Sarasota: City Trolley Tour & Ringling Museum with Selby Gardens

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/9

Duration1h 30m

GroupUp to 30

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Ride Through Sarasota's Neighborhoods & Museum District on a Vintage Trolley

You ride through five historic Sarasota neighborhoods in an air-conditioned trolley, passing The Ringling Museum, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, and nine cultural landmarks while a guide explains the circus history, architecture, and founders' stories that built the city. Bottled water is included, and the pace is slow enough to actually see what you're learning about.

1h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Sarasota city sightseeing trolley tour

Board air-conditioned trolley
See historic downtown neighborhoods
View world-class cultural organizations
Learn about unique homes and buildings
Discover circus and Amish history
Learn about John Hamilton Gillespie
See Sarasota Opera and other homes
Visit Burns Court neighborhood

The Experience

The trolley doors close behind you and the air conditioning kicks in. Outside, Sarasota's downtown unfolds—Gillespie Park, Burns Court, St. Armands Circle—each neighborhood a different chapter of how this city became what it is. Your guide points out the Blue Pagoda, the Crocker Memorial Church, Splendida, and explains who built them and why they matter. The trolley moves slowly enough that you're not just seeing the architecture; you're actually taking it in, and the driver stops long enough at each district for questions. This is a city sightseeing trolley tour, so there's no rushing.

The Ringling Museum and Marie Selby Botanical Gardens are on the route, and you'll pass the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, the Asolo Theater, and the Sarasota Opera House—the one that's supposedly haunted. The guide talks about the circus history that shaped Sarasota, the Amish culture, the real estate booms and busts, and the stories of the founders. It's the kind of context that makes the buildings and streets make sense instead of just looking nice. You get bottled water included, and the air conditioning means you're comfortable even on a warm Florida afternoon.

The tour covers five historic neighborhoods and passes by nine cultural organizations without feeling rushed. Burns Court's Mediterranean Revival style, the role John Hamilton Gillespie played in bringing golf to Sarasota, the design choices that shaped St. Armands Circle—these are the details that separate a trolley ride from an actual tour. You're learning where to eat, where to shop, where to come back to, not just what the buildings look like.

What’s included

Your tour includes air-conditioned trolley transport, bottled water, and a guided route through Gillespie Park, Burns Court, Laurel Park, St.
Armands Circle, and the Rosemary Design District.
You'll pass The Ringling Museum, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, the Van Wezel Performing Arts Center, Asolo Theater, Sarasota Opera House, and five other cultural organizations while learning about the city's circus history, architecture, and founders.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Discover Sarasota Tours

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want to understand Sarasota's layout and history without driving yourself or arranging separate stops—the trolley and guide handle the navigation and context, so you just sit and absorb.