The Amazing Ringling in Sarasota: Awesome Art and Circus History

Many of the best museums, or at least the most famous museums in the USA are located in either New York City or Chicago, but the Ringling is located in Sarasota, Florida and is epic in the best ways. It’s not full of the world’s most famous works of art, but it’s a complex with an exceptional art museum, museums of circus history (think about it: RINGLING), beautiful gardens and grounds, and the famous Ca’ d’Zan historic mansion. The Ringling is more than a rainy day activity but is a full day of learning and enjoying beautiful art and exhibits.

Have you been to the Ringling Museums and estate before? Located on the waterfront of Sarasota and looking out towards Longboat Key it’s in an amazing spot and can fill a whole day of your trip to Sarasota or Venice, Florida. We’ve got lots to share, but if you have more questions or want to provide your own tips, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help others plan a wonderful travel experience!

Why Visit the Ringling in Sarasota

I’m not ashamed of my love of circus history and getting to both attend circus events and dig into circus history. The Ringling in Sarasota is a testament to both the phenomena that the Ringling Bros, Barnum and Bailey Circus was and the legacy John Ringling left behind. Whether you’re into the circus or not, the Ringling is WAY more than circus history and memorabilia.

The Ringling Museum of Art is amazing. It’s a gorgeous building with the most incredible sculpture gardens full of bronze replications of famous classical works. The galleries in each wing of the Ringling Museum of Art are full of both permanent and special exhibitions spanning from pre-Renaissance to modern art, Asian art collections to contemporary art. Even if it was only the art museum, these galleries would make the Ringling worth visiting.

Another highlight of visiting the Ringling is getting to tour the Ca’ d’Zan house. This gorgeous 1920s mansion is built right on the water and takes design inspiration from the Doge’s Palace in Venice, Italy, the Alhambra in Spain, and the reclaimed architectural features from other historic structures. It’s a beautiful house to tour and the view across the bay is perfection. It’s the crown jewel of the Ringling estate. Wait, there may actually something else that’s even more interesting and impressive than the Ca’ d’Zan.

In the Tibbals Learning Center at the Ringling there is a 3600 square foot miniature setup of the most grand 1920s circus rolling into town. The level of detail in every element of this giant miniature (sounds funny) is astounding. You can see everything from moving trapeze artists to performers putting on makeup, and even all the animals performing or being unloaded from the incredible circus train. Our kids have loved grand models since they were little and first experienced Miniature World in Victoria BC, and this circus model absolutely took the cake.

Is the Ringling Worth Visiting?

Y’all, what do you think I’m going to say? I love museums, whether I’m at the MoMA in NYC or visiting every single museum in San Diego’s Balboa Park. The Ringling is particularly worthwhile because of the diversity of museum experiences. As I mentioned, if you’re into art, history, architecture or gardens you’ll have a great visit.

Having said that, because you can choose how to build your admission ticket, you can put the value where you best see it. If you’re just interested in checking out the gardens of the Ringling Estate, get the $5 ticket and enjoy the beautiful banyans and bayfront. If you want to visit the Museum of Art and/or the circus museums, then get that ticket ($30 for adults, and you have garden access too). Add on visiting the Ca’ d’Zan (historic home) if you like ($15 per person) or add on a guided tour of the different areas. You can turn your visit into whatever you see as holding the most value for your group. I think it’s all very worthwhile.

Note: due to the double hurricane situation of 2024, the Ca’ d’Zan house is still not fully open to the public (Fall 2025). The goal is to have the full residence that has traditionally been open for tours available again in early 2026. Check with the Ringling website to confirm how much of the Ca’ d’Zan is open for visiting.

