Built in 1952, the Sarasota Classic Car Museum (SCCM) opened its doors to the public in February of 1953. Although the SCCM has changed ownership over the years it has operated continuously and now enjoys the recognition of being one of the oldest car museums in the world.
The Museum recently completed a huge renovation program.
The Museum features a “living” collection of over 100 automobiles, constantly being updated through acquisitions, exchanges with other car museums, and through donations of vehicles from collectors. The collection spans over 100 manufacturing years. Almost every letter of the alphabet is covered: Auburn, Bentley, Cadillac station wagon (one of only 5 ever made), DeLorean, Edsel, Ferrari, etc. Vintage, classic, muscle, exotic cars….they’re all here. We have John Lennon’s Mercedes Roadster, Paul McCartney's Mini Cooper and a dragster belonging to Don Garlits among our favorite treasures.
Phone: (941) 355-6288 Fax: (941) 358-8065
Address: 5500 N Tamiami Trail Sarasota, Florida 34243
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From the original focus on sharks, Mote research has expanded to include seven major areas of concentration, organized into seven research centers. While each center focuses on its own specialty, Mote scientists are able to partner with others within the lab to integrate efforts across a number of fields. This approach has led to discoveries that establish Mote as a global leader in many areas of marine science.
Mote recognizes the importance of advancing the understanding of sea science to the general public. To that end, Mote conducts extensive public outreach and operates a public aquarium that serves nearly 400,000 visitors a year. Mote is one of the few organizations in the world that combines marine research with public outreach through a full-fledged aquarium.
Mote Marine Laboratory is also one of the world’s few remaining private marine research laboratories and, as a nonprofit organization, is funded through federal, state and local grants and through the generosity of individual donors and foundations. Over the last five decades, the world has learned many things about its oceans. One lesson has remained constant: There is still much to discover.
Phone: (941) 388-4441 - (800) 691-MOTE
Address: 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, Florida 34236
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The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, Florida is a not-for-profit institution fostering understanding and appreciation of tropical plants, especially epiphytes (plants that grow on other plants), through programs of research, conservation, education and display. Selby Gardens is perhaps best known for its living collection of more than 6,000 orchids.
The 9.5-acre bayfront property is an open-air and under-glass museum of more than 20,000 colorful plants, many collected in the wild on over 150 scientific expeditions to tropical rain forests by Selby Gardens research staff. Seven greenhouses are the heart of botanical research and plant identification, for which Selby Gardens is internationally recognized.
Children will delight in our indoor “rainforest,” brilliant dart frog collection, and our gardens abundant with tropical flora and fauna. More than 150 scientific expeditions to rainforests around the world have contributed to our collection of more than 20,000 living plants, truly a wonder to see!
Phone: (941) 366-5731
Address: 811 South Palm Avenue Sarasota, Florida 34236
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John Ringling, one of the five original circus kings of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, was blessed with entrepreneurial genius and through his success with the circus and other investments, became quite wealthy.
John Ringling bequeathed his art collection, mansion and estate to the people of the State of Florida at the time of his death in 1936.
In 2000, Ringling’s original $1.2 million endowment had hardly grown to $2 million. Governance was transferred from the State of Florida’s Department of State to Florida State University establishing the Ringling estate as one of the largest museum/university complexes in the nation. As part of the University, the Museum has experienced a rebirth. In 2002, when $42.9 million was provided through the State for new buildings, it came with a condition that the Ringling board raise $50 million in endowment within five years. Impossible as the task then seemed, more than $55 million was donated or pledged by 2007. The transformation that culminated in 2007 restored all the existing buildings and expanded the Estate with four new buildings on the Museum’s Master Plan: the Tibbals Learning Center, the John M. McKay Visitors Pavilion – housing the Historic Asolo Theater, the Education/Conservation Building and The Ulla R. and Arthur F. Searing Wing. The Museum’s financial footing was also secured with the beginnings of a healthy endowment.
