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.

We had a wonderful tour with Caleb. It was tailored to what we were interested in seeing.read more

We had an amazing experience flying with this company. Mark our pilot went above and beyond to…read moreaccommodate us and made us feel very safe and comfortable during the flight. The whole experience was breathtaking and exceeded our expectations. 100% recommend booking with Mark!

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.

My boyfriend and I went on a personal tour with one of your sweetest tour guides, Susan, and she…read morewas amazing. She took us to three super cute locations: Patrick's 1481, Bevardi's Salute, and Brick's, and we finished with a gelato spot! All the staff at each location were really sweet, except for the hostess at the first place. But overall, the experience was still so good. We had drinks at all three spots, but my favorite was definitely the watermelon lemonade at Brick's. It even comes with a watermelon garnish At first they were out, but our sweet server Gerald made it happen for me, and I really appreciated that. After that, Susan went out of her way to show us a speakeasy around the corner from the gelato place. It wasn't even included in the tour, she just did it to be nice because she could tell my boyfriend used to be a really great bartender, which made it feel extra special. Overall, it was a great experience, and I would 100% come again!

We had a wonderful time! It was fun tasting different foods and learning about the history of the…read morearea.

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!

Great experience! my daughter, son-in-law, grandsons, husband and I all agree it was everything we…read moreexpected and more. We highly recommend booking with Captain Bruce! Enjoyed the entire experience!

Bruce was fantastic! My wife usually leave the reviews but I just had to say how great it was. Toms…read moreof Manatees and some great videos of the dolphins jumping right at the boat! Very knowledgeable about pretty much anything you could ask.

Be prepared for a pleasant surprise at the museum. It is truly magnificent. And as they say a…read morepicture says 1000 words this certainly does. There's so much to see and do here and you don't have to be bothered with the tour guide you simply walk through and see what you want at your own pace. Several parts you can get into for free but we often pay the $25 to have full access to the museum. Was money well spent. The grounds of this museum as well as its interior is splendid. Plan to spend several hours here so you can absorb everything.

Surpringly expansion collection of art, both classic and modern. We took advantage of their free…read morecurated tour of the classic pieces and then did a self guided tour of their modern collection. The modern exhibit included work of Yayoi Kusama and Lichtenstein.

I don't think this is a legitimate business. I wanted to book a helicopter ride in April, but…read morecouldn't reach anyone from the company to set something up. I called twice, emailed, & sent a message through Facebook. No follow up whatsoever. The first time I called, I did reach a representative. She didn't even know the schedule or whether they were doing rides that weekend. Then she told me to call back later. Also, I feel like any place that promotes "Influencers ride for free" on their Instagram should be avoided.

Always a good time to get in the air. Fast, simple, fair, friendly and far out. Getting up above…read morethe Bradenton regatta with the doors open on a fun Florida Saturday don't get much better. Do it! YOLO.

John was a tour guide and was Great!! He took me and my family to some very cool snorkeling spots,…read moreand provided us with all the gear and water.

We had the best time ever! We saw tons of dolphins. Went to Egmont Key and then went snorkeling…read more The kids had a blast and our captain was so nice!