Tips for Exploring the Ringling Campus

When you’re planning your day at the Ringling in Sarasota, be sure that you give yourself enough time. Consider all the different museums onsite and the beautiful grounds, and then figure out how much time you need. Here are my thoughts for how long each part of the Ringling could take if you’re not rushed:

• Circus Museum – 40 minutes
• Tibbals Learning Center – 60 minutes
• Ca’ d’Zan – 40 minutes, 75 when full Ca’ d’Zan is open
• Ringling Museum of Art – 90 minutes or more
• Gardens – 60 minutes to stroll through the different gardens and bayfront

I’m always a fan of arriving at a museum when it first opens. I love being the first one in and enjoying the quiet as I roll through the exhibits. Also, as the morning goes the parking area starts to fill up, so get to the Ringling early enough that you don’t have to walk crazy far to start your visit. And don’t worry, there is a coffee shop inside the main visitor entrance so you can take care of your coffee needs. Since visiting the Ringling is actually an experience that takes several hours, you can also have lunch here at the Ringling Grillroom, or you can even bring a picnic to enjoy outside.

While you could just come visit the Ringling museums in Sarasota simply for the main art museum or to enjoy the grounds and gardens on a free Monday, if you actually plan it to do the whole estate you’ll be glad you did. When it comes to visiting the Ringling with kids, each of the museums is actually interesting with a broad range of appeal, particularly if your kiddos visit museums often or are just into learning. While art museums aren’t always the top pick for an activity for our kids, especially when there’s a beach or kayaking nearby, they loved the Ringling, with the circus museum areas being their favorite parts.

Being Prepared for a day at the Ringling

Depending on how you plan to enjoy the Ringling, you don’t really need to bring much with you. We always travel with water bottles, and with the huge garden areas and play space, yes, you’ll need them. The museums are no food/drink zones, but you can still have your closed water bottles with you. You can bring snacks or lunch as well to enjoy out on the grounds. There are tables and lawns, shady areas and benches, and no shortage of places to relax to have a bite and break up your time wandering the grounds of the Ringling.

If you’re bringing an umbrella (yes, you must walk outside between the different museum buildings) the Ringling does provide umbrella bags so you don’t drip everywhere, but really, running through an afternoon Florida rainstorm is half the fun! Wear comfortable walking shoes, even if you’re only planning on visiting the Ringling Museum of Art. Nothing makes museum fatigue set in faster than museum feet. Let me tell you about the only fight we had in Paris after spending a day in the Louvre without the right shoes…

Photography around the grounds and in the museums is allowed and encouraged as long as you’re not being intrusive. I don’t know that you need to bring gear but the grounds are beautiful and the banyan trees here are one of the best groves of them on the Florida Gulf Coast.

Parking at the Ringling

I mentioned earlier that you’ll want to arrive at the Ringling plenty early in the day. Yes, there is lots of parking, which is free, but due to the size of the Ringling campus and all of the things to do, the lot will start to fill near the main entrance early. You’ll have plenty of walking to do throughout your day, so parking a little closer is nice.

Operating Info for the Ringling Museums

Just in case you need to contact the Ringling and its museums or to get some more detailed information, or you just want to browse a bit and see what you can glean from them before you plan your visit, here’s all the info you need to add this to your travel plans.

• Hours / Season of Operations: daily 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
• Website: Helpful Info page
• Phone number: 941-359-5700
• Physical address: 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, FL 34234
• Book your visit here: Tickets – note the different museum areas included with your ticket type

More Florida Gulf Coast Things to Do

So now that you’ve decided that you just can’t miss the Ringling when you’re doing your Florida Gulf Coast road trip, you probably need some more suggestions where you so go and the things to do. You can have it be the beachiest of all beach trips or you can mix it up with cool towns, freshwater springs and all kinds of other shenanigans. The Gulf of Mexico is gorgeous and you’ll have a great time exploring.

I hope you’re excited to plan a visit to the Ringling. It really is such a cool collection of museums and gardens, and it’s a must when you’re visiting Sarasota and the Gulf Coast of Florida. If you have any questions we didn’t cover, from visiting the Ringling to planning your time exploring Sarasota and Venice, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help you plan a great trip!