Under the Big Top

Did you ever want to run away and join the Circus?

Sarasota was the winter headquarters for the Biggest Show on Earth, the Ringling Circuses. John Ringling, with his wife Mabel, were not only the owners of this circus, but patrons of the arts. They built a magnificent winter home here, which has now become the Ringling Museum of Art, operated by Florida University.

The visitor's center, just inside the main gate, features a theater, restaurant, gift shop and library. Here you purchase your tickets to tour the Circus Museums, C'd'zan (their palatial home and gardens) and the splendid Museum of Art, featuring their impressive collection of old masters and statuary.

First we went through the world largest miniature circus, an 50 year, unending scale of the Big Top and all it's surrounding structures, circa 1920, the Golden Era of Circus. It's very detailed, and we had the honor of hearing the model maker's wife explaining details to a group along the way.They are still adding features. This display showed the teamwork needed to put on the huge circuses that traveled the country, and made me consider what it might have been like to actually run away and join in.

Then on to the Circus museum, which features all things circus, including ornate circus wagons, costumes, and other artifacts. Here we also had the pleasure of listening to the volunteer who has painstakingly restored the Ringling's personal Pullman car, which traveled along with the circus train from town to town.

Lastly, we toured their home, an ornate, palatial manor right on Sarasota Bay. The Ringling's entertained at lavish parties and hosted many important dignitaries, including US Presidents.