Area Attractions
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
811 South Palm Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34236
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens was recently named one of America's Top Ten Botanical Gardens. A must-see for serious plant lovers and a should-see for those looking for good photo ops. The Gardens are home to more than 20,000 exotic plants, including more than 6,000 orchids, as well as a bamboo pavilion, a butterfly and hummingbird garden, a medicinal plant garden, a waterfall garden, a cactus and succulent garden, a fernery, a hibiscus garden, a palm grove, two tropical food gardens, and a native shore-plant community.
Sarasota Jungle Gardens
3701 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota, FL 34234
With over 70 exotic and native animals, plus a variety of tropical plants, you'll find lots to do at Sarasota Jungle Gardens. Stroll jungle trails, hold a parrot, get close to an alligator, or let a flamingo eat out of your hand. Kids of all ages will enjoy their five daily educational presentations including Reptile Encounter, Birds of Prey and the Birds of the Rainforest Show, each presented twice a day.
Mote Marine Aquarium
1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236
Mote Marine Aquarium is an excellent Sarasota aquarium, that provides the perfect day out for the whole family. The aquarium has everything from sharks to sea horses so allow plenty of time to see everything. The 135,000-gallon shark tank at Mote Marine Aquarium lets you view its inhabitants from above and below the water's surface. Additional tanks show off sharks, rays, and other marine creatures native to the area. Handle rays, guitar fish, horseshoe crabs, and sea urchins in the touch tanks. Take a boat trip onto Sarasota Bay (about 2 hours), conducted by Sarasota Bay Explorers. The crew brings marine life on board in a net, discusses it, and tosses it back to swim away.
Pelican Man’s Bird Sanctuary
1708 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236, 941-388-4444
The Pelican Man's Bird Sanctuary is the largest Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Florida. Each year their hospital treats over five thousand sick, injured and orphaned birds, mammals and reptiles. It is also the home of some 275 permanently disabled birds that represent 70 species of Florida's native and migratory birds. Most birds are released back into their natural habitat, but the birds that are permanently disabled live in his sanctuary that is open to the public. Here you can see all kinds of local birds, including rare ones like the Rosette Spoonbill.
Myakka State Park
13207 State Road 72, Sarasota FL 34241, 941-361-6511
Myakka State Park, though close to Sarasota, gives you a glimpse of wild Florida. You'll see gators, eagles, wild boar, and other native Florida wildlife. Excellent boat tours that get you close to the gators, but not too close. Bring your binoculars if you like birds. Bicycle rental is also available for the trails.
Stoneybrook Golf Club
8801 Stoneybrook Blvd, Sarasota, FL, (941) 918-9595
One of the newest gems on the Sarasota golf scene, this par 72 regulation course was designed by Arthur Hills. challenging and entertaining for both novice and pro. P.G.A. pros on staff. Daily clinics are offered October through April, and private lessons are available. Tee times two days in advance. close to Sarasota Square Mall.
Serenoa Golf Club
6773 Serenoa Dr, Sarasota, FL, (941) 925-2755
Serenoa Golf Club is a shotmaker's course. Water comes into play throughout the course, however, most of the fairways are open and rolling. The Sarasota golf course is surrounded by natural wetlands and marshlands. The signature hole is #2, a 375-yard, par 4, requiring a tee shot up a dogleg left fairway with water in play on both sides as you near the elevated green.
Bobby Jones Golf Complex
1000 Azinger Way, Sarasota, FL, (941) 365-4653
Bobby Jones Golf Complex is Sarasota's only municipal golf facility with 45 holes. This facility has two regulation eighteen hole courses and a nine hole executive course. The American Course is a shotmaker's course with water and trees frequently coming into play. The British Course is more open but features plenty of sand bunkers. The Executive Course can be quite difficult. Your approach shots must be accurate because the greens are very small. Walking is permitted after 1 PM during the peak season.
Fiori Gallery
8854 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34238, 941-918-8800
Fiori Gallery offers unique and original art, from oil and acrylic paintings to copper, bronze, and marble sculptures, is tastefully and creatively displayed. Offering pottery and silk florals as well as gorgeous Italian marble and Brazilian semi-precious stone tables.
