Attractions & Tours

Looking for a memorable dining spot to brag about to your friends and family after visiting Sarasota County? Here are some of the best Sarasota restaurants that offer an experience for the eyes and the stomach!

​Find out about Sarasota history, microbreweries, ghost stories, and the best restaurants in town with our local tour companies. 

Want to learn how to weave with recycled materials? How about trying your hand at a fun painting technique called ‘acrylic pour’? Or learn how to use chalk paint? Or take classes to play the ukulele?

Maybe you’re looking for hand-crafted soap, felt flowers, essential oils, vintage clothes, a beautifully rendered fish mount, local honey, intuitive readings, or hand-made jewelry?

Explore Sarasota's top animal attractions, from lazy manatees and flamingos to majestic elephants and big cats.

Are you amazed by animals? Or do you feel particularly connected to them and jump at every chance to be close to them? Well then, Sarasota County is a great place to be! We’ve got lots of local attractions where visitors can get up close and personal with all kinds of creatures—from tiny seahorses to fierce-looking lions.

What you need to know about framing up the best possible shot during your trip to Sarasota County (plus bonus tips from a local photographer)

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus launched a clown college in the Florida beach destination in 1967, and gave the world a new generation of entertainers

Sarasota County has long been synonymous with the circus and the art of clowning.

It is a relationship that dates back nearly a century, when John Ringling, the Midwestern impresario, moved the winter quarters of his Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus from Bridgeport, Conn. to a burgeoning Florida city called Sarasota in 1927.

Take a spin in our time machine, and plan an excursion filled with nostalgic charm from breakfast 'til bedtime

Ever have the urge to plot an escape to a different decade?

Maybe there's a tropical shirt in your closet that's screaming for a kitschy, oh-so-Florida tourist backdrop from the 1950s like flamingos or a tiki lounge? Perhaps you're in the mood for a sophisticated splash of Mid-Century Modern, or the Roaring Twenties sounds like the bee's knees.

Everyone in the family can find something they will love to do at these top attractions

Sarasota is a great spot for a family vacation. Whether your kids still need a stroller or spend hours scrolling through their phones, young visitors of every age will find something to love at Sarasota County’s major attractions. Here’s an easy guide to get you going.

The Ringling

Find out how to find those favorite backdrops from the show and stars' social media pages around Sarasota County