The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is located at 5401 Bay Shore Road in Sarasota, Florida. Driving north on US-41, the Ringling Museum is located at the intersection of where University meets Tamiami. Instead of turning right onto University, you will turn left into the confines of what used to be John and Mable’s Sarasota home.
What to see at the John and Mable Ringling Museum (see pictures below):
- Museum of Art
- Ca d’Zan mansion
- Circus Museum
- Rose Garden
- Museum Store
- Mature Landscaping
- Views of the Bay
You can enrich yourself in the history and observe the beauty of the artwork collection in the Museum of Art. Take a self-guided or a docent guided tour of the Ca’ d’Zan mansion and see relics and artifacts that belonged to John and Mable. Absorb the knowledge and history of the circus, including a figurine display full of circus performers, animals, tents, and see what it took to perform this magnificent spectacle. Browse the many types of flowers and plants in the Rose Garden. Shop in the Museum store or eat at the restaurant on site. People even have weddings on the terrace of the Ca’ d’Zan mansion!
The Ringling Museum is as much fun as it is educational. A wealth of knowledge is available to those who visit this historic venue. The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is a must see place in Sarasota, Florida.
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History
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is one of the most renowned, culturally rich, and historically important places in all of Sarasota. Now open to the public, this magnificent estate once belonged to the famous John and Mable Ringling.
Many people know the Ringling name from the circus name, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. However, John Ringling was much more than just one of the five original circus kings and more importantly, Mr. Ringling was an iconic figure that helped pave the path to the Sarasota we know today. According to the Ringling Museum website, “The Ringling’s dreamed of helping Sarasota develop into a metropolitan boom town and they became involved in the community, bought real estate, and eventually owned approximately 25 percent of Sarasota’s total area.”
In 1911, John and Mable Ringling purchased 20 acres of waterfront property on Sarasota Bay. The following year, John and Mable began spending winters in Sarasota and eventually decided to build a home where they would reside for a few months out of the year. From 1924 to 1926, the couple built the impressive, majestic, Ca’ d’Zan mansion that overlooks the Sarasota Bay, offering a distant view of Longboat Key (an area that John Ringling once owned in its entirety, though it was not the same Longboat Key we know today). As time went on, John developed a passion for art and started to comprise his own collection and created the 21-gallery museum on his property.
In 1936, seven years after the death of Mable, John passed away, dying intestate (having no heirs to his wealth or property). He bequeathed the property to the State of Florida where it has since gone through extravagant renovations.
Today, the Ringling Museum is one of the most prominent symbols of Sarasota.
If you have interest in property in Sarasota, Florida, please click Real Estate for Sale in Sarasota. For more information about real estate in Sarasota, Florida, please contact Your Suncoasteam at 941-276-5997 or sales@avalonsuncoast.com“>car@suncoasteam.com.