We always have a great time at the Ringling. The home tour ( Diane as guide) is fantastic. Glad we opted to tour the upstairs. Lots of interesting info about the home without it being overwhelming. Well worth the ticket.

We did the 1st floor self guided Ca’D’Zan home tour with museums included. The house, overlooking the bay, is incredible & looked like it was a special place to live. Even though it was large it still felt like it had a comfortable ‘homey’ feel to it. The grounds were really nice too with a number of gardens including large Banyan trees that were especially cool. Would’ve been nice to find out more if there were ever any animals living on the grounds back when the circus wintered in Sarasota & what that was like. Circus museums were nice. Ringling’s personal train car & detailed miniature circus model were really neat to see. The art museum contained a large collection of Flemish paintings. Not our cup of tea, but if you like that kinda stuff…they got a lot of it !

A very nice house on the Ringling campus. The house is very nice. You can upgrade to a guided tour which costs extra but gets you access to upper floors. There are a few packages for tours. They do have a self guided tour via your cell phone.

My wife and I are members of The Ringling and truly believe the membership is a fabulous bargain. Today we were lucky to have some very good weather and since we were bringing family to view the circus museum, decided we should visit the mansion as well so our family could get double the pleasure that time allowed for. There are three different tours, the unguided first floor only tour which is part of your museum pass, the longer additional cost guided tour which includes the second floor and lastly the Ca’ d’Zan Experience Tour, including remaining floors and access to the Tower. I’ve reviewed the mansion previously. Its aesthetics are quite appealing. The house has large windows throughout which allows for great lighting from the sun as well as beautifully crafted window displays. Take a little extra time in all of the rooms to observe the craftsmanship especially ceilings, but in the main gathering room allow extra time to view not just the the wooden beamed ceiling including stained glass skylights, but the paintings on the ceiling as well. The exterior of the mansion is fascinating for its view of distant Longboat Key, the water, the colored tile, but also the visions of long ago social events on the beautiful Piazza. If you like the TV series “The Guilded Age” or The Downton Abbey Series and movies, you’ll enjoy a peek at this architectural gem as well. There is free downloadable audio you can use with the unguided tour. Just ask a Museum employee for assistance with the download. They are more than happy to help. As a last note, not to be nit-picky, snooty, or biased but wanting to add context to a few previous reviews. This isn’t Newport, RI, New York, The Hearst Castle, Versailles or any of the great palaces of Europe. This is Sarasota Florida which wasn’t even incorporated into a town until 1902. And, unlike Newport, this wasn’t a playground for the rich and famous from the wealth center of the country, New York. Nor was it located equidistant between the large population centers of San Francisco and Los Angelas as the Hearst Castle, home to a very wealthy and connected American. Ca’d’zan was constructed for a couple who were very wealthy but who weren’t connected in location to a large population of movers and shakers and wealthy individuals. In other words, the Ringling mansion was just the right size for the population of visitors the couple would be entertaining. I agree it is not Newport in scale and I too believe the Ballroom seems quite small. But, again, the mansion is exquisite and it is sized properly for what Mable and John decided fit their needs. It’s a great place to visit and I recommend, if you can, visiting in early spring or late fall to avoid the harsh summer weather.

They have an amazing collection of circus memorabilia. Lots of fun activities for the kids. There is a great view and a beautiful rose garden. The collection of art was impressive and it was great to just spend time leisurely strolling the grounds. We loved our food at the restaurant especially the key lime pie.

The Cà d'Zan is a must see if you are in the Sarasota area. It’s an architectural wonder where no expense was spared. We opted for the private tour so we could see the entire home. For a family of 4, this is quite pricey. Most folks will not opt for this. We chose to, since it’s a part of family history. It will be one of the most interesting homes tours you could take, especially due to the grandeur of the build for the circus magnate. The property also has an art museum, circus museum, ample vegetation (many exotic), and even a Starbucks. It’s amazing to see the what was accomplished in the emerging city of Sarasota in the early 1900s. Sarasota and the surrounding barrier islands have a rich history of art and architecture, likely stemming from this project and those involved in it. If the back patio or windows look familiar, that is because this was the home of Miss Havisham in the 1998 film Great Expectations.