The winter home of John & Mable Ringling has 36,000 square feet & 56 rooms. Ca' d'Zan was meant…read moreto impress! It was completed in 1926 after 2 years of construction, the mansion quickly became a social hub in Sarasota. Today, Ca' d'Zan offers a glimpse into John & Mable's taste and lifestyle, transporting us back to the glamorous Roaring Twenties. The name Cà d'Zan means "House of John" in the Venetian language; in Italian it would be "Casa di Giovanni". Completed in 1926 by Owen Burns, Cà d'Zan features an eclectic array of architectural styles including Venetian Gothic, Italian Renaissance, Moorish, and Spanish-inspired elements drawn from different historic periods. The Ringling visited Venice, which inspired & influenced the house. Mable Ringling died in 1929, John Ringling continued to visit Cà d'Zan through financial collapse, a quickly dissolved second marriage, and his declining health until his death in 1936. Cà d'Zan was part of John Ringling's bequest to Florida, along with The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, which were meant to be a memorial to and the philanthropic legacy of their lives. The estate was in limbo for 10 years,, it took time to settle debts, claims by heirs taxes before the state of Florida could take control of the property. Cà d'Zan was uninhabited from 1936 to 1946, and the home deteriorated during that time with a lack of interior climate control. Cà d'Zan opened to the public in 1946 as part of the State Art Museum of Florida. In 1982, the home was listed as a contributing property on the National Register of Historic Places.

This place is definitely full of luxurious items, art collections and just the detailed artwork in…read morethe ceilings and more. So worth visiting!

Such a beautiful and peaceful place! If you want to relax, take a nice walk, enjoy the bay views,…read moreor just slow down for a while, this is the place. I loved seeing people of all ages enjoying the park--from kids to seniors. There's a great playground for children, places to sit and relax, and food and drinks nearby. Best of all, it's free! Such a great Sarasota spot--highly recommend!

Sarasota Bayfront is such a beautiful place to spend an evening, the bay views are amazing, and you…read morecan walk around and take pictures. The night views in Sarasota Bayfront are absolutely stunning. The views are really picturesque. There's plenty of parking, and there's a tiki bar right on the water, which makes for a really great experience.

This is a very popular bridge in the Sarasota-Siesta Key-Longboat areas because of their…read moreconnection. The RCB was reconstructed in the early 2000s and is supposed to last for 75 years. It is a favorite with pedestrians, runners and walkers, fishermen, mommas with baby strollers, tourists, bicyclists, and dog-walkers. There is a walkway built on the bridge, which measures about .6 miles one way or 1.3 miles there and back. Good exercise. You can also walk over to the Bayfront Park in Sarasota, which is located on the north end of the bridge. Bird Key Park is located at the south end of the bridge. Both parks are worth visiting. At night, the bridge is lit up with bright royal blue lights. In the evenings, it is pretty crowded with people watching the sunset! I love it. We traveled over it at least twice a day while we stayed in Sarasota.

The John Ringling Causeway, known as the Ringling Bridge, is a 4 lane bridge in Sarasota, Florida…read morethat connects Sarasota to Lido Key, St. Armands Key & Bird Key. It's a vital hurricane evacuation route for barrier island residents. This segmental box girder bridge is 3,097 feet long and 65 ft tall.

Relaxing, enjoyable cruise off the pier at Bridge Street. Nice tiki boat with tables and bathrooms…read more Saw dolphins in the bay and beautiful sunset in the gulf. Professional, accommodating, helpful captain and steward. BYOB they provide bottled water which was great. Highly recommend. Beautiful evening.

Delightful sunset cruise! Friendly crew, nice boat, loved the tables (perfect for byob drinks and…read moresnacks), appreciate the tiki cover (nice to have shade). 1.5 hours was great amount of time. Got dinner after. Check in was by the gelato place and boat was past the oyster bar. Just be sure to plan in extra time to park and check in.

