United States
Florida (FL)
Southwest Gulf Coast
Sarasota
Things to Do in Sarasota
The Ringling
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The Ringling

See all things to do
See all things to do
The Ringling
4.5
7,348 reviews
#2 of 146 things to do in Sarasota
Speciality Museums • Art Museums • History Museums
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10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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About
The Ringling is located in Sarasota, Florida and preserves the legacy of John and Mable Ringling. It is home to the State Art Museum of Florida, the historic Ca' d'Zan Mansion, Bayfront Gardens, the Art Library, two Circus Museums, and the Historic Asolo Theater. The grounds and gardens are free to visit, and the Museum of Art offers free admission on Mondays.
Suggested duration
2-3 hours
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Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Top ways to experience The Ringling and nearby attractions

The area
Address
Best nearby
Restaurants
88 within 3 miles
The Ringling Grillroom
42
174 ft$$ - $$$
Sunnyside Cafe
314
0.5 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Cafe • European
Banyan Cafe
132
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Cafe
Four Winds Cafe
4
0.1 mi
Captain Brian's Seafood Market & Restaurant
483
0.5 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Seafood • Soups
Rico's Pizzeria
99
0.3 mi$ • Italian • Pizza
Mama G's Coffee
49
0.5 mi$ • Bakeries • German • Cafe
Dewar's Clubhouse
25
0.5 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Bar • Pub
Starbucks
22
0.5 mi$$ - $$$ • Quick Bites
Subway
12
0.5 miQuick Bites • Fast Food
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Attractions
102 within 6 miles
Asolo Repertory Theatre
327
473 ftTheaters
Sarasota Ballet
13
473 ftBallets
Ca d'Zan
2,182
0.2 miHistoric Sites
Sarasota Classic Car Museum
508
0.2 miSpeciality Museums
Kotler-Coville Glass Pavilion
5
0.2 miArt Museums
Legacy Trail
544
1.3 miBiking Trails
Marietta Museum of Art and Whimsy
378
2 miArt Museums
Sarasota Jungle Gardens
1,357
1.1 miZoos • Gardens
The Powel Crosley Estate
64
0.7 miHistoric Sites
Bayfront Park
271
Bodies of Water • Parks
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
7,348 reviews
Excellent
5,690
Very good
1,298
Average
222
Poor
50
Terrible
88
Tod A
Allison Park, PA12 contributions
A nice leisurely place to visit if you have any interest in history and the circus
Mar 2023 • Couples
Neat place on the campus of Florida State University. For us it was quiet and peaceful on a Tuesday afternoon. Crowds were very manageable, mostly senior citizens. We feel you can spend anywhere from 2 hours to 6 hours looking around. Just depends on your interest level. Staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. Made it into three of the four buildings before we ran out of steam. Would like to return someday to see the house which from the outside is fascinating as well as to walk the extensive grounds and gardens. Minor criticism in that some of the displays really did not have an explanation of what they were. A little more detail would have been appreciated. We ate lunch and recommend reservations or getting their earlier than noon as the restaurant, which is not large, filled up completely. Restaurant staff worked very hard and successfully to keep things moving and people fed.
Written March 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kellach3
Fonthill, Canada32 contributions
When you’re sick of the beach…
May 2022 • Couples
Head to the Ringling Art Gallery. My husband and I really enjoyed checking out the art gallery and grounds! We went on a Monday (complimentary admission to most exhibits) right when they were opening at 10:00. We spend nearly 2 hours there and when we were leaving there was a long line to gain entry so I recommend going when they open as we did. The grounds at the gallery felt like we stepped into Europe. Afterwards we headed to L & L Hawaiian Barbecue for lunch. 👍👍
Written May 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anthony
New York City, NY867 contributions
3 Attractions in One
Dec 2022
The Ringling Museum is one of the top attractions in Sarasota and definitely worth a visit if you are in the area. It is centered around John Ringling, one of the Ringling Brothers of circus fame. It consists of 3 attractions:

1) Circus museum: Broken down into two buildings, there are numerous exhibits and artifacts covering the bygone era of the traveling circus, and more modern circuses. We got to learn a lot about circuses when they were by far some of the biggest events.

2) Art museum: A collection of primarily European paintings and artwork. In the middle of the building is a large courtyard with a variety of sculptures including a replica of Michaelangelo’s statue of David.

3) Ca' d'Zan: The mansion of John Ringling situated by Sarasota Bay. Note that visiting the inside of the mansion requires an add-on to normal admission.

