Lazy beach days on quiet Longboat Key are interrupted only by the occasional round of golf or shopping trip. But with busy downtown Sarasota just minutes away, visitors can stave off the rare case of vacation boredom. Thanks in large part to the efforts of arts-minded developer and circus magnate John Ringling, Sarasota has long been considered Southwest Florida's "Cultural Capital." A happening theatre district, world class museums, scores of galleries, and the yearly Asolo Theatre Festival keep artsy types busy for days on end.
Employee Pick
Longboat Key Center for the Arts
6860 Longboat Drive South, Longboat Key
(941) 383-2345
www.lbkca.org
Longboat Key
Circus Sarasota
8251 15th Street East, Sarasota
(941) 355-9335
www.circussarasota.org
John and Mable Ringling Museum Complex
5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota
(941) 359-5700
www.ringling.org
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
811 South Palm Avenue, Sarasota
(941) 366-5731
www.selby.org
Mote Aquarium
600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota
www.mote.org
Myakka River State Park
13207 State Road 72, Sarasota
(941) 361-6511
www.myakkariver.org
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
777 North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
(800) 826-9303
www.vanwezel.org
Discover local attractions at any of our Southwest Florida destinations:
Anna Maria Island & Bradenton · Longboat Key · Lido Key · Sarasota · Siesta Key · Venice
