Sarasota, Fla. more than a three-ring attraction

Sarasota, Fla. — The town that long ago was built on big cats and elephants, flying trapezes and sideshow acts — and more than a few clowns — has morphed into a sophisticated resort city.

Look beyond the accomplished West Coast Symphony or Sarasota Ballet, beyond the numerous art galleries and theaters, or shopping at chic St. Armands Circle, and you’ll find experiences unique to a place nicknamed Circus City. You’d expect no less from the town that was once the winter quarters for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

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Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary

Sampson lets Clayton Rosaire know he’s not happy during a performance at Kay Rosaire’s Big Cat Habitat.

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Ringling Museum

The Ringling Museum of Art holds the extensive collection of art amassed by John and Mable Ringling, including Rubens’ The Triumph of Divine Love. The museum continues to acquire important collections.

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Herrmanns' Lipizzan Stallions

A horse and rider perform during a show by Herrmanns’ Lipizzan Stallions in Myakka City, about 20 miles outside Sarasota, Fla.

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Here are six ways to entertain children of all ages over the holidays and into the new year:

1. Big Cat Habitat

Lions, tigers, bears, elephants, chimpanzees, monkeys, exotic birds, goats and dogs all have something in common at Kay Rosaire’s Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary: Most of them are rescues. And on weekends from December until about mid-May, some of them are talented performers. Rosaire, her son, Clayton, and numerous other members of the renowned Rosaire circus family perform under a huge tent with the animals, but the show is more than entertainment. Kay Rosaire, mistress of ceremonies, educates the crowd about trafficking in exotic animals. And during the dog act (all rescue dogs, of course), she urges: “If you’re looking for a pet, go to the animal shelter.”

7101 Palmer Blvd. 941-371-6377; www.bigcathabitat.org

2. John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art and Ca d’Zan

It’s hard to decide which is more dazzling — Ca d’Zan, the Venetian Gothic mansion completed by the Ringlings in 1926 and restored in 2002, or the magnificent art collection housed in the Museum of Art’s 21 galleries. In the Ringlings’ time, the “House of John” mansion was a gathering spot for Sarasota society, and touring the home gives a sense of how lavish a Ringling party might have been. The museum was opened in 1931 to display the Ringlings’ extensive and priceless collection of paintings and sculptures; visitors today can see many more American, Asian and European artworks. The museum continues to acquire exceptional works, including the Koger Collection of Chinese ceramics in 2002. In 2007, the museum added 30,000 square feet of exhibit space. Current special exhibits include “Modern Masters of the Japanese Print: Tradition and Transformation,” through Jan. 4; “To Live Forever: Egyptian Treasures from the Brooklyn Museum,” through Jan. 11; and “Fashioning Kimono: Art Deco and Modernism in Japan,” through Feb. 8.

5401 Bay Shore Road. 941-359-5700; www.ringling.org

3. Circus museum

A highlight of the Ringling Museum of the American Circus and the Tibbals Learning Center, located on the 66-acre Ringling estate, is the Howard Bros. Circus model, a 3/4-inch scale replica of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus from 1919 to 1938. Howard Tibbals carved and assembled this detailed, 3,800-square-foot model over more than 50 years. You’ll see ringmasters and performers under the little big top, viewed by tiny spectators; circus wagons and train cars; animals in and outside the ring; dressing rooms; and the mess where meals were served. If it happened in the real circus, Tibbals captured it for his miniature one. The Museum of the American Circus has much more, including costumes of famous circus performers, historic posters and prints, and a section on the 1952 Oscar-winning film “The Greatest Show on Earth.” Some of the movie’s scenes were filmed in Sarasota.

5401 Bay Shore Road. 941-359-5700; www.ringling.org

4. PAL Sailor Circus

Grab a seat at a PAL Sailor Circus performance and see kids who know how to clown around, swing confidently on a trapeze or juggle more than just schoolwork and extracurricular activities. The Sailor Circus, a longtime program through Sarasota County schools, teaches kids ages 8-18 circus arts, from performing to making costumes, erecting rigging and working concessions. In 2004, the Police Athletic League took over operation of the program, which celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2009. The Sailor Circus will perform its Holiday Spectacular Dec. 27-29; tickets are $16 adults, $12 children 10 and younger, and $10 general admission. Spring performances are March 25-28 and April 1-4.

2075 Bahia Vista St. 941-361-6350; www.sailorcircus.org

5. Circus Sarasota

Founded in 1997 by Pedro Reis and Dolly Jacobs, Circus Sarasota opens under a big top each winter to sell-out crowds. Reis is a trapeze artist who performed for years with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus; Jacobs, also an aerialist and performer with Ringling and the Big Apple Circus, is the daughter of clown Lou Jacobs. Circus Sarasota’s mission is to engage and encourage students through education, to improve the quality of life for individuals in institutionalized settings, and to present quality circus performances as an affordable family event. With the help of a foundation and volunteers, the circus keeps its ticket prices low while attracting headline circus acts.

Shows in 2009 are Jan. 30-Feb. 22 in the overflow parking lot of Ed Smith Stadium off Tuttle Avenue in Sarasota, and March 6-29 at Gulf Coast Town Center in Fort Myers; ticket prices $10-$47. 941-355-9335; www.circussarasota.org

6. Lipizzan Stallions

Herrmanns’ Royal Lipizzan Stallions aren’t circus performers, though they entertain at regional and state fairs during spring and summer, and at the Herrmann farm in winter months. The stallions are descendants of those bred for the Hapsburg Royal Family of Austria, and directly descend from the few saved during World War II by Col. Ottomar Herrmann Jr. and his father under the protection of U.S. Gen. George S. Patton. You’ll see amazing leaps and complicated maneuvers by these strong and talented horses, including Capriole, in which the horse soars high in the air and strikes out with its hind legs.

Shows during winter months on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. 32755 Singletary Road, Myakka City, about 20 miles from Sarasota. 941-322-1501; www.hlipizzans.com

IF YOU GO

Where to stay

Hotel Indigo. This boutique chain of hotels, part of the InterContinental Hotels Group, is always a sure bet for value and location; this one is near Palm Avenue’s art galleries and shops. Rates $140-$209 per night. 1223 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota. 941-487-3800, www.hotelindigo.com

Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota. Pamper yourself in this elegant resort on Sarasota Bay; it was named to Conde Nast’s Traveler’s Gold List of the World’s Best Places to Stay in January 2008. Even your dog can get a pet massage here. Rates from about $250 per night. 1111 Ritz-Carlton Drive, Sarasota. 941-309-2000; www.ritzcarlton.com/sarasota

Where to eat

Roaring 20’s Pizza and Pipes. Order pizza or pasta at the counter, then take a seat and listen to a Wurlitzer theater pipe organ, circa 1931; evening sets on weekdays, lunch and evening sets on weekends. This is no ordinary organ — it has 2,456 pipes and percussions powered by a 20-horsepower Spencer blower. Sandwiches, entrees, $8-$15. 6750 N. U.S. 301, Ellenton. 941-723-1733; www.roaring20spizza.com

Michael’s on East. This fine dining steak and seafood restaurant holds a AAA Four-Diamond Award and a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. 1212 East Ave. S. in Midtown Plaza, Sarasota. 941-366-0007; www.michaelsoneast.com

Information

Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau. 766 Hudson Ave., Sarasota. 941-957-1877; www.sarasotafl.org