Southwest Florida
Florida Railroad Museum - Parrish
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Photos courtesy of Florida Railroad Museum- clockwise: red caboose; Civil War re-enactors on open-air train; steam engine; Engineers; #1835 primary road engine
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My view of traveling on trains has always has always been one of romanticism, although, I must have acquired that feeling from watching old movies, because it certainly didn’t come from personal experience. Until I visited the Florida Railroad Museum my only riding of the rails was by Amtrak, which falls a little short on the sentimental scale.
Still, that era in which railroads were the most affluent means of travel was a desirous time in American history, and if you want to get a hint of that bygone, saccharine period, the museum in Parrish is a good place to invest a little time.
It’s different than most museums—as they like to point out—here you “ride the exhibits.” There is memorabilia in the stationary rail car/ticket office and you can wander through an old Pullman car, the deplorable condition of which is excusable since it was rescued from the scrap heap and is slated for restoration. If romanticism correlates to closeness you will feel it in the old Pullman. Compartments are tight, but illustrate the luxury or the golden era with the red velvet upholstery private beds and baths plus the ability to flick a switch that summoned a porter to cater to every personal need.
The Museum is in possession of several locomotives and cars that have been donated or purchased from all over the country. The ex-U.S. Army diesel #1835 is the primary road engine, while a General Electric diesel electric engine that was donated by the Navy after its use at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station is their switch engine. And, there is the little 1919 steam locomotive used until 1963 in a Brooklyn rail yard that has been cosmetically restored and on display.
The two passenger cars regularly used for excursions are 1930 iterations used by a railroad commuter service out of Hoboken, New Jersey until 1983, plus a ‘50s lightweight air conditioned Union Pacific coach with a concession stand added. Bringing up the rear is the proverbial little red caboose retired by the Texas and Pacific system in 1981. It was purchased by a museum member, later donated, and is now used as the party caboose on weekend outings.
The excursions take you several miles out and back on the 1 ½-hour-ride, past truck farms, pastures, and a few isolated homesteads—scenery that’s not too exciting unless you were unaware that Florida exists beyond the glamour of beaches and theme parks. But the real entertainment is the train itself and the special events coordinated with the rides.
On weekends throughout the year the museum presents various themes to amuse before, during, and after the jaunt over rails. On different weekends you can participate in the Train Robbery with the Hole in the Head Gang, the Murder Mystery Dinner Train, a Hobo Campfire Cookout, and the Rock & Roll Railroad. In October there is the Pumpkin Patch Express, and in December the North Pole Train.
And what about operating one of those mega-ton locomotives yourself? If that has ever been a dream, you can realize it at the Florida Railroad Museum. You will receive hands-on training for an hour behind the controls, chugging one of those monstrous engines up and down the tracks.
For May and June, Mothers Day and Fathers Day are the big events, with Moms and Dads riding free on their respective holidays. It would be a great time to rent the caboose for a private party.
On our visit the diversion was a Civil War Re-enactment. It was entertaining as well as educational—especially the hospital tent with the original medical equipment and explanations of care. The Confederates and the Union soldiers skirmished before the train pulled out, and the Johnny-Rebs waylaid us on the way back, but were whipped both times, and we made it home safely.
The Civil War subject won’t be repeated for a while, but it was great fun and we can only assume that all the events are just as enjoyable. For a different kind of weekend escapade this nostalgic exhibit is worth investigating.
The Florida Railroad Museum is located at 12210 83rd Street East in Parrish. The museum operates only on Saturdays and Sundays. For information on future events and reservations, call 941-776-0906 or visit www.frrm.org.
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The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art - Sarasota
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John Ringling derived a fortune from his circus, real estate, oil and railroad investments. When he died in 1936, he left his art museum and palatial estate on 66 acres of Sarasota Bay to the people of Florida. Today The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, the State Art Museum of Florida encompases the Ca d’Zan mansion, Museum of Art, The Circus Museum, Tibbals Learning Center, Museum of Art Library, grounds and gardens, Gift Shop, Banyan Café, and Treviso restaurant.
This was the last of the Gilded Age mansions to be built in America. Ca’ d’Zan--(meaning “House of John”)—was John and Mable Ringling’s tribute to the American Dream. This graceful Venetian Gothic palace exudes grandeur. Construction began in 1924 and was concluded before Christmas, 1925 at a cost of $1.5 million. It is 200 feet long, encompassing about 36,000 square feet with 41 rooms and 15 bathrooms. It is five stories and has a full basement. The pinnacle of the structure is the 81-foot Belvedere tower with an open-air overlook and a high-domed ceiling. It is constructed from terra cotta “T” blocks, concrete, and brick, covered with stucco and terra cotta, and embellished with glazed tile. The original roof was made from imported 16th century Spanish tile. Its bayfront terrace is made of domestic and imported marble. A 6-year, $15-million restoration was completed in 2002, restoring it to the grandeur of the era.
The Italian Renaissance-style Museum of Art was built in 1927 by John Ringling to house his personal collection of masterpieces. Construction slowed because of the collapse of Florida’s land boom, and then Wall Street’s stock market crash. Financial misfortune and Mable’s death in 1929 could have ended the dream, but Ringling borrowed money and gained a new resolve, completing and opening the museum to the public in October, 1931.
