John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art facts for kids
Main facade of the museum
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| Location |
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| Type | Art museum |
| Architect | John H. Phillips |
| Public transit access | Sarasota County Area Transit |
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is Florida's official art museum. You can find it in Sarasota, Florida. It was started in 1927 by Mable Burton Ringling and John Ringling. They wanted to create a special place for the people of Florida. In 2000, Florida State University took over running the museum.
The museum has 21 galleries filled with amazing European paintings. It also displays ancient art from Cyprus, and art from Asia, America, and modern times. The collection has over 10,000 items. These include paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photos, and decorative arts. They range from ancient times to today. A special part of the collection is the many works by Peter Paul Rubens. You can also see art by famous artists like Diego Velázquez and Frans Hals.
The museum campus is huge, with more than 150,000 square feet added over time. Besides the art museum, there's a Circus Museum and the beautiful Ca' d'Zan mansion. There's also the historic Asolo Theater. New additions include the Kotler-Coville Glass Pavilion, which shows off glass art. The Tibbals Learning Center has a miniature circus. The Searing Wing is a large gallery for special art shows. You can also visit the Chao Center for Asian Art and the Monda Gallery for Contemporary Art.
Contents
Museum History
Building the Museum
In 1925, John Ringling hired architect John H. Phillips to design the museum. Phillips thought Sarasota was the perfect spot for a museum with Italian-style buildings. They had to prepare the land, which was a marshy area called Shell Beach. Construction started on June 27, 1927. John Ringling faced money problems, so he stopped two other projects he was working on.
John Ringling also dreamed of starting an art school at the museum. After his wife Mable passed away in 1929, he wanted even more to create the John Ringling University. But this dream never came true because of his money issues.
The museum was built by different companies. It was supposed to open in February 1930, but it was delayed. It opened briefly in 1930 and 1931. The museum officially opened its doors on January 17, 1932.
From Ringling's Gift to State Care
When John Ringling died in 1936, he left his property and art collection to the people of Florida. He also left $1.2 million to help run the museum. One rule in his will was that the museum's name could never be changed. For the next 10 years, the museum was not always open and wasn't kept up very well. The Ca' d'Zan mansion was closed to the public. This was because the state was in a legal fight with Ringling's creditors. Florida finally won the case in 1946.
Arthur Everett Austin Jr., who was a famous museum director, became the museum's director in 1946. Before him, the museum didn't have a director from 1932 to 1946.
Dr. Laurence J. Ruggiero was the director from 1985 to 1992. In 1989, the Circus Gallery was updated. The museum reopened after a big restoration on January 19, 1991. Experts from other museums helped with the plans. Museum staff and others worked on the restoration. The State of Florida helped pay for the construction.
Even after winning the court case, the state department in charge didn't do much to manage the museum or its money. The local community also didn't offer much help. By the late 1990s, the Ca' d'Zan mansion was falling apart. The museum's roof leaked, and its security was not good enough. The Asolo Theater building was even declared unsafe. The money John Ringling left had only grown a little bit.
Florida State University Takes Over
In 2000, the State of Florida gave the responsibility for the museum to Florida State University. A new group of people was created to oversee the museum. At least one-third of these people had to live in Manatee or Sarasota counties.
In 2002, the state gave $42.9 million for construction. But there was a condition: the museum had to raise $50 million from private donations within five years. The museum successfully raised $55 million by the deadline.
In January 2007, a $76 million expansion and renovation of the Museum of Art was finished. The Arthur F. and Ulla R. Searing Wing was the last part of a five-year plan. This plan completely changed the museum. It is now one of the largest art museums in the United States.
In 2013, the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art was renamed The Ringling.
New Additions and Growth
The Ringling kept adding more galleries and learning spaces in the years after the big renovations. In 2016, the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Center for Asian Art opened. This center helps people learn about Asian history and art. In the same year, the Keith D. Monda Gallery for Contemporary Art opened. This was the first space at The Ringling just for modern art.
In 2018, the Kotler-Coville Glass Pavilion opened. It is the new entrance to the Historic Asolo Theater. It shows a growing collection of studio glass art. You can visit this pavilion for free.
Hurricanes in 2024
In September and October 2024, Hurricanes Helene and Milton hit Florida's west coast. They caused a lot of flooding and wind damage in Sarasota and at the Ringling estate.
The roof of the Circus Museum was damaged, and water got inside. No exhibits were harmed, but the building was closed for several weeks for repairs.
The Joseph's Coat skyspace exhibit also closed for a short time during cleanup. It reopened in early December 2024.
Ca' d'Zan, the Ringlings' mansion, was badly damaged. Its lower terrace, roof, and air conditioning systems were hit hard. Eight feet of water flooded the basement where the air conditioning was. Roof tiles came off, causing water damage in upstairs rooms. Boats that came loose hit the terrace's support columns. Museum staff worked quickly to protect the inside of the building. The mansion was closed to visitors for a long time while they planned how to fix it.
