Exploring the Ringling Museum
📍 Ringling Museum, Sarasota
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As a born-and-raised Floridian, it’s so easy to only think about the beaches and theme parks. A benefit from this past year, not being able to travel fully, is that I had ample opportunity to explore more of the Sunshine State. Palm Beach, Boca Grande, Amelia Island, I loved each destination. The most recent city I added to that list happens to be one of the closest. Just a quick drive away from St. Pete, over the Skyway Bridge, is the Gulf Coast gem of Sarasota. For this particular visit, I only had one destination in mind for exploring: The Ringling Museum!
The History
Where to begin with the history? The Ringling Museum is named after John Ringling, best known for his circus empire in the early 1900s. He and his wife Mable would spend their summers in Sarasota and ultimately purchased a large property overlooking Sarasota Bay. While he was a man of many hobbies, he was also a prolific art collector. Upon his death, he willed his collection, his mansion, and the rest of the property to Florida. Since the Ringling Museum formed in 1927, it has been named Florida’s official art museum and is viewed as one of the best cultural institutions in the state.
The Ca’ d’Zan
When we arrived at the museum, I made a bee-line for the Ca’ d’Zan. A lover of all things Venetian, the Ringlings were inspired by the Floating City in Italy to create a Gothic revival mansion steps from Sarasota Bay. In fact, Ca’ d’Zan translates to House of John in Venetian dialect. As you walk through the mansion, you can’t help and think, “if these walls could talk.” John and Mable Ringling would frequently hold extravagant parties here. Nearly 100 years later, every corner still oozes the opulence and gild associated with the Roaring Twenties. Not to be outdone is the bayfront façade. Here, you get a full view of the home’s stain-glassed windows and gothic features. It was enough to leave me speechless.
The Gardens
After the Ca’ d’zan, we took the time to walk through the sprawling gardens on the Ringling property. Mable Ringling, in particular, had a very green thumb and took great pride in her work. Her greatest joy was the Rose Garden which serves as a central point to the museum. In total, there are about 66 acres of garden space, includes 14 sweeping Banyan trees that make you feel like you’re in an ancient forest. To take full advantage of the gardens, I recommend coming during the cooler Spring or Fall months.
The Art Museum
The piece de resistance of The Ringling must be the Art Museum. It’s the greatest testament to John Ringling’s legacy. The exterior is designed to look like a Renaissance Italian palace in the prettiest shade of pink. As you walk through the sweeping archways and statues, you instantly feel transported to Europe. Inside, there are 21 different galleries filled with Baroque and Late Medieval art straight from Ringling’s extensive collection. Throughout his life, he had acquired well over 1,000 pieces. Although I don’t have an art background, visiting art museums is one of my favorite pastimes. Walking through the museum was such a joy. I just can’t believe such a beautiful collection was right in my backyard all along.
The Circus Museum
Because Ringling made his fortune through his family’s traveling circus, the property also has a special museum to honor that heritage. So, if I’m being honest, I have a slight phobia of clowns steaming from my childhood. While there were none in person, I was a little on-guard while walking through this museum and probably didn’t enjoy it as much as I could have. I did love the vintage advertisements and 44,000 piece model that showed how vast his traveling circuses were. The Circus Museum gives a kid-friendly element to the Ringling and makes the experience perfect if you visit as a family.
What an experience! The Ringling Museum was the perfect excuse to visit Sarasota. As you plan a trip to the Gulf Coast, be sure to make time away from our world-renowned beaches for an opportunity to explore a different side of Florida. Happy travels!
Love from Florida,
Katie
As always, thanks for stopping by! To keep up with all things about the Sunshine State, be sure to visit my exclusive Florida page, here.