Today the Museum features paintings and sculptures by the great Old Masters including Rubens, van Dyck, Velázquez, Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese, El Greco, Gainsborough, as well as the Ringling’s Art of Our Time, a growing collection of contemporary art. The European, American and Asian masterworks available here make the Museum of Art an awe-inspiring retreat. The Courtyard features casts of original antiquities and renaissance sculptures, including the towering David by Michelangelo. The Courtyard features two fountains - Fountain of Tortoises, one of three replicas from the Piazza Mattei in Rome, and the Oceanus Fountain, copied from the 16th century original by Giovanni Bologna in Florence’s Boboli Gardens. Special exhibitions are featured in The Ulla R. and Arthur F. Searing Wing, which opened in 2007. The galleries mirror the original Museum of Art's exterior, but makes available expansive exhibit space for major traveling shows.
Presently On Exhibit (Searing Wing): Peter Paul Rubens: Impressions of a Master – through June 3; Luminosity – through August 12; Sanford Biggers – through August 19; From the Vaults: John Ringling's Asian and Cypriot Art- through September 21. (In Gallery 13): Fashion Forward: A Focus on Dress in the 1700s – through June 10. Sunset and daily hours available for viewing Joseph’s Coat, the Skyspace created by James Turrell.
The Circus Museum, established in 1948, celebrates the American circus, its history, and unique relationship to Sarasota. On exhibit is the Wisconsin, the 1905 private rail car of John and Mable Ringling. There are colossal parade and baggage wagons, sequined costumes, and a sideshow banner line, memorabilia and artifacts of The Ringling Family Circus, John Ringling, and the greatest circus movie, The Greatest Show on Earth, which was filmed in Sarasota.
At the Tibbals Learning Center is a permanent exhibition of colorful circus posters. The cornerstone is the world's largest miniature circus, The Howard Bros. Circus Model, a replica of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus from 1919 – 1938. It was created over a period of more than 50-years by master model builder and philanthropist Howard Tibbals. Exhibitions celebrate circus performers. On the second floor the history of the American circus from ancient times to the present is documented. The Interactive Galleries are fun and provide many photo opportunities. On Exhibit through May 14: Whirling Wheels: Bicycles in the Big Top.
The grounds and gardens are also treated and cherished as works of art. The fragrant 37,225 sq. ft. Rose Garden was completed in 1913 and is patterned after a traditional Italian circular garden design. While none of the original rose bushes planted by Mable survive, many of today’s 1,200 rose plants are of the same types planted by Mrs. Ringling. Today the garden consists of roses introduced between 1867 and 2002. There are Tree Roses, Hybrid Teas, Floribundas, Grandifloras, miniature roses, shrubs, and Old Garden Roses.
Just north of the Ca’ d’Zan Mansion is Mable Ringling’s Secret Garden, derived from plants given to her during her winters at Cà d’Zan. There’s also the Dwarf Garden Millennium Tree Trail, and 13 historic banyan trees with paths and picnic areas to enjoy. More than 200 trees and 40,000 plantings have recently added to the landscape.
The Ringling Museum of Art Library is open to researchers, students, and the public Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1- 5 p.m. The Library is located in the Johnson-Blalock Education Center on the south side of the Ringling Museum estate off Bay Shore Road.
It contains more than 85,000 volumes, exhibition and sale catalogs, and more than 100 current periodical titles. The Library conducts and supports research on the Museum's collection of Italian and European Baroque art, 20th Century Art, Decorative Arts, Peter Paul Rubens, Contemporary Art, and Photography. The Library collects research materials encompassing the entire history of art, art education, and conservation and houses a collection of rare books from the 16th - 20th centuries, including the personal library of John Ringling.
Because you could spend the whole day here viewing everything, take time out for lunch or a pick-me-up. Located between the Circus Museum and Mable’s Rose Garden, the Banyan Café features a family-friendly self-serve and outdoor seating daily 11am - 4 pm. Treviso offers fine indoor dining daily 10am-5pm, and on Thursdays from 10am-8pm.
The Ringling also is emerging as a center for the study, practice and presentation of contemporary art. The Ringling International Arts Festival (RIAF) showcases a variety of contemporary art at the Ringling Center for the Arts in Sarasosta. A continuum of the Ringling Museumm’s Art of Our Time, the fourth annual Festival features music, dance and theater in its intimate theaters, galleries and gardens by well-known and emerging artists. RIAF is produced by Sarasota’s The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art and New York’s Baryshnikov Arts Center. The artists scheduled to perform are hand-picked by the legendary Mikhail Baryshnikov. The 2012 Festival takes place October 10-13.
The John and Maple Ringling Museum of Art is located at 5401 Bay Shore Road. Allow 3 hours minimum. Hours: Grounds open daily 9:30-6pm. Museum open daily 10-5pm and Thursday 5-8pm. Guided tours depart daily on the hour from 11am-4pm. Cost (also includes Ca’ d’Zan, The Circus Museum and Tibbals Learning Center) $25; $20-ages 65+; $15(ages 6-17 and active military, college students and Florida teachers with ID). Call 941-359-5700 (recorded info); 941-358-3180 (advanced ticket info) or go to www.Ringling.org.
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