The museum grounds were also heavily damaged. Many large banyan trees were broken. The Millennium Tree Trail was closed for weeks while crews removed damaged trees.
The Historic Asolo Theater and the Museum of Art were not permanently damaged. All the art collections were safe. After power came back on, the Ringling Museum reopened within days. They even offered free admission to help Sarasota residents recovering from the storms.
The Ringling Estate
Besides the art museum, the Ringling estate has many other interesting places. These include the Ringlings' mansion, Ca' d'Zan, and Mable Ringling's beautiful rose garden. There's also the Circus Museum and the Tibbals Learning Center. You can visit the historic Asolo Theater and the Ringling Art Library. The Secret Garden holds the graves of John and Mable Ringling. The FSU Center for the Performing Arts is also on the estate.
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Main entrance
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Aerial view of the museum courtyard
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Museum of Art Loggia
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Ca' d'Zan
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Statues courtyard
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Mansion entrance – street view
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Stone statue in the garden
Dwarf Garden
The Dwarf Garden has stone statues that the Ringlings collected during their travels in Europe. These figures are placed along a circular path. They are found among banyan trees and thick bamboo plants.
Ca' d'Zan Mansion
Ca' d'Zan means "House of John" in a local Italian language. It is the large mansion built for Mable and John Ringling right on the waterfront. Architect Dwight James Baum designed the house, with ideas from the Ringlings themselves. It was finished in 1926.
The house is built in the Venetian Gothic style. It looks out over Sarasota Bay. For many years, it was a central place for Sarasota's cultural events. The mansion was fully restored in 2002.
Mable's Rose Garden
Mable Ringling's rose garden was finished in 1913. At that time, she and John lived in another house on the estate. The garden is located near the original Thompson residence. It is part of the beautiful landscaped grounds overlooking Sarasota Bay.
John and Mable Ringling are buried near the rose garden. This area is called the Secret Garden. The rose garden is surrounded by stone statues. These statues show figures in Italian peasant clothes, acting out scenes of love.
Circus Museum and Learning Center
The Circus Museum opened in 1948. It was the first museum in the United States to focus on circus history. Its collections include old posters, art prints, and business records. You can also see circus costumes, props, equipment, and parade wagons.
Next to it is the Tibbals Learning Center. This center houses The Howard Bros. Circus model. Howard Tibbals built this amazing miniature circus. It shows the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus as it looked from 1919 to 1938. It is known as the "world's largest miniature circus."
The Wisconsin Railroad Car
John Ringling owned a special private railroad car. He used it from 1905 to 1917 to travel with his circus. He also used it for vacations and business trips. He named it Wisconsin after his home state.
The Wisconsin was built in Illinois. It cost about half the price of other similar cars at the time. This was because it used walls from other railroad cars. This wooden car weighs 65 tons and is 79 feet long. It is divided into several rooms. These include an observation room, bedrooms, a dining room, and a kitchen. The inside is made of beautiful mahogany wood. It has fancy carvings, gold designs, and stained glass. The ceilings are 10 feet high and painted in bright colors.
When New York City stopped wooden train cars from using its tunnels, Ringling sold the Wisconsin. It was later bought by other railroad companies. It was even used as a fishing lodge for a while.
Now, the John and Mable Ringling Museum owns the car. A grant helped pay for the outside of the car to be restored. An anonymous donation paid for the inside to be fixed up. It now looks just like it did when John Ringling owned it. Volunteers helped lay the tracks for the car at the museum.
Ringling Art Library
The Ringling Art Library is one of the biggest art libraries in the southeastern United States. It has been part of the Ringling Museum of Art since 1946. In 2007, the library got its own permanent home and reading room. The first 500 art books were given to Florida by John Ringling in his will. The library now has almost 90,000 books. This includes about 800 books that John Ringling himself owned.
The collection covers art from the 16th century to today. It includes topics like fine art, decorative art, art history, and architecture. It also has books on fashion and theater. The library has rare books from the 16th century. It also has many books on European art, especially Renaissance and Baroque art. These were John Ringling's favorites. The library even has a copy of the Gutenberg Bible.
The library helps people research the museum's collections. It also supports the museum staff and educational goals. Library staff work with educators, the circus museum, and the Ca' d'Zan. The library shows John Ringling's love for Baroque art. It is open to the public on weekdays from 1 PM to 5 PM. You can read materials in the reading room, but you cannot check them out.
The library also hosts a free book club called the Literati Book Club. They discuss famous authors and art history. The library also has an online blog.
The Secret Garden
In 1991, John, Mable, and his sister, Ida Ringling North, were buried on the property. Their graves are just in front and to the right of the Ca' d'Zan. This area is called the Secret Garden. John is buried between the two women. A locked gate surrounds the three graves and tombstones. There is a garden and statues in front of the gate. During visiting hours, the gate is unlocked and open.
See also
In Spanish: Museo Ringling para niños
