Today's daytrip offers more than sixty acres with history of art, architecture, plus the history of the circus. This is the John and Mable Ringling Museum Estate.

You'll start the daytrip inside the Tibbals Learning Center to see the history of the circus in America. The 3800-square foot Howard Brothers Circus model is the largest miniature circus in the world and it will bring back memories of a night under the Bigtop.

Jennifer Leemer Posey at the Tibbals center says, "It's huge, it's expansive. it's really a document of what the circus was in America in the early part of the 20th century. It really shows how it transformed a town when it rolled in for just one day."

The circus made John Ringling one of the richest men in America in the 1920s. He used that money to build this massive estate in Sarasota, and move his circus south for the winter.

Ron McCardy says, "Most people are caught off guard, because they think of Ringling being circus only. This was very sophisticated and elegant, as they were."

John and his wife Mable built their dream home on the waterfront in Sarasota. The mansion is called the Ca d'Zan. The name translates as "House of John". It is a 36,000 square foot mansion with 56 rooms and stands as an example of the couple's exquisite and worldly taste. The couple didn't have any children of their own, so the two left their estate to the people of Florida.

McCardy says, "They were spectacular. They truly wanted to give something to the people. The reason they chose Sarasota? It was a community they were helping to develop in every way."

Virginia Brilliant tells us, "I think you can see in the art collection; the desire to create an educational environment."

The Ringling Museum of Art houses 21 permanent galleries, highlighting works from the renaissance and baroque periods. Ringling wanted to bring the beauty they'd experienced during their world travels back to the people of Florida. He was also very fond of the gardens he'd seen in Italy, and recreated those gardens outside the museum. In the courtyard you'll find cast molds of original statues, including Michaelangelo's sculpting of "David."

You could easily spend a couple of hours at any one stop on the Ringling Estate. If you want to see it all, expect this daytrip to literally take all day.

The Ringling Estate is in Sarasota. It will take about 90 minutes to get there from Fort Myers.
Take I-75 North to exit 213. Take University Parkway west for about 7 miles and the road runs right into the Museum, just west of U.S. 41.

The Estate is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Admission:
Adults: $19
Seniors: $16
Kids 6-17: $6
Students & Florida Teachers: $6
Kids Under 5: Free

John Ringling wanted everyone to be able to enjoy his art museum, so the Ringling Estate keeps with a tradition he started, by opening the museum for FREE every Monday. You will still pay the regular price for the other Estate features.