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!

Sarasota Bayfront is such a beautiful place to spend an evening, the bay views are amazing, and you…read morecan walk around and take pictures. The night views in Sarasota Bayfront are absolutely stunning. The views are really picturesque. There's plenty of parking, and there's a tiki bar right on the water, which makes for a really great experience.

Sarasota is blessed with so much natural beauty and as well as man made beauty. There is so much to…read moresee and do here! One of the fun things is Bayfront Park, which is located at the south end of the Ringling Causeway. There, you have the Marina Jack's II filled with beautiful boats and yachts to admire as you walk on the paved pathway around the park by Sarasota Bay. They have a 2 stiry restaurant there also. Birdlovers can enjoy pelicans, seagulls, egrets, and many other varieties of birds flying around. The views of the Bay, the Banyan trees, flowers, and palm trees in this park are a sight for sore eyes. I especially love the giant Unconditional Surrender statue of the sailor and nurse kissing and celebrating the end of WWII. If you get hungry or thirsty, there is O'learys for food and drinks to enjoy by the water. There is a huge parking lot for free parking with wheelchair accessiblability. Dogs are welcome as long as you clean up after them. An enjoyable and unforgettable excursion!

This is a small but nice park situated in the historic cocoanut district of Sarasota. It's mostly…read moreused by the neighborhood and community. The park is contained between tamiami trail on the one side and cocoanut avenue on the other. There is some parking around the park. There is a basketball court and also a small children's play area and a tennis court too. People walk their dogs in the morning and afternoon. I wouldnt recommend it after sunset.

Great area for the kids to play. Multiple areas for the kids to play including swings and climbing…read morearea. They also had a basketball court

This is a very popular bridge in the Sarasota-Siesta Key-Longboat areas because of their…read moreconnection. The RCB was reconstructed in the early 2000s and is supposed to last for 75 years. It is a favorite with pedestrians, runners and walkers, fishermen, mommas with baby strollers, tourists, bicyclists, and dog-walkers. There is a walkway built on the bridge, which measures about .6 miles one way or 1.3 miles there and back. Good exercise. You can also walk over to the Bayfront Park in Sarasota, which is located on the north end of the bridge. Bird Key Park is located at the south end of the bridge. Both parks are worth visiting. At night, the bridge is lit up with bright royal blue lights. In the evenings, it is pretty crowded with people watching the sunset! I love it. We traveled over it at least twice a day while we stayed in Sarasota.

The John Ringling Causeway, known as the Ringling Bridge, is a 4 lane bridge in Sarasota, Florida…read morethat connects Sarasota to Lido Key, St. Armands Key & Bird Key. It's a vital hurricane evacuation route for barrier island residents. This segmental box girder bridge is 3,097 feet long and 65 ft tall.

Delightful sunset cruise! Friendly crew, nice boat, loved the tables (perfect for byob drinks and…read moresnacks), appreciate the tiki cover (nice to have shade). 1.5 hours was great amount of time. Got dinner after. Check in was by the gelato place and boat was past the oyster bar. Just be sure to plan in extra time to park and check in.

Trevor and Justin were just the best! We saw so many dolphins, a manatee and had the best time at…read morethe sand bar. Could not have had a better experience. Trevor and Justin made the day what it was. If I could give this company and these two men 90 stars I would. What an amazing day! Thank you!

What is not to love? Local place great food and live music. It is our go to spot. Sometimes we are…read morehere twice a week because the music is the best in the area

jR's Old Packinghouse is a decades old mainstay with a "old Florida" feel in Sarasota, Florida. I…read moredropped in after trying to find a local sit-down restaurant for lunch for a party of four on an early Saturday afternoon. The down home digs were homey and inviting and we chose to eat outside in the covered patio out front. The menu is interesting and varied; I'd state some of the food is county-style and some has a Cuban flair. My shrimp entree, which I chose to have, accompanied by rice and beans was very good. My daughter selected the chicken fingers and the portion was hearty and she devoured it. JR's has a special brunch menu and live music regularly so check out their website for information. Check this place out if you like charming-go frills places with great food.

We rented the memory maker for a sunset cruise for my mom's 60th birthday and I couldn't think of a…read morebetter way to celebrate. This charter company is absolutely incredible. I was able to show up early and decorate the boat and set up food, Coree and Michael were so helpful with everything including even helping us set up our food drinks and decorations. They have everything you need on board like cups, plates, serving platers, silverware, ice, wine glasses etc! Michael was our captain and he was fantastic in every way. Coree was our first mate and she was amazing, helpful, and so fun! I highly recommend this crew if you rent from Kokomo! 10/10 experience and I'll be back for more 100%.

The sunset cruise that we took with Kokomo Charters was truly worth every penny! Beautiful, clean…read more boat, nice calm night and Aaron did a great job pointing out points of interest along the way! We were very fortunate to have had a beautiful sunset and traveling to Sarasota Harbor to see all of the waterfront homes and huge yachts anchored there! We would strongly recommend Kokomo Charters to one and all!

Went to a donation based event in the park to see Christmas lights. Great way to see Santa and the…read moreGrinch for a reasonable amount of money (or free). It's been hard to find pictures with Santa for a reasonable amount in the area and now I know to come back here next year! Only thing I struggled with was walking to the entrance after I parked. Bring a flashlight!

Wonderful local park - great for a short hike, an educational trip regarding native plants or a…read moreplace to sit quietly and enjoy nature.

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 was such a fun outing. Pat (from Ireland) was our guide and he was such a hoot and full of fun…read morefacts and info about everything Sarasota. Thank you Dan for toting us around safely in the air conditioned trolley. We will be taking more tours with you guys. Such fun and so interesting.