First stop was the Ca'd'Zan, aka the Ringling Mansion. We weren’t able to go upstairs, but the first floor was still gorgeous. It had these massive mutli-colored windows, intricate titlework, and amazing craftsmanship. No detail was spared. Oh and let me just say, even the portable bathrooms near the mansion were luxurious. I’m not joking. I could've signed a lease and lived in there.
Next, we made our way to the Circus Museum and it honestly felt like walking into a Disney Park. There were interactive exhibits, costumes, accessories, instruments, etc. There was so much to see. The highlight though, was the miniature circus model. I’m pretty sure it’s the world's largest circus model too. There was over 42,000 tiny pieces spanning 3,800 sq. feet. At one point the lights dimmed to simulate “night” and all the mini lights lit up. It was actually magical.
After that, we explored the Ringling Museum of Art. There was this one exhibition called Conjuring the Spirit World. People back then were obsessed with ghosts and the afterlife. Kind of freakyyy, but super fascinating. There was even a set up where you could speak into this comms device, and a “spirit” would respond by knocking on the tv. One for yes, two for no. Obviously I asked if we were ever getting out of bronze this month. THEY SAID YESSSS!
We eventually made it to the main gallery halls, where we took a bunch of pics around the paintings. Sadly I wasn’t able to see one of my favorite pieces, Moonlight Landscape by Joseph Wright of Derby, because we got kicked out lol. Apparently the museum closes at 5, and a very official old man let us know. Whoops. But he did tell us that the museum is free on Mondays if we ever want to visit again.
All in all, we didn't get to see the entire place. There are gardens and outer buildings we didn't have time for. But it was still a fun and refreshing day. I would absolutely visit again, and next time we’re seeing everythinggggg.
