Our Blog
All things Siesta Key. Stories, news, and event information about Sarasota, Florida's beautiful beach.
John Ringling’s Legacy Beyond the Circus
John Ringling is most commonly recognized and credited for bringing the circus to Sarasota. While his great legacy as a circus mogul lives on, John Ringling’s impact on one of Florida’s popular Gulf Coast cities also includes art collections, socialite events, investments, real estate, and so much more. Although there is a lot to learn about John Ringling and his significant influence on Sarasota, the local experts here at Best Western Siesta Key are skimming the surface of this historic tale.
John Ringling’s Adopted City
Before officially selecting Sarasota as the winter headquarters for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus in 1927, John Ringling and his wife Mable took many trips to the sunshine state and fell in love with the marvelous potential of one certain city. The couple began building their winter home, known as the Ca’ d’Zan, on Sarasota Bay in 1924. The great art collector, entrepreneur, investor, and circus mogul, John Ringling, who is also referred to as a founding father of Sarasota, created the city to be a place of “beauty, wealth, and sophistication.”
Physical Growth of Sarasota
One year after breaking ground on the Ca’ d’Zan, John was entering the height of both his personal and professional life, which included a feature on the cover of Time and construction on what is now the “John Ringling Causeway,” connecting downtown Sarasota to present-day St. Armand’s Circle and Lido Key. Once there was an easy route to the key, John’s next venture was building a five-star Ritz-Carlton Hotel on Longboat Key with a goal of creating steady business to further develop the area. He dreamt of a thriving town with beautiful homes and a fine community that would be named “Ringling Isles.”
Keeping Up Momentum
As the population boom began to flatline, John decided to pull a few strings to keep the city of Sarasota relevant and alive. With a passion for art, knowing that artwork outlives any amount of wealth and achievement, he was already growing an extensive art collection from internationally renowned artists. After the purchase of four gigantic pieces from Flemish artist, Peter Paul Rubens, the spark ignited for the construction of an art museum. Soon, John would also bring the “Greatest Show on Earth” to Florida during the winters, develop Ringling Isles on Lido Key, donate his causeway to the city, host countless parties and events at the Ca’ d’Zan, and continue to curate an impressive art collection for the museum. Unfortunately for John, near the end of the ’20s, his heydays were just about behind him.
The Legacy of John Ringling
Not long before the stock market crash on Wall Street, Mable Ringling died from diabetes and Addison’s disease in the summer of 1929. The next year, doors to the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art were open for one day, enticing a crowd of over 10,000 people, then again for one week in 1931. In December of 1936, pneumonia took the life of John Ringling. Having secretly left his estate to the state of Florida and the city of Sarasota in an effort to establish the city as the cultural capital of Florida, his legacy and accomplishments live on through his art collection, the Ca’ d’Zan, and the Ringling Museum.
Honoring John Ringling Today
In 2001, St. Armands Circle became home to the John Ringling Statue, designed and sculpted by Tony Lopez. Here, the statue stands on the south side of the circle, overlooking the fine shops, restaurants, and community that John had dreamed of many decades ago. The John Ringling Statue also stands in the center of the Circus Ring of Fame, which is a tribute to countless individuals from all over the world who significantly impacted the circus arts.
As you enjoy your time here in Sarasota and Siesta Key, be sure to make time to experience some of the sights and activities inspired by John Ringling. Whether you explore Lido Key or Longboat Key, tour the Ca’ d’Zan, experience the Ringling Museum, or simply take a walk across the John Ringling Causeway at sunset, you are sure to feel the wonderful effects of history. For more information or suggestions on how to spend your time here in town, your friends at Best Western Siesta Key are always ready to assist.