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All the United States Florida Sarasota John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art

John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art

A circus legend leaves an unexpected endowment.

Sarasota, Florida

Added By
Rebekah Otto
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Entrance to the Ringlin   Daderot
Entrance to the Ringlin   Daderot
  SemiruralYeti / Atlas Obscura User
  Vera Devera / CC BY 2.0
  SemiruralYeti / Atlas Obscura User
Ringling graves.   autumnlouisee / Atlas Obscura User
  michellemerritt / Atlas Obscura User
  SemiruralYeti / Atlas Obscura User
  rockinfree
  Jane Weinhardt Goldberg / Atlas Obscura User
Human Cannonball Cannon   Jane Weinhardt Goldberg / Atlas Obscura User
  Roger Wollstadt on Flickr
  Zinnia Jones on Flickr
  Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
  Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
  Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
The Big Show Main Entrance Ringling miniature.   Bonnie James/CC BY 2.0
  Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
The 44,000-piece Howard Bros. Circus Model at the Ringling Circus Museum.   Walter/CC BY 2.0
The 44,000-piece Howard Bros. Circus Model at the Ringling Circus Museum.   Walter/CC BY 2.0
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About

The artist Rubens and the elephant Dumbo may not have much in common on the surface, but John Ringling, the entrepreneur and circus magnate, unites them.

During his lifetime, John Ringling, along with his wife Mabel, used their fortune to build a beautiful Venetian mansion and art collection in Sarasota, Florida. Their estate was bequeathed to the State of Florida, in hopes that Sarasota would become a cultural travel destination.

The state neglected the property, but in 2000 it was turned over to Florida State University and has been restored. With funds raised by the University, a new Visitor's Center, featuring a museum about the circus, was added to the large estate, which already offered the art museum, the Ringling's lavish home, and the grounds with a rose garden.

As with any personal collection, the assorted pieces of art and artifacts are an idiosyncratic mix, from notable pieces by the Old Masters to Cypriot antiques. The mansion, or Ca d'Zan (House of John), is something out of The Great Gatsby. The house has been restored to the elegance it held during the Ringling era.

The attached circus museum features the largest circus miniature in the world.

Related Tags

Museums Circus Collections Eccentric Homes Homes

Community Contributors

Added By

Rebekah Otto

Edited By

johnrchay, Jane Weinhardt Goldberg, argusfoto, Meg...

  • johnrchay
  • Jane Weinhardt Goldberg
  • argusfoto
  • Meg
  • mocchiatto
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • SemiruralYeti
  • Jason Michael Walker
  • autumnlouisee
  • michellemerritt

Published

February 3, 2010

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Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_and_Mable_Ringling_Museum_of_Art
John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
5401 Bay Shore Road
Sarasota, Florida, 34243
United States
27.382436, -82.562005
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