Siesta Key Beach. Ranked #1 Beach in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report in 2026, Siesta Key dazzles with nearly pure quartz-crystal sand that stays cool underfoot and shallow turquoise Gulf waters perfect for swimming. Free parking (950 spaces), on-site concessions, and a free trolley to Siesta Key Village make it as practical as it…
The Ringling (Museum of Art, Ca' d'Zan & Circus Museum). Florida's State Art Museum sprawls across a 66-acre bayfront estate and pairs a world-class collection of Old Masters — including Rubens and Velázquez — with the ornate 56-room Venetian Gothic mansion Ca' d'Zan and a dazzling Circus Museum. Plan a full day to take in the art, mansion tours, and manicured gardens.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. The only botanical garden in the world dedicated to the display and study of epiphytic orchids, bromeliads, and tropical plants, Selby's 15-acre Downtown Sarasota bayfront campus is also home to the world's first net-positive-energy botanical garden complex. Named a TIME World's Greatest Place in 2024.
Siesta Key Sunday Drum Circle. Every Sunday year-round, hundreds of drummers, dancers, hula-hoopers, and families gather on Siesta Beach an hour before sunset for a free, spontaneous community celebration that has run uninterrupted since 1996. Arrive early for a spot near the pavilion and stay for one of the Gulf's finest sunsets.
Mote Science Education Aquarium (Mote SEA). Mote's new state-of-the-art aquarium at Nathan Benderson Park showcases sharks, dolphins, manatees, sea turtles, touch pools, and interactive theaters — all rooted in the world-renowned marine research of the nonprofit Mote Marine Laboratory, founded in 1955 by shark pioneer Eugenie Clark.
Venice Beach Shark Tooth Hunting. Self-dubbed the Shark Tooth Capital of the World, Venice Beach (just south of Sarasota) sits above a vast offshore fossil bed — wave action constantly deposits millions of jet-black fossilized teeth onto its shore. No permit is needed and finders keep their finds; a simple sifter screen dramatically improves success.
Celery Fields. Once celery farmland, this 440-acre county-owned stormwater park has become one of the premier birding hotspots on Florida's southwest coast, with more than 250 species recorded and Sarasota Audubon Society managing two boardwalks and a nature center. Walking, biking, kayaking, and fishing round out the experience.
Asolo Repertory Theatre. The largest Equity theatre in Florida and the largest repertory theatre in the Southeastern United States, Asolo Rep stages up to ten productions each season — from contemporary works to beloved classics and provocative musicals — at its elegant home on the Ringling Museum campus.