Dabbert Gallery of Fine Art
76 S Palm Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236, 941-955-1315
A contemporary fine art gallery located on the west coast of Florida in Sarasota. Located on historic South Palm Avenue in the heart of downtown near the Arts and Theatre District. Dabbert Gallery of Fine Art offers an eclectic collection of original fine art that includes oils, acrylics, watercolor, mixed media, etchings, drawings, clay sculpture and bronzes.
Galleria Silecchia
20 S Palm Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236, 941-365-7414
Galleria Silecchia is a contemporary Sarasota fine art gallery featuring an international collection of original oil and mixed media paintings, art glass, bronze and ceramic sculpture and art furniture. Tour their international gallery and enjoy art work by their world renowned artists. Over 30 years of professional experience in the arts. Selected by Sarasota Magazine as the "Best of the Best" Art Gallery in Sarasota for 2001, 2002 and 2003.
Palm Avenue Gallery
45 South Palm Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34236, 941-953-5757
Palm Avenue Gallery of Sarasota, Florida offers a collection of original fine art that includes contemporary expressionist, impressionist and cubist oils, acrylics (from the traditional to the surreal), watercolors depicting both local and cosmopolitan scenes and striking, mixed media works.
G-WIZ Gulfcoast Wonder & Imagination Zone
1001 Blvd. of the Arts, Sarasota, FL 34236, 941-906-1851
Gulfcoast Wonder & Imagination Zone, a hands-on, state-of-the-art science center has two floors of fun exhibits that cover the physical, earth, and health sciences. In June 2002, G. Wiz opened its three-year ExploraZone exhibit, which features annually rotating interactive exhibits from San Francisco's renowned Exploratorium. The 35 exhibits have themes ranging from sound and music to mathematics and motion, color and optics, sight and illusion, and others.
Maui Art
321 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, Florida 34236, 941-388-5305
David C. Miller is an internationally acclaimed marine artist who’s work has graced the covers of everything from greeting cards to jigsaw puzzles, but his best work has always been done on lexan and canvas. His use of acrylics have earned him acclaim from art critics as well as environmentalists. His portfolio includes commissioned works for such prestigious foundations as Sea Turtles of the World, an environmental group protecting endangered sea turtles, and The Franklin Mint, part of the proceeds from the porcelain heirloom collectors plates goes to the Save The Dolphin program. His work is also shown in many prestigious Aquariums across the nation.
Sarasota Classic Car Museum
5500 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34243, 941-355-6228
Sarasota Classic Car Museum (SCCM) is a 60,000 square foot facility on 4 acres near The Ringling Museum of Art. SCCM features a collection of over 100 automobiles, constantly being updated through acquisitions, exchanges with other car museums, and through donations of vehicles from collectors. The collection spans over 100 manufacturing years, and includes: Auburn, Bentley, Cadillac station wagon (one of only 5 ever made), DeLorean, Edsel, Ferrari, etc. See John Lennon's Mercedes Roadster, Paul McCartney's Mini Cooper and a dragster belonging to Don Garlits among their favorite treasures.
John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art
5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota, FL 34243
The Ringling Museum of Art is recognized as the state art museum of Florida and includes 21 internationally recognized galleries. The Art Museum is internationally recognized for its collection of Baroque paintings. The Museum's Courtyard is inhabited by statues of Greek and Roman gods and goddesses, which enhance the architecture and form a charming twentieth-century American version of a European formal garden. Over 400 objects of art are exhibited in galleries around this courtyard including paintings, drawings, prints, decorative arts, and photography.
The Jazz Club of Sarasota
330 S Pineapple Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236, 941-366-1552
The Jazz Club of Sarasota was founded in 1980 to promote, preserve, perform and educate people about jazz: the original American art form. It is one of the liveliest, toe-tappingest groups in town, providing loads of great jazz and community programs for Florida's West Coast.
Sarasota Opera
61 North Pineapple Avenue, Sarasota, Florida 34236, 941-366-8450
The Sarasota Opera is an internationally respected producer of the highest quality professional opera. Sarasota Opera produces outstanding opera true to the vision of the composer to entertain, enrich, and educate our communities, as well as patrons from across the state and around the world.
Florida Studio Theatre
1241 North Palm Avenue, Sarasota, Florida 34236, 941-366-9000
Florida Studio Theatre (FST) has been in operation in Sarasota since 1973. During its history, it has grown into a theatre with more than 20,000 subscribers a year, more than any theatre its size in the country. Florida Studio Theatre produces world premieres and contemporary works which have been produced on or off-Broadway within the last five years. By focusing on the works of contemporary writers, FST has been able to offer plays to its audiences that are not normally produced by other area theatres.
