Ringling Museum

Anyone looking for tips on how to do Florida this Summer, go checkout Ringling Museum in Sarasota. It was about an hour and a half drive from the Raymond James Stadium area in Tampa. I used my Waze app ofcourse and it made for a very easy drive. The drive back was not so easy due to the Tropical Storm, Colin that made its appearance but that can be expected of unpredictable Florida weather just days after Hurricane season officially started. I was able to enjoy the Ringling Museum free with student ID, and FYI free on Mondays as well. Also, although the first floor is already included with admission, I was told that the mansion has free guided and expanded tours (at certain times) only during summer. This includes upstairs living quarters and the tower. I was also given great advice to return at Christmas time. I’m assuming the grounds are decorated for the holiday.

I arrived just past noon.  Parking is free and you enter the Museum box office and gift shop building. After you receive your wristband, ticket, and map you walk outside along a sidewalk to “The Big Show” Circus Museum #1. FYI there are tram stops available to pick you up from anywhere and take you anywhere at no charge. They look like they hold up to 8 people on a golf cart. This building has two floors. Another important tip is to check the time on your ticket. This was not explained or mentioned to me and apparently my ticket was for 1PM (had I known I would have gone straight there or not taken so much time in the Circus museums to begin with and I had to wait from 2:30PM until 4PM for the next self guided tour at the mansion. You can enjoy a marvelous hand crafted replica of the circus by Tillman and many sights and sounds the circus was well known for. The second floor has interesting artifacts, history, and a timeline of events.

You may enjoy the Dwarf garden just outside the gift shop prior to Museum #1. There are about 6 statues and a few detailed benches to explore and beautiful trees surround this unique path.

My second stop was Circus mueseum #2. It is one story and has a real cannon that was used, animal cages, and a railroad car with kitchen, bedroom, and observatory. There is also many costumes that were worn on display, family history, newspaper articles including the Hartford, CT fire devastation, and Ringling family history through photos.

To the middle is an amazing playground for children with a great big slide and unique swings. The Mabel Rose garden is a must see. Absolutely sniff the roses! There are all kinds of roses of all shapes, sizes, and colors. I really liked the lemon spice rose. There are statues surrounding the garden and a gazebo in the middle.

Next I followed the trail through the Millenium trees. The palms along the waterway are beautiful and nothing I have seen before. At the end is an exhibit for Walker guest house. This is a small 24×24 I believe and functional beach house with screens instead of walls and only a kitchen, bath, office, and living room area. 

I entered the traveling exhibit first which showcased Asian art. The building was uncomfortably cold and the employees even said so and they were wearing jackets. It is located on the second floor of the building which exits into the magnificent courtyard. There are statues of mythical gods lining the building and beautiful large doors with great detail. There are fountains with great works of art facing a giant David. I had time to visit most of Peter Paul Rubens and others art work. The paintings are on large canvases and display passionate stories including Madonna and the Child.

The architecture at the mansion is beautiful. Make sure to look at the ceilings because there is so much talented art work to be seen. It took four years for the artist to paint. John Ringling and his wife enjoyed his home for only 3 winters if I heard correctly. The outdoor terrace provides a wonderful view of the ocean. The windows are big and colorful.

There is a Secret Garden to be seen closest to the mansion where Ringling, his wife, and Ida rest. Ringling and I share the same birthday, May 31. There is a variety of flowers in the garden with all kinds of colors of purple, yellow, and orange.

I drove twenty minutes to Siesta Key just after 5PM n when the museum closed. It was cloudy and just before the rain hit. The waves were strong. The water was not as clear as I expected, not a beach for snorkeling. There was very few shells. I think the beach rates high because it cam accomodate masses of people. It has free parking, playgrounds, lots of volleyball nets, and park safety patrol. I was disappointed when I tried to get a photo with the sign that reads “Voted #1 Beach” because there was a strange, loud protest going on with a crowd of people that seemed tp be drinking or partying to music and dancing with hula hoops and such. Men stood with a microphone and a poster in front of the sign I was speaking of, blocking anyone from going near it or taking a photo of it without getting them and their poster in it. It may have been a religious or political protest but not really sure. There were about 8 police officers just standing and watching it all happen.

I was disappointed that I took several snap chat videos and pictures that did not post or save and therefore dissappeared, never to be seen by anyone. It was of my first half of the journey including my attempt at “walking the wire”.