RINGLING MUSEUMS & HOUSE at Sarasota, FLORIDA

When last Saturday rolled around, we thought we would go to Tampa to Ikea to window shop. We always like to look at unique home things in case something would be handy for our "little" house. However, Ikea was not open when we got there and would not be open for another hour. That would mean that other stores would not be open for an hour either. So we opted to go on down the road to see the Ringling (as in Ringling Barnum & Bailey Circus) Museum and House. That happens to be in Sarasota so it was quite a ways on down the road! The Museum was full of circus memorabilia and miniature displays of the Big Top Tent and all of the supporting tents, trains, and wagons. All of this was very interesting. It made you realize this was a life style all of it's own! This was the "back yard" where their lives were spent when not in the Big Tent. There was everything from hospital set-up, relax and recreation, meal time set-up and preparation, to sleeping arrangements. This Sea Elephant was one of many animals fed and cared for on the same grounds behind the Big Top Tent. The Sea Elephant weighed three and a half tons, was kept in his own tank and ate 150 pounds of fish each day. The wagons, make-up and costume tents for preparation for show time and maintenance and care for all equipment were in the back yard also, to name a few! They had a train car showing how they traveled in style. I wonder if all performers traveled in this fashion, or just owners and managers? These were some of the wagons on display.

The Human Cannon!

The Calliope Wagon! An Animal Wagon

Costumes on display.

There were train displays showing how an entire circus was transported. It appeared that each circus would have their own trains i.e. Howard Bros Circus, Ringling Bros Circus and Barnum & Bailey Circus. There would be three different trains arriving when the circus was coming to town, each one coming in several hours after the previous one. The first would bring in all of the equipment and workers, the second would transport the tents, and the last one would transport all of the animals and performers. What an event this must have been for any town honored enough to host the Big Top! These big name circus' also traveled around the world.

After the Museum we headed down the path toward the Ringling Home to find that Myrtle Ringling also had a rose garden, completed in 1913. Of course, I had to spend plenty of time going through this taking pictures. I love flowers! Wish I had that kind of green thumb, but wonder if Myrtle did her own garden work? She was one of the founders of the Sarasota Garden Club where she served as the first president. Her love for roses and Italy, inspired her to lay this garden out in the the design of the Italian wagon wheel, with stone sculptures of people through out.

Leaving the rose garden, we walked under the banyan trees leading back to the Ringling home

.

We entered the gold front door to tour the first floor of beautiful furniture and art collection.

including tapestries from all over the world

.

This last one was hanging over the fireplace mantle.

This bar was too long to get all of it or the whole room in one photo.

And here is one of the examples of their monogrammed china, crystal and silver in a show case under glass.

Take a gander at these ceilings!

After finishing the tour of the lower floor of the home, we wandered on out to the back patio to sit and enjoy Sarasota Bay .

I could live on the water any day of the week! And what a beautiful view of the back of the home

, but I think that Gary was more interested in the bay also!

After finishing in the home, we took a tram to the Art Museum on the grounds and began in the back where the Rockwell/Rivolli Display was located.

Rockwell was an illustrator doing human interest Americana and Rivolli now uses Rockwell's subject matter as examples for his own photographic art, using telephoto lenses to avoid the subject being aware of the camera. Rivolli's work is dated mid 1990's on. It was a very interesting display of both artist's work.

When we entered the Museum we realized that we were not permitted to take photos of any of the art work. But I can promise you that there were many, many rooms beyond the Rockwell's as we went through to the front door. I would guess that each of these pieces, from all over the world, were worth millions! There were oil paintings that must have been twenty by twenty feet in size. Most all of them were huge and they must have been collected over many years as they traveled! Many were from Italy and France from the 1600's and 1700's.

We then waited outside of the front door for the tram to take us to parking, as by then we were beat!!! It was also late enough in the day that we opted to go straight home and save Ikea for another day! We had a movie here at the camp ground that we wanted to see that evening. I have been wanting to see "Blind Side" since it first came out. It was good, the price was right and I would recommend it to any one!

The day before this Ringling tour we went to Kennedy Space Center, but I have to put off writing that one up. It has taken me too long to re-size the photos! And it is too hot to sit here at the computer before it is dark and by dark I am too tired to bother! Not that we are complaining! As we have been chomping at the bit to be outside more.

Keep checking in. I promise that I will get it done before we head north!!