facebook Live. You can watch the final edition of the show below:

Photo: Flickr/CreativeCommons/Steven Depolo