Ringling Museum
I visited the Ringling Museum in Sarasota recently and learned three important facts that I would not otherwise have known. There is a Friendly’s restaurant in Sarasota now, Tony Little is doing ok, and being a Circus kingpin in the 20’s was a very very good thing.
Stopping for gas on the way south, my passenger went in to buy a water and told me she thought she saw Tony Little, yeah - that Tony Little, to which I replied “no it isn’t.” Well I was wrong, his chauffeured Town Car (I guess that gazelle thing sold ok, huh?), had pulled in for snacks while he was on his way to St. Augustine.
Alright, back to the “educational” part of this post.
John and Mabel Ringling built themselves a Venetian home right on the water in Sarasota and right next to it they built a museum. They spent the next several years traveling to Europe and buying works of art and furnishing in between signing up new circus acts. The result was the stunning estate at the end of University Drive in Sarasota.
Open every day from 10:AM to 5:30PM, admission is $19 but with a Florida driver’s license you get a 2 for 1 deal. Even better if you have student or military ID you get a reduced price in addition to the 2 for 1 deal.
The house underwent a full refurbishment in 2002 including new air conditioning (and security cameras in almost every room so don’t touch). 
Outside the large patio over looks the intra coastal and all of Longboat Key. If you wait for the free tour a docent will take you throughout the first floor and then up into the second floor for a special guided tour that is not available to those who choose to simply wander. The beauty of the estate was matched by the gorgeously restored home and being able to enjoy them both in air conditioned comfort was just what a hot Florida summer day needed.
Afterwards we took a tram over to the art museum and again allowed ourselves to be guided through the works of Ruebens and Monet (the impressionist exhibit is now over). Arranged by school, the rooms of the museum are beautiful and a guide will help you understand and enjoy what you are looking at if you are not an Art History major.
Now the estate also boasts two Circus museums and a theater in the new welcome building. As the weather gets cooler the estate will make for a pleasant walking tour and you can take more time exploring the gardens and sculptures that dot the property.
Afterwards we stopped at Friendly’s (so when the hell is Tampa getting one?) for a bite and a coffee milkshake. Weary feet and a thundering rainstorm passed by before we finished. If you are looking for a great day trip, keep Ringling in mind. It includes the best parts of Florida - water, sun, art, and air conditioning!
Tags: 366, arts, things to do, tourism, worth it
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October 2nd, 2007 at 11:49 am
Great trip, im looking forward to heading down there, thanks for the report…and a Friendly’s, its been quite some time since my youth in Long Island that Ive been to a Friendly’s.
October 2nd, 2007 at 12:58 pm
The Ringling is a true treasure.
October 2nd, 2007 at 5:04 pm
A trip to Ringling is a wonderful idea, and your post inspired me to repeat a visit I haven’t made in at least 15 years. But I don’t understand your praise for Friendly’s. C’mon, the last thing Tampa needs is another chain restaurant, with another menu full of predictable favorites. We have plenty of good ice cream all around us. Go out and support the Mom & Pop businesses who are trying to make a go of it … and forget the chains!
October 3rd, 2007 at 12:00 am
Just went down there the other weekend with my girlfriend. I was expecting some rinky-dink little museum but it’s quite a beautiful estate that we could have easily spent the entire day at. Highly recommended if anyone is looking for something different to do.
October 4th, 2007 at 10:38 am
yeah, the ringling is one of the outposts of civilization in this rather barren cultural wasteland where football appears sadly to be the center of many peoples’ lives, in lieu of anything else.
friendly’s ice cream, despite many years of corporate turmoil and numerous ownership changes, remains one of the world’s wonders. it’s not too surprising that one would pop up in sarasota because that is home to s. preston blake, the millionaire co-founder of the wilbraham-mass.-based chain, started in the 1930s. the fribble and the cheeseburgers were really something special back in the heyday of the 1960s before all the changes. but you can still sense something a little higher quality at friendly’s, even now.