Sarasota

Florida's Cultural Coast

Besides the the beautiful beaches of Sarasota and the Gulf Coast islands of Lido Key, Longboat Key, Siesta Key and Venice the thriving Sarasota arts community offers a wealth of arts and entertainment for vacationers and visitors to the area.

The performing arts, equity and community theaters operate throughout the year.

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) has been in operation in Sarasota since 1973 and operates three theatres: the 173-seat Keating Mainstage Theatre, the 160-seat Gompertz Theatre and the 109-seat Goldstein Cabaret Theatre.

FST produces world premieres and contemporary works which have been produced on or off-Broadway within the last five years.

 

Seasonally you can enjoy the world class Sarasota Opera and the areas own Florida West Coast Symphony

For a look back at Sarasota's past click on Sarasota History Alive. A window into the historical side of Sarasota.

Area Attractions

John and Mable Ringling Musem of Art

No trip to the Sarasota area is complete without visiting the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Located on a 66-acre estate on Sarasota Bay, The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art was established in 1927 as the legacy of John Ringling (1866-1936) and his wife, Mable (1875 to 1929). The Museum of Art offers 21 galleries of European paintings as rare antiquities, Asian Art, American paintings, and contemporary art. The estate also features the spectacular Ca d'Zan ("House of John"), a waterfront mansion that was restored in 2002. The Circus Museum displays costumes, wagons, performance equipment, and other artifacts chronicling the history of the Circus.
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Mote Marine Laboratories

From its humble beginnings in tiny shed in a small Florida town, Mote Marine Laboratory has expanded to include a 10.5-acre campus in Sarasota, Fla., with field stations and public exhibits in Key West and field stations in Summerland Key and Charlotte Harbor. Florida's extensive coastline and marine and estuarine environments have enabled Mote scientists to build a platform of marine research conducted in the near-shore environment.

From the original focus on sharks, Mote research has expanded to include seven major areas of concentration, organized into seven research centers. To that end, Mote conducts extensive public outreach and operates a public aquarium that serves nearly 400,000 visitors a year.
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G.WIZ - Hands-On Fun For Kids

G.WIZ (Gulfcoast Wonder & Imagination Zone) began as the Gulf Coast World of Science (GCWS) in December 1990. It opened to the public in October 1991, with only 1,000 square feet and just ten hands-on exhibits. GCWS soon became a member of the Association of Science & Technology Centers (ASTC) and in July of a992nexpanded to 6,000 feet.

Now located on the former site of the Selby Library the hands-on science and technology center was reborn as G.WIZ in 1998. The $3.5 million 33,000 sq. ft. facility located downtown on Sarasota's bay front is a wonderful place to inspire the imaginations of young and old alike with numerous exhibits as well as a butterfly garden/aviary.
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