We booked the Uncovering Ca' d'Zan Guided Tour ($40 per person) before flying to Florida. The tour…read morelasts about 60-70 minutes and includes the main rooms on the first floor, a peek into the Tap Room with stories about indulgence and Prohibition during the 1920s, as well as select spaces on the second, third, and fourth floors of the Ringlings' magnificent waterfront mansion. I'm so glad I booked this tour! it was the highlight of our Florida trip. Our tour guide, Susan, was professional, knowledgeable, and full of humor. She made the entire experience both informative and relaxing. Ca' d'Zan is simply breathtaking. This stunning Mediterranean Revival mansion sits on the shores of Sarasota Bay and was built in the mid-1920s as the winter retreat of American circus magnate, entrepreneur, and art collector John Ringling and his wife, Mable Burton Ringling. Although the mansion is over 100 years old, it still radiates the glamour, elegance, and artistic vision of the Ringlings. Every room is filled with exquisite craftsmanship and thoughtful details that reflect their passion for art and architecture. One of my favorite features was the magnificent ceiling paintings by the Hungarian artist Willy Pogany. Each one tells a story from another era, preserving its beauty for generations to admire. Standing on the terrace overlooking Sarasota Bay, I couldn't help but be reminded of the atmosphere from the movie Great Expectations. There was something incredibly romantic, mysterious, and timeless about the view. To me, Ca' d'Zan feels alive. If you slow down and listen carefully, the mansion tells its own story. There is glamour. There is longing. There is sadness. There is hope. And somehow, there is a place for you within it. I absolutely fell in love with this place. Without a doubt, this was the best attraction we visited during our trip to Sarasota. I would highly recommend the Uncovering Ca' d'Zan Guided Tour to anyone visiting the area, and I will definitely return to explore the Museum of Art next time.

The Ringling is absolutely beautiful and there's way more to see than I expected. You get…read moreeverything from circus history to ancient art and artifacts, contemporary pieces, gorgeous grounds, statues and the rose garden. The roses were supposedly in season, but honestly that part was a little underwhelming. My personal favorites were the ancient artifacts and the circus miniature. There are also some parts of circus history that definitely haven't aged well, including minstrel depictions, but history is history and I appreciated that it wasn't sanitized. My biggest issue was being asked THREE separate times to show our wristbands while walking the grounds. Normally, no big deal, but we watched larger groups walk right by without being questioned while our group of three kept getting stopped, despite our wristbands being just as visible. By the third time, it was hard not to feel like we were being profiled. That was disappointing, especially after driving an hour for a close friend's birthday. I usually don't spend my money where I feel unwanted, but I wasn't going to let it ruin her day. Beautiful museum and absolutely worth experiencing, but that part of our visit left a bad taste in my mouth.

This evening Tony and I went down to Sarasota Bayfront Park to walk around!…read moreFree parking! The huge famous "Unconditional Surrender" Statue depicting the infamous end to War World 2 was on display! This is very lovely! Highly recommend!

The Unconditional Surrender statue (even the name is bursting with a romance and hope) is 26 feet…read moretall aluminum computer generated statue by Seward Johnson of an iconic 1945 photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt, V-J day in Times Square. It is installed along the Bayfront between O'Leary's Tiki Bar & Grill and Marina Jack. It's easy accessible with plenty of parking spaces around, and gorgeous backdrop of blue sky and marina in the back. A sailor kissing the nurse, both happy to hear that the war is over.. it is hard not to feel an enthusiasm and hope, great addition to the Downtown Sarasota.

Beautiful mural for a beautiful day. Love murals and we loved this city. Love seeing all the public…read moreart and recommend you check this one out

From the beginning to the end of our stay was perfect I believe this place to be family owned…read moreeveryone there was wonderful to me and my husband! The maid survives was excellent. The property is an oasis . We enjoyed it so much.

I had an enjoyable extended stay here. Comparable experience as other hotels in the area I…read morefrequent, such as the Art Ovation or Westin. This is 1/3 of the cost so I'd say it's a good value. Also feels like a family owned type of deal which was nice to see. I didn't spend a lot of time in the common areas, so cannot comment much on the state of the pool or tiki bar other than that they looked well kept. On fri/sat nights there was a solid crowd using both. I was able to find some secluded areas with hammocks and fire pits, which I appreciated. My room had a spacious and fenced back yard with multiple tables and an umbrella. There is smoking allowed in the yards and a few times I could smell my neighbors cigarettes while outside. Not a huge deal. Stove, kitchen sink, microwave, mini fridge, and tv in my unit as well. Lots of utensils and plates in the cabinets. Only takeaways I could note that keep my review from being a perfect 5 stars - the parking situation is rough. The front lot was always full due to how small it is. The back lot is unpaved and shared with the public tiki bar. Tight lanes and cramped spaces that are flooded with drunk people leaving at night since they aren't staying at the hotel. I didn't feel my car was very safe from scratches/bumps on weekend nights. Also the unpaved lot kicked up lots of dust onto my luggage and shoes, which ended up all over the inside of my car. It's gravelly mud as well so it's stuck to my seats and floor mats. Probably was worse than usual since i was loading my luggage after a night of rain. That being said, the parking was free. So take this relatively menial issue as you will.

