The Ringling, Florida, United States

5Anthony 5:00 PM Dec 25, 2022

3 Attractions in One
The Ringling Museum is one of the top attractions in Sarasota and definitely worth a visit if you are in the area. It is centered around John Ringling, one of the Ringling Brothers of circus fame. It consists of 3 attractions: 1) Circus museum: Broken down into two buildings, there are numerous exhibits and artifacts covering the bygone era of the traveling circus, and more modern circuses. We got to learn a lot about circuses when they were by far some of the biggest events. 2) Art museum: A collection of primarily European paintings and artwork. In the middle of the building is a large courtyard with a variety of sculptures including a replica of Michaelangelo’s statue of David. 3) Ca' d'Zan: The mansion of John Ringling situated by Sarasota Bay. Note that visiting the inside of the mansion requires an add-on to normal admission. Would recommend spending at least half a day to cover the entire place and also view the gardens surrounding the buildings. Free parking is available across the street from the entrance. Tickets can be purchased at the visitor’s center where there is also a gift shop and a restaurant that I highly recommend.

5Tod A 5:00 PM Feb 28, 2023

A nice leisurely place to visit if you have any interest in history and the circus
Neat place on the campus of Florida State University. For us it was quiet and peaceful on a Tuesday afternoon. Crowds were very manageable, mostly senior citizens. We feel you can spend anywhere from 2 hours to 6 hours looking around. Just depends on your interest level. Staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. Made it into three of the four buildings before we ran out of steam. Would like to return someday to see the house which from the outside is fascinating as well as to walk the extensive grounds and gardens. Minor criticism in that some of the displays really did not have an explanation of what they were. A little more detail would have been appreciated. We ate lunch and recommend reservations or getting their earlier than noon as the restaurant, which is not large, filled up completely. Restaurant staff worked very hard and successfully to keep things moving and people fed.