Would recommend spending at least half a day to cover the entire place and also view the gardens surrounding the buildings. Free parking is available across the street from the entrance. Tickets can be purchased at the visitor’s center where there is also a gift shop and a restaurant that I highly recommend.
Written December 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tom B
Worthington, OH456 contributions
Plan ahead
Mar 2023 • Solo
Would encourage first time visitors to spend some time on The Ringling's website to plan their visit and to understand the admission pricing options. Attempting to do all The Ringling has to offer in a single visit can be challenging both physically and intellectually leading to wasted time and money depending on one's interests, Currently Monday's are free admission to the sizable Art Museum and typically any special art exhibits or installations as well as the grounds. Parking is ample and free. I prefer to arrive close to opening to get the most convenient parking spots and to avoid the crowds that tend to build later in the day. For me no visit is complete without walking the grounds to the bay front walk to relax and take in the stunning views of Sarasota Bay.
Written March 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
melwashere81
Cleveland, TX1,102 contributions
Top notch museum!!
Apr 2023 • Couples
This is definitely a first class Museum! Don't come thinking you will only be here a couple of hours because you can easily spend all day here, especially if you add on the first floor of the house! We started off in the circus museum, which included the miniature circus exhibit and the interactive circus exhibits. We then found ourselves in another circus museum that housed a giant railcar, which was fully furnished on the inside and many different circus wagons, which were very colorful and amazing to see! Then we toured the first floor of Jon Ringling's house (this is an add on for $10), the rose garden (which was not in bloom), and last but certainly not least, the art museum. I'm not a huge fan of art, but the original galleries were absolutely breathtaking!! We were here for over 4 hours!! It's definitely worth a visit, but be sure to add on the self guided house tour...
Written May 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Beth D
Roanoke, VA15 contributions
Over priced. Under performing.
Jan 2022 • Friends
It was Free Monday which gives you access to the grounds and art museum at no charge. BUT if you want to see the circus museum, you must pay full price. if you want to see Ca’d’zan you must pay full price plus $10. The same price someone pays when it’s full-price Tues-Sun. And to make matters worse the circus Museum was closed? That’s worth half the full admission price. Plus, the staff on site were just security and I was left answering questions from guests because I was standing there. The admission should have been adjusted because the product was unavailable. And the customer experience is lacking from what should be expected at the price paid. Beware!
Written January 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MrP
Nashville, TN79 contributions
Way more than a circus museum; the mansion was more Great Gatsby plus a world class art museum
Apr 2022
Way more than a circus museum; The Mansion was more of a Great Gatsby experience along with a world class art museum.
Review of The Ringling
Pending review

As other reviewers have noted, there is just so much more here than just a circus museum. John Ringling and his wife Mable were serious, well-healed art collectors, gardeners, epicureans and fashion plates as a start. The mansion is really mid 1920's extravagance out of a Fitzgerald novel! The art museum has some major pieces of renaissance art and the galleries are overwhelming in their quality and piece count. The Ringling's life story is also a great read and visiting there made us look up even more details of their storied lives. And don't forget the gardens.
And the circus museum; well it's a circus museum. It really made us think of how it's a part of vanished Americana. Entire towns shut down for the circus; it was THE event. Too bad children don't have something so massive and magical to look forward to anymore...just different sizes of screens.
Written June 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LetsGo
Milford, OH4 contributions
A Sarasota Treasure
Apr 2023
I am not sure what else I can add to what others have posted regarding The Ringling, however, I am delighted and amazed every time I go. This was my second visit. My first visit was in 2021, and things were still fairly limited due to COVID. Part of the Circus Museum was still closed, as well as tours of Ca d'Zan. This time we toured every square inch, and it took us more than two hours. For me, The Ringling is an amazing treasure. It is well worth a day trip. The Circus Museum tells the story of how the circus was the entertainment of the day. The Circus Model is astounding--there is nothing else to say. It is an experience all by itself. Ca d'Zan and the gardens are amazingly beautiful, situated on Sarasota Bay. The mansion is gorgeous. Lastly, as I walked through the art museum I am absolutely overwhelmed with the variety of artwork the Ringlings acquired. The museums is beautifully layed out as visitors move through it and absorb all of the rich works of art it contains. If you are in or near the Sarasota area, I highly recommend a visit to The Ringling.
Written April 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael Y
1 contribution
This place sucks!
Apr 2023 • Friends
As a magician, I grew up loving this circus. The most authentic aspect of there museum was the disrespect and racism from an older white staff there. I made a verbal complaint after being followed and told to “go somewhere else”, and instead of a refund the manager apologized told me that I should stay and enjoy the rest of the tour. Afterwards, I ate lunch and the feeling still lingered and I wanted to leave. No refund. So basically I paid for a really bad experience. Would I go back? Absolutely not. To be harassed like I was, I definitely do not recommend going here as a person of color. I added a picture of proof that I was there. F*** this place
Written April 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
boliver68
Atlanta, GA22 contributions
Great Place!
Feb 2023
We have a condo on Lido Key in Sarasota, FL and try to get there every year anytime from Novemebr through April. Although January weather can be cool at times, the beaches at Lido and Siesta keys are wonderful, but an get crowded during season and especially on weekends. There is currently quite a bit of construction including the completion of a "roundabout" on Gulfstream leading to Lido, St. Armands, Bird Key and the southern end of Longboat Key, making aut travel tricky and slow.
Written February 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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The Ringling (Sarasota) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about The Ringling
The Ringling is open:
  • Thu - Thu 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
  • Fri - Wed 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Buy tickets in advance on Tripadvisor. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund.
We recommend booking The Ringling tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 2 The Ringling tours on Tripadvisor