Area Recreation
Michael’s Top 10 Picks for places to visit in Sarasota
With an average annual temperature of 72 degrees, Sarasota is the place for outdoor recreation. It’s a golfer’s dream come true, with over 30 courses throughout the county. In fact, Sarasota is home to nine of the Top 20 Southwest regional courses featured in Florida Golf News.
After the sun goes down, Sarasota’s just getting warmed up! Area nightlife is especially popular on Main Street where bars and nightclubs frequently feature live entertainment. Coffee bars and restaurants offer outdoor dining where the entertainment often is people watching.
With so much to do, it’s hard to know where to begin. We’ve compiled this list of 10 of the most popular things to do in Sarasota…aside from enjoying activities along our waterways, beaches, and golf courses. Start at the top and work your way down!
Ed Smith Stadium
2700 12th Street, Sarasota, FL | 941-954-4101
Spring training first came to Sarasota in 1923 with the New York Giants holding court for three years. Today this newly renovated stadium with nearly 9000 seats sits on a 53-acre site. It maintains a national reputation as a premier baseball facility in the State of Florida. In addition to hosting the Baltimore Orioles for spring training and minor league baseball, the stadium also features a number of other events throughout the year.Gulf Coast Wonder and Imagination Zone (G.WIZ)
1001 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota, FL | 941-309-4949
This world-class science and technology center occupies a 33,000-square foot facility on Sarasota’s bay front. Touring and permanent exhibits at G.WIZ aim to make science relevant, technology understandable, and provide an interactive learning experience for visitors where science comes alive. The museum is perfect for kids of any age, especially with its fun hands-on science exhibits.Historic Spanish Point At the Oaks
500 North Tamiami Trail, Osprey, FL | 941-966-5214
Among the many wonders of this 30-acre historical, archaeological and environmental museum is “A Window to the Past,” an archaeology exhibition about the gulf coast region’s earliest people. Its location on Little Sarasota Bay is in charming Osprey and has the only exhibition in the world built inside a prehistoric shell mound. The destination also boasts the area’s largest Butterfly Garden and offers nature trails that wander through the natural coastal habitat including a boardwalk that affords gorgeous views of the Bay.Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
811 South Palm Avenue, Sarasota, FL | 941-366-5731
This 9.5-acre bayfront property is an open-air, under-glass museum of more than 20,000 colorful plants, many collected in the wild on over 150 scientific expeditions to tropical rain forests by Selby Gardens research staff located directly on Sarasota Bay. Seven greenhouses and a living collection of more than 6000 orchids are the heart of botanical research and plant identification, for which Selby Gardens is internationally recognized.Mote Marine
1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL | 941-388-2451
Mote Marine Laboratory is one of the world’s few remaining private marine research laboratories. At Mote, you can explore the secrets of the sea through viewable-working labs and high-tech interactive exhibits that showcase the world-renowned research of Mote Marine Laboratory. Touch sting rays, learn about sea turtles, see sharks in Mote’s 135,000-gallon shark habitat, dolphins, manatees, a seahorse conservation laboratory, along with more than 100 other species of marine life. The laboratory also offers special research charters providing visitors a chance to help Mote scientists gather data about our local sea life in a unique catch-and-release fishing excursion or take a coastal observation tour to see dolphins, manatees, and sea birds in the natural environment.Myakka River State Park
13208 State Road 72, Sarasota, FL | 941-361-6511
Myakka River State Park is one of Florida’s oldest and largest state parks. The Florida Myakka River flows through 57 square miles of wetlands, prairies and woodlands. The park is noted for its wildlife, especially species of rare birds not seen elsewhere in the state. There are also a large number of species of fish, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals to learn about and enjoy watching. Myakka’s Canopy Walkway is a unique suspension bridge and tower providing visitors with views across and through the forest and a spectacular above-the-treetops view of the entire park. Myakka State Park is popular for hiking, fishing, camping, canoeing, boat tours, and wildlife observation.The Ringling Museum of Art
5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota, FL | 941-355-5101
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is the remarkable legacy of a circus entrepreneur, collector of art and financier who endowed the State of Florida with a rich cultural future. The Ringlings built their winter home in Sarasota, Ca d’Zan in 1926 and opened the galleries to the public in 1930. As a part of Florida State University, the Museum of Art, which includes the largest collection of Peter-Paul Rubens paintings outside of Europe along with other Old Masters including Van Dyck, El Greco and others; The Circus Museum displaying the world’s largest miniature circus complete with costumes, wagons and more; a jewel-box of a theater, the Historic Asolo Theater, which was originally built in Italy, then disassembled and rebuilt on the Ringling grounds in the 1940s; and Cà d’Zan Mansion, a 56-room Venetian Gothic palace located on a 66-acre estate overlooking Sarasota Bay with its magnificent rose garden, restaurants and gift shop, is the state art museum of Florida.Sarasota Jungle Gardens
3701 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota, FL | 941-355-5305
Sarasota Jungle Gardens features 10 acres of lush tropical vegetation, winding jungle trails and entertaining, educational bird and reptile shows throughout the day. A magnificent free-roaming flock of American Flamingos that will eat out of the palm of your hand live among the magnificent gardens.Sarasota Opera
61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota, FL | 941-366-8450
Celebrating more than 50 years, The 1100-seat Sarasota Opera House recently completed a $20-million dollar renovation and restoration and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Be sure to look for the original chandelier from the movie “Gone with the Wind” that hangs in the lobby. The Opera House plays host to everything from opera, symphony and classical ballet to film festivals, popular music concerts, comedy shows and clowns.Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
777 North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL | 941-955-7676
Set along Sarasota’s beautiful bay front, the landmark Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall has been entertaining audiences for more than 35 years. The Frank Lloyd Wright designed facility is active year-round hosting both local and national touring performing groups including world-class symphonies, classical and modern dance companies, jazz artists, pop legends, Broadway productions, Comedy and educational programs. In addition to the 1736 seat theater, the hall also has a magnificent terrace and spacious grand foyer offering cocktails and dinner before most events.