I started taking fine art classes at the art center when i was ten and i plan on participating in…read moreupcoming art shows in the future! Great place for the whole family for art education, collecting, and more!

Great Florida show while we were there. Lovely sculptures outside8de. Art class programs. Community…read moreinvolvement and art shows. The Sarasota Garden Club and its butterfly gardens are a block away. Lioneer Park and the Historic Society just up the road. What's not to like? Art in lots of media. Abstract and realistic. Colorful and filtered. I thought it was neat the studio space was at the center of the gallery space Everything from tapestries to sculptures and digital art. Entry is free to donate as you see fit. Support the arts.

Artist owned and operated Gallery offering two and three dimensional pieces of art. Now located in…read morethe heart of downtown Bradenton on Old Main Street. Award winning artists as well as "guest artists" are displaying their works with price points to meet all budgets. Very helpful and knowledgeable.

Been there several times in recent years, and never disappointed. While some of the art is weak,…read morethere is enough decent art to make the trip worthwhile. Pricing is reasonable, parking EZ, and people who work there are helpful. Shown here is one we bought

Along the Lemon Street Promenade you can find the 24th annual Florida Outdoor Sculpture…read moreCompetition. Out of 60 sculptures submitted for review, 11 were chosen for display by a committee of community members and Polk Museum of Art staff. The Lemon Street Sculpture project is a part of the Parks & Recreation budget. Each artist chosen receives a $1,500 honorarium which they use to get their pieces to Lakeland and for the installation costs. A crane is made available through Lakeland Electric for installing larger pieces. The app Otocast will give you mor information on the art as each artist describes their piece. All of the art pieces will be on display until the end of 2024. Lakeland residents are able to vote on a People's Choice Award and this year the winner selected was Live Large by local Lakeland resident Keith Williams. The sculpture is based on a smaller piece the artist made in 2017. Keith welds and fabricates his art pieces out of recycled metal. His art studio is called 4th Dimension Art & Fab which offers public art and custom fabrication and welding services for the public. As soon as I saw this delightful piece I had no trouble understanding why it won because it was my favorite sculpture too. The piece features a hiker with his faithful dog at his side. The dog has so much personality I couldn't help but fall in love with him. Live Large will be on display in Lemon Street Promenade until the end of this year. Hopefully Lakeland finds a permanent home for him nearby.

Sailor Circus Academy started in 1949 and is now a top circus training program. The venue is very…read morenice, the inside of the building really gives you a circus tent feeling. 3 times a year they have a show. The spring show we visited was called "Victorious " and it was super. Lights, music, 2 very good announcers made it a spectacular show. It was 2 hours of fun and excitement. I will let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

I last went to the Sailor Circus about 50 years ago. It was great to get to go again. There are…read moreperformances only 3 days, Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m. and a matinee and evening performance on Saturday. The circus performers are kids! Their ages range from 6-18. It is truly amazing what these youngsters are capable of doing. Not only are they doing many of the typical acts one associates with the circus(tightrope walking, juggling, aerials, unicycle and bicycling feats, high flying on trapezes), but they are incredibly strong. Both the boys and the girls are able to swing from trapeze bars and hold on to other performers who spin and twirl high above the circus floor or catch a performer flying through the air. The boy who pedaled the bike was strong enough to carry 5 other performers who did handstands while in motion. It's a wonderful show put on by school children. Bright costumes and great music! The show is 2 1/2 hours, including a brief intermission.

Great food! We stumbled on a music trivia night and that was fun too! Excellent vibes.read more

3 Keys Brewing is conveniently located on Manatee Ave close to 41. The building has an old time…read moreFlorida feel with porch seating. Upon entering the restaurant, you will see a bar directly in front of you, and plenty of table seating off to the right in the main dining area. When 3 Keys first opened, they did not have the best food. Now, their food is high quality. I ordered the "we be jammin" burger and it was excellent. The beer did not impress me on my most recent visit. I tried two IPAs and found them to be below average. I would return, but I would hope to try better beers. They certainly have a local following as the brewery has plenty of customers on a Sunday night.