UP CLOSE RINGLING MEMBER

The Wyatt Family

Please tell us about your impressions of the Ringling during your first visit to the Museum. (When, what stood out)

We have been coming frequently in the past ten years with our children (now 8, 9 and 11), My first impression was how much the Ringling Museum has changed since the 1970s when I came for my first field trip in elementary school. Each city has its own history and everyone who lives in Sarasota should know the story of the Ringling Family, their home, art museum and circus. The Ringling Museum is our family’s museum and being able to visit weekly is one of the benefits of living in Sarasota. Having a family membership to the Ringling Museum is a no-brainer. For about ten dollars a month you have access to one of the most fun and family-friendly places in Sarasota. The Ringling Museum helps us make wonderful family memories. There are so many new exhibits that if you haven’t been to the Ringling in the past year–you haven’t been to the Ringling!

What are the top 3 activities you do with your family when you are at the Museum?

We have been visiting Mr. Tibbals’ miniature circus for years and each time we see something new. With 925 teeny-tiny circus animals. 1,300 circus performers and workers, eight tents and a 55 car train, there are endless tiny scenes telling unique and exciting stories. And when night falls and the circus lights come on–it is magical! Watching the twirling ballerinas performing high on the wires is my daughter Susan’s favorite part of the circus. Our new favorite activity is walking the tightrope and hearing the roar of the crowd after we cross. Bruce and Maggie like to fire the cannon and launch missiles aimed into the net. And there are endless ways to balance and pose on the trick horse’s back! All of the interactive displays and buttons to push for movies, clips and music are perfect for today’s digital-friendly child.

What do you hope your children will share with their friends about their experience? I hope my children will share with their friends how much FUN it is to visit the Ringling.

Do you visit other museums when you travel? When we travel, we like to visit children’s museums. Some of our favorites have been The Children’s Museum of the Upstate in Greenville, S.C. and the Portland Children’s Museum in Maine. This summer our family is going to visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Each child is going to pick an area of the museum, research it, and be our tour guide. With a little imagination, visiting a museum is like time travel as you go back in history to fascinating times and places.

What are a few of your favorite places on the Estate? Once a week our family has a picnic on the Ringling grounds. We alternate between sitting under the banyan trees, sitting on the terrace of Ca’ d’Zan overlooking the bay, and sitting in Mable’s

Rose garden. If we bring a card game, we sit and play at the silver tables outside by the Banyan Café. After five, the museum buildings close but the grounds stay open until six. We pretty much have the run of the grounds and like to play tag around the Dwarf Garden. And no visit would be complete without a tram ride!

What other areas would you like to explore? Next month my eleven-year-old Susan has requested we go on the “Private Places Tour” at Ca’ d’Zan. We are planning a mother-daughter date and look forward to seeing the upper floors and climbing to the top balcony of Ca’ d’Zan

What are you most looking forward to experiencing in the coming year? In the summer we will be spending more time inside the Museum to beat the heat. The Education Department offers lots of fun and educational tools for families. Before your visit go online and print out interesting worksheets that focus on images, animals, color, and story. The best part about the Ringling Museum is that there is always something new to see and do.