Ringling Museum of Art

Posted on November 11th, 2009 by karyn

John and Mable Ringling had more than a love for the circus. They had a love of art, and appreciated that unique serenity and peace that one can only find in nature. As such, they turned their property located in Sarasota, Florida into a place of elegance and beauty that generation after would be able to enjoy.

Ringling Museum of Art is one of Central Florida’s greatest collections of artwork from all over the world, and is the official State Art Museum of Florida. There are 21 galleries tastefully displayed with European paintings, and Asian art. You’ll also find lots of Cypriot antiquities, American and contemporary art, and many other mediums by Master artisans such as Rubens, van Dyck, Velázquez, Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese, El Greco, and Gainsborough. The museum was created in 1927, and is only one of the attractions located on a 66 acre piece of Sarasota, Florida.

The Circus Museum, established in 1948, is also located here. This museum holds some of the most treasured and original pieces of the American Circus’s rich history. You’ll find parade and baggage wagons, original posters of all sizes depicting the attractions that people could come see at the circus, and some of the spectacular sequined costumes that performers have worn over the years. The mansion is just as special.

The Ca’d’ Zan Mansion is an exquisite example of Gothic Italian architecture, and is considered to one of the last Gilded Age mansions to be built in America. It has 56 rooms all furnished with original pieces, and awe-inspiring art work from all over the world. It sits alongside Sarasota Bay which only adds to its beauty.

Just as the pieces that adorn the inside walls of the art galleries, the garden and grounds of the Ringling Museum of Art are unique pieces of art in and of themselves. A stroll through the Rose Garden, Mable’s Secret Garden or along the Millennium Tree Trail will brighten anyone’s day as the magnificence of it all captures you.

Be sure to stop at this beautiful and captivating place the next time you’re traveling through Sarasota, Florida.

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