March 10, 2024~John and Mable Ringling Mansion and Circus Museum

 

Sunday afternoon was the picture perfect day to tour the John and Mable Ringling Mansion and the  Circus Museum, located at 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, Florida. 

"With 36,000 square feet and 56 rooms, the Ringlings' opulent winter home Ca' d'Zan was meant to impress! Completed in 1926 after only two years of construction, the mansion quickly became a social hub in Sarasota. Today, Ca' d'Zan offers a glimpse into John and Mable's taste and lifestyle, transporting visitors back to the glamorous age of the Roaring Twenties."

"Ca' d'Zan is lavishly decorated with wrought-iron balconies and Moorish style windows."

We opted for the tour of the first floor only, including the outside grounds, as well as the Circus Museum(That combo ticket was $33.00ea). After researching and conversing with several people, I wish we had purchased the higher priced ticket to include the second floor!  (Several years ago, we toured the robust Museum of Art, which is also located on the grounds. The Museum of Art is exceptional. It, IMHO,  requires a full day to soak in all of the masterpieces by the greatest of artists!) 

The 5-story mansion features 41 rooms + 15 BATHROOMS😬.

The mansion's colored pastel glass panes, the atrium ceiling +  all of the other ceilings, the marble floors, staircases, the views overlooking Sarasota Bay, the decor, the Venetian Gothic architecture 😗..... it was impossible to 'take it all in'.

This room ↑↑↑ also houses the famous AEOLIAN ORGAN!

I cannot imagine the sounds coming from the organ, and the gala events that took place in this room! It must have been absolutely magnificent and majestic!

***Photos are all mine, and taken with Iphone 14. No camera, however, does justice to the beauty and grandeur of this spectacular mansion. 

Even the kitchen was a treat!

The Circus Museum included historic wagons, costumes, exhibits, elaborate tapestries, and the private Pullman car (The Wisconsin) used by John and Mable when they traveled to follow the circus! The Ringlings' private railroad car, was the equivalent of a private jet, that had beds, toilets, plush velvet couches and even a bathtub😬!

The Circus Museum was very well done!

For all of the railroad buffs, the Wisconsin was almost indescribable!

*****"When John Ringling (who created the Ringling Brothers Circus with his siblings) died in 1936, he bequeathed his Sarasota mansion, estate, and a museum housing his art collection to the state of Florida." 

We have visited Sarasota many times. This was our FIRST VISIT to John and Mable Ringling's Mansion. #NewToMeAt75.