Sarasota - John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art

Must-see attractions nearby: Myakka River State Park Mote Marine Aquarium John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Selby Botanical Gardens Sarasota Opera House Selby Gallery Sarasota Jungle Gardens

The museum was created in 1927 when John Ringling used the profits from his famous circus to build this Italian Renaissance-style museum in 1929. The Ringlings had over 600 paintings, decorative art pieces and sculptures. The Ringling Museum of Art houses a wide collection of paintings from the 14th to the 19th centuries. The works come mainly from the Western Europe and there are examples of 17th century Italian painting and a Peter Paul Rubens collection. The collection has grown to over 10,000 objects that include a variety of paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints, photographs and decorative arts.

The garden in the inner courtyard of the museum contains several reproductions of famous sculptures including Michelangelo's "David" and statues of Greek and Roman gods.