I enjoyed the Mote Marine Laboratory. It's located next to UTC mall. They have onsite parking that…read morefills up fast. I park in the across the street at the UTC mall. Book your tickets in advance so you don't have to wait in line to purchase tickets. I spent about 1.5 hours here and it was very fascinating. I saw penguins, manatees, different size jelly fish, turtles, sharks and more. I was surprised at how many touch tanks they had. You could touch stingrays, baby sharks, starfish and more. This place is perfect for all ages.

Absolutely loved this experience. I was invited by my company to do some volunteer work with Mote…read moreLabs, and part of the experience included visiting their aquarium. They have great security and short lines, which is a huge plus for families. Walking in, you're greeted by a grand staircase that leads to all three levels of the aquarium. We made our way through each floor in order and enjoyed every part of the exhibits. The first floor has a lot of interactive options for kids, along with a massive glass viewing area that makes you feel like you're swimming alongside the fish and sharks. This might have been my favorite part--if it weren't for the second floor. The second floor overlooks the main exhibit below and lets you get up close and personal with the sharks. We even got to see a shark fin sticking out of the water, which was pretty iconic. The third floor was awesome because you get to step outside, see the manatees, and enjoy a beautiful view of the surrounding area. Overall, I think this is a great place for families. There are a lot of interactive exhibits, and everyone working there was super friendly and genuinely seemed happy to be there. 10/10, would recommend.

Best time ever for kids! The staff was so accommodating and great getting the kids involved and…read more participating in such a fun time. My grandkids told me it was the best time ever!! Thanks and kudos to the Captain and his Crew!!

Such a fun experience! The crew is so kind and amazing! My grandsons (ages 4 & 6) loved it! This…read moreis the perfect way to spend a fun afternoon with kids.

The Sarasota Jungle Gardens is a hidden gem. There's so much to do and it's one of the places in…read morethe world that you can feed flamingos. They have so many animals from turtles, parrots to baby alligators. This place is family friendly for all ages. Don't forget to see the bird show! There's free on site parking available.

Ok, not great. If you want to pay $25 to hand feed a…read moreflamingo, this is the place for you. The live bird show at noon was good. The cafe is still closed, so there is only one small restroom at the gift shop for the whole park! The animals in cages looked sad. While walking on the main path, I saw a rat! Another lady said she saw many.

If you're a local or a tourist this place is great for your child. I actually joined the rose level…read moremembership I enjoyed it with my child so much until we moved. They have arts and crafts on certain days and story time. Also special events throughout the year. They have dress up where you can dress up in costumes , tables to eat at ( bring your own lunch ) and a playground like area. Just oooodles of fun.

What a hidden gem! This is a beautiful and magical art and nature garden for kids complete with…read moreimaginative play area. The dress up area is such an awesome idea! Our girls had a wonderful time playing and exploring the garden. Can't wait to be back.

Nice place Kids enjoyed burning off the much needed food…read moreintake from Oleary's. Nice layout. Love that shade option. Keep up the great work. Will return when in the area! Respectfully, Bryan Oklahoma City

Nice park with a half a mile walking loop that is close to the marina, lots of nice boats. There's…read morea restaurant located on the premises that I didn't get to try. Enjoyed the swing bench and watching the water while exploring Sarasota. There's a lot of art featured here also. The huge parking lot is three hours max I believe.

Outstanding service provided by operator. Easy set up and surprisingly easy cleanup. This is a…read moresuper fun experience for the kiddos and TBH, I think I had just as much fun. It's affordable, it's something different for a party, and very affordable. Definitely worth checking out.

LOOK NO FURTHER!! This company is top notch- ran by…read moreincredible people, and provided a night of absolute fun for a middle and high school event. We will be hiring them again in the future!

What a great circus! It is intimate and small. The performers were excellent. After the show…read morethere was an opportunity to meet the performers - speak with them and get photos with them. I highly recommend this circus!

5 stars obviously! So fun! Johnny is sigma. Its a cool experience to have! But the bathrooms are…read morereally gross...

Lost a star for being entirely in the sun normally, this playground is part of the "Where Angels…read morePlay Foundation"'s efforts to restore childhood fun where they saw the effects of childhood trauma. (It's in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary slaughter, but don't mention that to the kiddo's.) The playground was dedicated and built on April 21st 2018. The two brothers, Christopher Ditmars died in 2001 following a battle with Lukemka, and his brother Jarrod Ditmars died in 2015 following a spearfishing accident. There's PLENTY of picnic tables around under the shade and tons of trash recepticles. We came out during Tropical Storm Elsa, so admittedly it was shady and empty, but when better to take photos? The beach is beautiful and rip currents are plentiful and deadly. Tidal pools can be found usually, and the sandbar makes the water seem calm.

I love Payne Park…read more I do NOT like too many of the people that use it. Recently, the number of unsupervised kids that are riding their bikes, scooters, and electric do dads are inconsiderate with their use of the sidewalks, their total lack of attention to their surroundings and other people. These kids need more adult supervision and parents need to take more time teaching them manners. I also am taking exception to the growing number of pet owners that think THEIR dogs don't need to be properly trained, leashed, or picked up after. The 5 O'Clock group of owners that let their dogs off theie leads and let them just take over a section of the park is non-sense. Read the signs. That is not acceptable. On several occasions, while just walking I have been run up on by dogs showing their teeth. I stop, sayd nice doggy and then move on. But some day, if I do get bit by one of these unruly monsters, their entiled owners will owe me money they haven't even made yet. I would like to see more of a park police presence for a while to get the kids and dog owners back to being decent people. And to the people that are feeding the ducks and squirrels, STOP. Read the signs. You aren't doing the wildlife any favors by feeding them and you aren't doing the other people that use the park any favors either. Payne Park is beautiful; a great place to enjoy the out of doors and the wonderful weather in Sarasota. Kids and Pet owners don't have the right to ruin the experience for everyone else. Oh, and teenagers, we know you are smoking pot there. Move away from the popular walking areas. Your weed smell like skunk butt.

4 stars because the bathrooms are closed currently due to a leak . But other than that this is a…read moresuper cute place to go to and bring your toddler. This park has a variety of activities / slides , tjings to climb oh and there's a skate park on the other side. Plus the trails are nice walking here.

This is the least Lego looking carousel I've seen at a Legoland. What stands out to the kids is…read morethat it has 2 levels, and they seem to gravitate toward that. If you aren't in the beginning of the line, it's hard to get to that 2nd level. Otherwise, it's a pretty ordinary carousal that a toddler can enjoy too.