Sarasota Springs, FL Local Area Information

Not since the high school senior prom has anyone seen so many orchids under one roof. It is our guess there are few places in the world with such an extensive collection of living, blooming varieties. But the orchids are only a small part of the Selby Botanical Gardens, located directly on the bay just steps from downtown Sarasota. Members benefit from the many educational programs. Want to learn ... (read more)

Quiet and green, Island Park is on the Sarasota bay front. juxtaposed (just across a busy street) to some of the city's tallest buildings. It is a favorite place for Sarasotans to exercise, walk their dogs or push their small children in strollers. Some couples, walking hand in hand, smile as they read the interesting names on the yachts docked in the marina. In the evening others sit on the grass... (read more)

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An hour or two before sundown every Sunday afternoon people begin to assemble on Siesta Beach, south of the main pavilion, between lifeguard stations 3 and 4. As people arrive they form what is called the Drum Circle. Even if you are from Keokuk, Iowa, Chillicothe, Ohio, or Manahawkin, New Jersey or from from points north, south, east or west you will be able to participate. Bring your African dje... (read more)

You don't have to travel to New York, Chicago, Las Vegas or LA to hear comedians who appear on network television shows, on a Vegas stage or in the movies. Week after week McCurdy's Comedy Theatre brings headliners from across the globe to Sarasota. These headliners appear Wednesday through Sunday at 7:30 p.m. A second show (when smoking is permitted) is held at 9:45 on Fridays and Saturdays. ... (read more)

Curious about things that thrive in the Gulf of Mexico? Spend a few hours at Sarasota's Mote Marine Lab and Aquarium. It features dolphins, massive manatees, sharks, giant turtles and a hundred other sea creatures. You can watch as dolphins are trained to retrieve articles, even produce artwork. Following the 2010 massive deep sea oil rig explosion just below the Louisiana coast, the not-for-profi... (read more)

What could be more irresistible to an innocent six or seven-year-old than having a dozen tall, pink flamingos wade out of shallow water and reach out to gently nibble seeds from an outstretched hand? It also is fun for mom and dad or grandfather and grandmother to take a turn. Because of their size, their long necks and bright coloring, feeding flamingos in the Sarasota Jungle Gardens can be more ... (read more)

This is a Sarasota park with almost everything. Just up the road from the Mote Aquarium, it is free and open from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m., the 84 acre Ken Thompson Park includes a impressive view of the Sarasota skyline. It offers benches in the sun or under shade trees, a snack bar, and the New Pass Fishing Pier if you choose to wet a line. The Sarasota Bay Walk provides a half mile boardwalk nature... (read more)

Sarasota Classic Car Museum The second oldest antique car museum in the United States is located in Sarasota near the Ringling Museum of Art. You will see John and Mable Ringling's collection of Rolls Royce autos, John Lennon's, psychedelic, 1956 Bentley, Paul McCartney's Mini Cooper and a Don Garlits dragste. Travel back in time to your grandparents era and before. Dream what it must have been li... (read more)