John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art

John Ringling was one of the founders of the famous Ringling Brothers Circus.  He and his wife vacationed in Sarasota in the early 1900s and purchased their bayfront property in 1912.  Their original house was located on the same spot where their ornate palace, Ca d'Zan, now stands.

Combining their affection for Sarasota with their love of baroque art, they decided to build a museum on the estate grounds and fill it with the finest paintings and other objects of art that they could buy.  When John Ringling died, he left to the State of Florida over 600 paintings, including the world's largest private collection of works by Peter Paul Rubens, and thousands of other objects--prints, drawings, sculpture, antiquities, pottery, jewelry and furniture.

The beautifully landscaped grounds contain over 400 species of Florida trees, plants and flowers, sculpture garden figures and Mable's historic rose garden.  The Banyan Cafe is open for lunch or a snack.  Browse through the 3 gift shops located on the property.

Today, visitors from around the world visit this wonderful complex overlooking Sarasota Bay. The art Museum, Ca d'Zan, the Ringling mansion and the Museum of the Circus are all open to the public daily.  It is located in north Sarasota, west of U.S. 41.