Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium: With 10 different exhibits featuring over 100 species of marine life, including sea turtles, sharks, rays, and even otters, there’s plenty to see here. Sarasota is known for its manatees and you can see Mote Marine’s own loveable sea cows, Hugh and Buffett, up close and personal. Just don’t forget to look for Dory!

 

The home of the circus king and his wife, a couple from humble mid-western origins, Ca’ d’Zan stands as a testament to the American Dream of the Roaring Twenties. Inspired by and designed in the Venetian Gothic style of the palazzos that ring the Venice canals, this dazzling palatial mansion perfectly captures the splendor and romance of the Italy the Ringlings so loved. To honor its owner, they named it Ca’ d’Zan, “House of John”, in the dialect of their beloved Venice.