AREA GUIDE / MUSEUMS, ARTS & EXHIBITS

Museums, Arts & Exhibits worth the trip

Museums, Arts & Exhibits across the Sarasota Gulf Coast, the full regional list wherever it takes you.

All areasBradentonDowntown SarasotaEast SarasotaLongboat KeySarasotaUniversity Town CenterVenice

MOST RECOMMENDED

Aerial view of Ca’ d’Zan and Sarasota Bay on The Ringling museum campus.

Sarasota

The Ringling

Museum & Cultural Campus

Florida's state art museum and a 66-acre cultural campus with art, circus history, gardens, theater and the Ringling mansion.

Aerial view of Ca’ d’Zan, the Venetian-inspired Ringling mansion on Sarasota Bay.

Sarasota

Ca' d'Zan

Historic Home

The Venetian Gothic mansion of John and Mable Ringling, located on The Ringling campus.

Main entrance to the Tibbals Learning Center and Circus Museum at The Ringling.

Sarasota

Circus Museum

Museum

Museum devoted to circus history, including artifacts, railcars, costumes and the Howard Bros. miniature circus.

Downtown Sarasota

Sarasota Art Museum

Contemporary Art Museum

Sarasota's contemporary art museum in the restored historic Sarasota High School complex.

Entrance to the new Mote Science Education Aquarium at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota.

University Town Center

Mote Science Education Aquarium (Mote SEA)

Aquarium & Science Center

A 146,000-square-foot marine science aquarium at Nathan Benderson Park with immersive galleries and STEM learning labs.

Children feeding free-roaming flamingos at Sarasota Jungle Gardens.

Sarasota

Sarasota Jungle Gardens

Wildlife Park

A historic tropical wildlife park known for free-roaming flamingos, animal presentations and close-up encounters.

ALL 15 MUSEUMS, ARTS & EXHIBITS

East Sarasota

Big Cat Habitat Conservation and Education Center

Wildlife Sanctuary

A nonprofit zoological sanctuary with more than 300 animals, educational presentations and reserved encounters.

Bradenton

The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature

Science & Natural History Museum

A regional science and natural-history museum featuring a planetarium, Florida history and a manatee rehabilitation habitat.

Bradenton

Florida Maritime Museum

Maritime Museum

A museum in historic Cortez preserving Florida Gulf Coast fishing, boatbuilding and maritime traditions.

East Sarasota

Myakka Elephant Ranch

Animal Encounter

A reservation-based educational elephant experience focused on close observation and conservation learning.

Sarasota

Ringling College Galleries and Exhibitions

Gallery

Seven on-campus galleries at Ringling College with rotating student, faculty, alumni and visiting-artist exhibitions and events.

Venice

Venice Art Center

Art Center & Gallery

Community art center with rotating exhibitions, public gallery access, classes and programs in Venice.