Food was delicious! Service was amazing.....We will have to go back some other time when they have…read morethe music. We are in about 5 PM. Music doesn't start till later.

jR's Old Packinghouse is a decades old mainstay with a "old Florida" feel in Sarasota, Florida. I…read moredropped in after trying to find a local sit-down restaurant for lunch for a party of four on an early Saturday afternoon. The down home digs were homey and inviting and we chose to eat outside in the covered patio out front. The menu is interesting and varied; I'd state some of the food is county-style and some has a Cuban flair. My shrimp entree, which I chose to have, accompanied by rice and beans was very good. My daughter selected the chicken fingers and the portion was hearty and she devoured it. JR's has a special brunch menu and live music regularly so check out their website for information. Check this place out if you like charming-go frills places with great food.

I was in Florida visiting my dad for his birthday in march and knew he'd want to get out on the…read morewater. We found Kokomo charters by chance and it was legit the best day of the trip. We did the half day tour with Captain Aaron on One Love and it was phenomenal from start to finish. His boat is gorgeous which is also a nice bonus. He took us all the way to Sarasota and showed us a bunch of the sites and then took us to a little cove where we swam and paddle boarded for a bit. We got to see a bunch of dolphins and he even got some to play in the wake of his boat which was gorgeous. All in all, I would recommend this to anyone who is going to be in the area and will deff be returning next time we visit my parents. My dad didn't stop talking about what a nice day it was for the rest of the weekend so it would also make a great and unique gift!

We rented the memory maker for a sunset cruise for my mom's 60th birthday and I couldn't think of a…read morebetter way to celebrate. This charter company is absolutely incredible. I was able to show up early and decorate the boat and set up food, Coree and Michael were so helpful with everything including even helping us set up our food drinks and decorations. They have everything you need on board like cups, plates, serving platers, silverware, ice, wine glasses etc! Michael was our captain and he was fantastic in every way. Coree was our first mate and she was amazing, helpful, and so fun! I highly recommend this crew if you rent from Kokomo! 10/10 experience and I'll be back for more 100%.

Went to a donation based event in the park to see Christmas lights. Great way to see Santa and the…read moreGrinch for a reasonable amount of money (or free). It's been hard to find pictures with Santa for a reasonable amount in the area and now I know to come back here next year! Only thing I struggled with was walking to the entrance after I parked. Bring a flashlight!

Wonderful local park - great for a short hike, an educational trip regarding native plants or a…read moreplace to sit quietly and enjoy nature.

A group of residents from our community took the hour and one half tour of Sarasota architecture…read moreand design; I learned more in that time than the 7 years we have lived here about the history and establishment of Sarasota. Tammi (owner/guide) is a wealth of information and makes the tour worthwhile. The trolly is air conditioned and comfortable- highly recommended

This experience was the perfect activity to dive into Sarasota, FL. The length was perfect and…read morecomfortable, while having many landmarks. I moved here 6 months ago, and was surprised there was so much to learn about my own city and its gems! I strongly encourage going to the Ringling Museum before or after this trolley tour - we had just gone to Ringling Museum the day before, and it made it that much more special to learn how interwoven the Ringling family is to the fabric of this city.

Fantastic evening at the Field club in the Grill room with friends! This is a private members only…read moreclub on the Sarasota waterfront with tennis facilities, pool and multiple dining areas and well worth the visit if you get an invite from a member! The building is historic with many great touches, and the food and service did not disappoint! Salmon and fillet were both outstanding as were the tuna and shrimp appetizers. Desserts were also absolutely delicious and large portions easy to share. If you're in the mood for something sweet, cold and delicious after dinner, try the Whisper! Thanks for a fantastic evening!

The Field Club is a private country club that seems to be pretty exclusive. I attended a wedding…read morethere so I am reviewing that experience. And quite frankly, it was wonderful. The ceremony was located on a beautiful lawn area looking right out into the water. That was followed by cocktail hour which was located at a nearby event room with an outdoor patio. Then we moved into one of the dining rooms for the reception. My meal was salmon and it was fantastic, as were all of the servers and bartenders all evening. It was a great wedding and I'm glad I got to experience this place.