Starter's Guide to The Ringling

Visiting The Ringling in Sarasota, Florida, is akin to entering a whole new world. Unlike any other art museum, it allows its visitors to spend a day in the life of art-collecting, rose-planting, entrepreneurial 1920s socialites. It's the Great Gatsby and you're invited to his party.

John Ringling, of circus fame, was one of the wealthiest men in America in the 1920s. He and his wife, Mabel, built the residence, the grounds, and the art museum for their own use. To view the collections, the construction, the enormity and beauty of the place as a whole as somewhere where two people once actually lived is mind-blowing.

The Ringling includes the Art Museum, Circus Museum, Ca' d'Zan, and Bayfront Gardens. For only $5 you can walk around the Bayfront Gardens (free for children 17 and under), and beyond that visitors can customize their tickets based on their specific itineraries. Entrance to the Art Museum is free every Monday.

The Ringling Museum of Art

The art museum portion of The Ringling may be the most prevalent, and its 21 original galleries are definitely worth viewing. The museum, shaped like a U with a courtyard in the center, allows visitors to pop outside for some fresh saltwater air between exhibits if desired. The enormity of the pieces is unexpected. These are pieces that John and Mabel Ringling purchased of their own accord, simply out of their love of art.

Works of various types adorn the galleries, most permanent and some traveling. In addition to the original collection, The Ringling showcases rotating galleries, Asian Art, studio glass, local art, and contemporary art.

The courtyard in the center, full of statues and fountains, is the ideal location for a rest, a chat, or to let the little ones play hide and seek and burn some extra energy. The kind staff of The Ringling Art Museum provides maps and docents answer questions galore for the self-guided. Tours are also available and are included with admission.

Ca' d'Zan: The Ringling Mansion

Beyond the Art Museum, a short walk or tram ride towards Sarasota Bay brings visitors to Ca' d'Zan, home of John and Mabel Ringling (“Ca' d'Zan” translates to “House of John” in Venetian Italian).

Meandering through this mansion is not unlike popping into an episode of a Floridian Downton Abbey. Learning how the staff worked and lived is just as fascinating as the ornate furnishings. Parties galore transpired amongst these walls and onto the stunning terrace. During the holiday season, the mansion oozes festive décor that puts most trees and lights to shame.

Stopping on the terrace of Ca' d'Zan to appreciate the view allows visitors to reflect upon the fact that someone used to live here. It was their home, where they drank coffee, chatted with friends, read their mail, parked their yachts. And thanks to them, we get to live vicariously now.

Bayfront Gardens at The Ringling

The Bayfront Gardens are equally impressive as the art within the museum's walls. Fourteen massive banyan trees, a dwarf garden, butterfly garden, secret garden, and, of course, Mabel's rose garden give visitors a sense of wonder and whimsy as they meander the stunning 66-acre landscape.

Turtles and birds frolic in the ponds as dolphins and stingrays leap from the Bay. Statues peek out amongst the banyan roots. The David F. Bolger Playspace provides an idyllic place for kids to swing, slide, splash, build, and play.

For the full flora and fauna experience, request a tour and learn the names of each tree and bush as well as the history of the Gardens themselves. Many artists bring their supplies and set up their easels. There is no shortage of stunningly beautiful subjects to forever capture on canvas.

Circus Museum at The Ringling

Once the kiddos have gotten their sillies out, take them on a venture through the Circus Museum. Within, circus memorabilia abound with plenty of hands-on activities for those little curious hands.

The history of Ringling Circus and its performers gives a new perspective to this world of entertainers. The 3,800-square-foot model of the circus itself demonstrates the grandeur of the traveling show, as well as the hidden challenges such as quarantined animals, feeding that many people daily, and laundry.

The Greatest Show on Earth! exhibit showcases the story and stars of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Visiting The Ringling with Kids

Family Programs & Activities at The Ringling

When I take my children to many art museums, they are often treated with an unwelcome air. The Ringling is different. Of course, the art, grounds, structures, etc. are to be respected by all visitors, but The Ringling manages to go the extra mile to ensure guests of all ages can enjoy their experience.

One such way is with their ROAR! Ringling Order of Art Readers program. For free, toddlers and preschoolers enjoy an art-related storytime and activity.

Caretakers of little ones will enjoy Stroller Tours/Messy Art for Babies, a recurring event geared towards the under-two crowd.

Ringling Underground & After-Hours Events

To hang out with the cooler side of The Ringling, swing by during Ringling Underground. Live music and new artists give the courtyard a distinctly different vibe.

At times, Ringling Underground overlaps with another special feature provided by The Ringling, Art after 5. On Thursdays after 5 p.m., entry to the Art Museum and Circus Museum is $15, offering less expensive entry and fewer crowds. If Ringling Underground occurs that day, it is included with the Art after 5 ticket.

Historic Asolo Theater at The Ringling

If stepping foot in the Historic Asolo Theater makes you feel like you've time traveled to Italy, that's because you have.

The theater, originally built in Asolo, Italy, in the late 1700s, was reconstructed brick by brick at The Ringling around 1950. The venue feels intimate, timeless, and classic, and there isn't a bad seat in the house.

From the circus to Broadway, a variety of performances appear on the historic stage.