Things to Do in Sarasota
By Carson B. · Updated November 5, 2026
If you only have a day or two, start with The Ringling, Siesta Beach, and a walk around St. Armands Circle. Add Selby Gardens if you love plants, Mote SEA if you've got kids, the downtown farmers market on a Saturday morning, and Myakka River State Park for a look at old Florida.
The must-sees
The Ringling is the big one: Florida's state art museum, the Circus Museum, the Ca' d'Zan mansion, and bayfront gardens all on one campus. The art museum's galleries have free admission on Mondays.
Siesta Beach is the quartz-sand beach everybody talks about. See our beach guide for which beach suits your day.
St. Armands Circle is the classic stroll for shops, ice cream, and dinner, a few minutes from Lido Beach.
Gardens, animals, and science
Selby Gardens is the only botanical garden dedicated to epiphytes, the orchids and air plants that grow on other plants, right on Sarasota Bay. Mote SEA, the new home of Mote's aquarium at Nathan Benderson Park, connects a working marine lab's research with hands-on exhibits. Big Cat Habitat and Sarasota Jungle Gardens are longtime family favorites for animal encounters. Check their sites for hours before you go.
Get outside
Myakka River State Park covers 58 square miles of prairie, hammock, and river, one of Florida's oldest state parks and a look at what this place used to be. Oscar Scherer State Park in Osprey has hiking, paddling, and a spot on the Legacy Trail. The Celery Fields is the birder's pick, and The Bay gives downtown a waterfront park with room to wander.
Sarasota's premier birding hotspot on 400+ acres of restored wetlands
Arts and history
Sarasota Art Museum is Ringling College's contemporary museum, in the old Sarasota High School. Florida Studio Theatre runs year-round downtown, from mainstage plays to cabaret and improv. Historic Spanish Point in Osprey covers thousands of years of local history on 30 bayfront acres. See our arts events for what's playing now.
Ringling College's contemporary art museum in the old Sarasota High School
Downtown's year-round theater, from mainstage plays to cabaret and improv
Thousands of years of Sarasota history on 30 bayfront acres in Osprey
A local Saturday
The Sarasota Farmers Market sets up around Main Street and Lemon Avenue every Saturday, year-round, and it's the easiest way to spend a morning downtown. From there, check what's on this weekend for the rest of your day.
When it rains
Head for The Ringling, Sarasota Art Museum, Mote SEA, or The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature in Bradenton. All give you plenty to do indoors.
Science and natural-history learning in Bradenton
What's on this weekend
Ride and Paddle at The Bay (Guided Kayak Tour)
Fri, Nov 6 · 9:00 AM · 2 dates
Kayak Launch at The Bay Park · Sarasota
Free; registration required
ex•plore: Nature at Night —Sleeping Turtles Preserve North
Fri, Nov 6 · 5:30 PM
Sleeping Turtles Preserve North · Venice
Free
Questions
What is Sarasota known for?
Quartz-sand beaches like Siesta, The Ringling and its circus history, a big arts scene for a city its size, and St. Armands Circle.
How do you spend a day in Sarasota?
Start at The Ringling in the morning, have lunch on St. Armands Circle, then spend the afternoon at Lido or Siesta Beach and stay for the sunset.
Does Sarasota have a walkable downtown?
Yes. Main Street and the surrounding blocks are easy to walk, with restaurants, shops, theaters, and the bayfront close together.
Is Sarasota good for kids?
Yes. Mote SEA, Big Cat Habitat, the beaches, and the Bishop Museum in Bradenton are all good family outings. See our family events list for what's on now.