Circus Sarasota
777 N. Tamiami Trail. Sarasota, FL 34236, 941/924-7054
After an absence of many years, Sarasota once again has its own resident circus. Founded in 1997, Circus Sarasota is committed to continuing the legacy and broadening the artistic contribution of circus. Circus Sarasota presents exciting professional family entertainment in a summer theatre show, winter performances under the big-top and special events and classes throughout the year.
Florida West Coast Symphony
709 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34236
The Florida West Coast Symphony is the oldest continuing orchestra in the state of Florida, and has twice been ranked first among all major Florida musical organizations by the Florida Arts Council's Cultural Institutions program.
Key Chorale
709 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34236
Key Chorale is dedicated to bringing alive in sound some of the great choral masterpieces, especially those which, by duration or difficulty, are beyond the performance capabilities of amateur choral ensembles. The intent is to perform these compositions as the composer conceived them, with the instruments that the composer intended. Today the Key Chorale is an ensemble of approximately 130 voices, with a professional core of singers.
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota
777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34236
Set along Sarasota's beautiful bayfront, the landmark Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall has been entertaining audiences with a variety of music, dance, theater and comedy for more than 33 years.
Florida West Coast Symphony
777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34236
Set along Sarasota's beautiful bayfront, the landmark Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall has been entertaining audiences with a variety of music, dance, theater and comedy for more than 33 years.
MCCurdy's Comedy Theater
3333 North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34234
Over the past 16 years, comedians who have performed at MCCurdy's Comedy Theater read like a Who's Who list of the greatest names in comedy.
Sarasota Ballet Of Florida
5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Florida 34243, 941-351-8000
The Sarasota Ballet Of Florida has the unique distinction of being voted Sarasota's Best Performing Arts Group for eight consecutive years and has gained in stature and regional prominence over the course of its ten-year history.
Asolo Theatre Company
5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Florida 34243, 941-351-8000
The Asolo Theatre Company performs primarily in a rotating repertory with a resident company to celebrate the actor-artist, to attract regional, national and international audiences and to provide a training ground for FSU graduate students. The Asolo Theatre Festival is located in the FSU Center for the Performing Arts adjacent to the Ringling Museum of Art.
Cincinnati Reds Baseball Spring Training
2700 12th St, Sarasota, FL 34237, 941-954-4101
Ed Smith Stadium is a 53-acre site that maintains a national reputation as a premier baseball facility in the State of Florida and continues to be the mecca of baseball activity in the Sarasota area. As the Spring training home of the Cincinnati Reds since 1998, local residents and visitors from across the country and Canada have a chance to catch the action of their favorite teams and players in the relaxed atmosphere of beautiful Sarasota.
Florida State League Class A Baseball
2700 12th St, Sarasota, FL 34237, 941-954-4101
The Florida State League Franchise of the Boston Red Sox fills the stadium with family entertainment throughout the summer with the Sarasota Red Sox' 70 home games. Year-round residents continue to enjoy the economical entertainment offered by this Class A professional baseball club.
Sarasota Kennel Club
5400 Bradenton Rd, Sarasota, FL 34234, 941-954-4101
Live greyhound racing November - April. Simulcast dog and horse racing year 'round.. 6 days a week. Matinees, 3 days a week. Thursday night is Ladies night, when women get free admission.
Herrmann's Royal Lipizzan Ranch
32755 Singletary Rd, Myakka City, FL 34251, 941-322-9503
Myakka City, Florida, is where the Royal Lipizzan Stallions are located from January through March. See the most rare and aristocratic horses in the world. The highly schooled animals exhibit complex maneuvers, leaps and plunges derived from defensive horsemanship created for war that pre-date the birth of Christ by some 400 years. These famous horses are trained at Colonel Herrman's Ranch in Manatee County. Visitors are welcome at the 1 1/2 hour training sessions, Thursday and Friday at 3pm and Saturday at 10am.
Big Cat Habitat & Gulf Coast Sanctuary
7101 Palmer Boulevard Sarasota, FL 34248 (941) 371-6377 | (941) 371-6377
Big Cat Habitat & Gulf Coast Sanctuary is a non-profit safe haven for exotic animals. Educational Animal Demonstrations every weekend! For reservations call (941)371-6377
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