A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit the beautiful Ringling Museum located in Sarasota, Florida. I had been wanting to visit for quite some time as I have only heard great things. I decided to attend Visit Sarasota’s National Travel & Tourism Week Celebration hosted by The Ringling. During this event I had the chance to check out the beautiful museum that many locals and travelers rave about.

I soon made my way over to where I was greeted by large gates and saw the large pink building. The building follows a vintage architectural style with pops of unique elements. Palm trees line the building, adding to this stunning estate. A statue is directly in the middle, and various statues are lined on top where it reads “The John & Mable Ringling Museum.” As I looked around, I quickly saw many followed the 1920s dress style to align with the fascinating 1920s history of The John and Mable Ringling Museum. I, however, did not follow the dress code, as it was a last-minute event I decided to attend.

I then made my way outside to check out the outside area of the estate where various fountains and statues are placed. The landscaping in the large courtyard is very well-kept. For the event, food and drink stations were laid out for guests. I decided to have a refreshing lime margarita for the warm, sunny day. It was quite tasty!

During the event I networked with some local businesses in the Sarasota area while taking in the beauty of the courtyard. I sadly was not able to enter the inside area to view the art displays due to the event. I do plan to go back and learn more about its history in Sarasota as well as check out the art displays.

— Megan Gragg, account executive