After 146 years, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is taking down its tent for good. Known as “The Greatest Show on Earth,” the circus will hold its final performance this May.

In recent years, ticket sales to circuses like Ringling Bros. have declined. That’s in part because of growing public concern about the welfare of circus animals. Many animal-rights activists believe it’s wrong to confine wild animals for long periods as they travel and to force them to perform—even if they are otherwise well cared for.

After Ringling Bros. retired its elephants last year, ticket sales continued to decline, eventually resulting in the company’s closure.