Beaches Attractions Shopping Fishing 

Attractions
The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art is right next door (at the end of University Parkway).  The Ringling is Florida's state art museum and features a world-renowned collection of Baroque art and exciting traveling exhibits.  A tour through the Ringlings' breathtaking Venetian-inspired home, Ca' d'Zan, is included in the price of admission.  (John Ringling's brother, Charles, built his home next door on what is now the New College campus.)  A collection of Ringling circus artifacts and a new educational center are also on the grounds.  The Ringling is a favorite spot for internships among Novocollegians.  Entrance to the museum is free for all Florida public school students, including New College students, and is free to everyone on Mondays.

The Asolo Theatre (The Florida State University Center for Performing Arts), also adjacent to campus, presents professional theater from fall though early summer.  FSU has an MFA program in acting here, and classes are offered to New College Students.

Sarasota Jungle Gardens, a botanical garden and zoo with bird and reptile shows, is just south of New College on Bay Shore Road; it is a throwback to a Florida before Disney and worth a visit just for the taste of a simpler notion of "attraction."  

Sarasota Classic Car Museum, a nice collection of vintage autos from around the world, adjoins our East Campus on Tamiami Trail.

Mote Marine Laboratory on City Island (south on the Trail to SR 780 West, right to St. Armand's Circle, right toward Longboat Key, right at sign) provides an introduction to Gulf marine life sponsored by the research laboratory at which many New College students intern.  Narrated boat tours of Sarasota Bay are available.  Adjacent is the 
Pelican Man's Bird Sanctuary, a wild bird rehabilitation center. Have lunch next door at The Old Salty Dog on the water.

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, located downtown just past the bayfront park on Tamiami Trail. The Gardens feature a fantastic collection of orchids and other tropical plants, as well as extensive outdoor gardens focusing on Florida native plants and epiphytes.  The Selby foundation has been a major benefactor of New College. 

Myakka River State Park, about 30 minutes from campus (go south on I-75 to  SR-72 and then go east) is the Florida's largest, with beautiful and diverse ecosystems including freshwater lake, river, wetlands, pine flatwoods and prairie. Visitors enjoy the wildlife, including alligators galore and a large variety of birds. Canoeing, picnicking, hiking, cabins, and camping are all available.  New College biology/environmental studies students often conduct internships and field research here.

Oscar Scherer State Park, located on Tamiami Trail south of the town of Osprey, is a small natural area with canoeing that's gentler than at Myakka.  Walk out into the scrub beyond the small lake and you may encounter endangered scrub jays, which will sometimes perch on your hat or shoulder (when you see them, stand still and wait).

GWiz, a hands-on science museum for the whole family, is located in downtown Sarasota.

The Sarasota Film Society's Burns Court Cinema is a perennial favorite with the New College community.  Burns Court screens artsy, independent, and foreign films.

The Sarasota Film Festival draws the stars to downtown every January.  

In 1911, Chicagoan Bertha Honore Palmer started buying land in what became Sarasota County, eventually accumulating about 30,000 acres. She built an estate at Historic Spanish Point in Osprey (south on the Trail). Today you can visit for a picture of the pioneer and early estate life in South Florida.

In Bradenton, the South Florida Museum downtown near the Manatee River has an eclectic but stimulating collection of regional artifacts as well as Snooty the manatee. Adjoining is the Bishop Planetarium.

The Family Heritage House, located on the campus of Manatee Community College, is a small but intriguing collection focusing on African-American history.  Maintained by cofounder Fredi Brown, the Family Heritage House is part of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.

Shopping
Downtown (nestled between the Trail, Fruitville Road, and 301/Washington Blvd) is a haven of restaurants, art galleries, shops, and two movie theaters (the artsy Burns Court Cinema and the mainstream Hollywood 20).  The first Friday of every month, most galleries stay open during the evening.  Sarasotans filter through, enjoying wine and cheese while contemplating their next purchases.

St. Armand's Circle offers the latest in high fashion and novel gifts. Go south on the Trail, then turn right on SR 780 West (at the Holiday Inn). Window shopping around the Circle is a must. Siesta Village on Siesta Key (south on Trail to Siesta Drive) has informal, moderately priced restaurants and funky as well as fashionable shops. The big mall, Sarasota Square, is over 10 miles south of New College, on the Trail. En route you'll pass South Gate, a more upscale mall  on the left. Necessities are available at two discount chain stores near New College. Target is about two miles north on the Trail on the left in the Bayshore Gardens shopping center, and Wal-Mart is about three miles east on University Parkway at Lockwood Ridge (turn left at Lockwood Ridge).

Fishing
Both the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay offer good fishing. No license is required for fishing from beaches, bridges and other public access points; from a boat, a license is required. Get it at area K-Marts, or at bait and tackle shops. For pointers, maps and lore, try Mr. C.B.'s, Stickney Point Bridge; also Hart's Landing, Ringling Causeway bridge; Economy Tackle, 6018 S. Trail; New Pass Bait Shop, City I. Half- and full-day charters, hourly rentals, and guides from marinas and bait shops. Prices vary widely, so shop around. The experienced guides and captains are usually members of the Florida Conservation Association. For another perspective on fishing, the few remaining commercial fishermen who put fish on our tables work out of the Siesta Fish Market on the Key and Cortez Village (north on Trail to Cortez Road, about 6 miles; left to bay; village is on left just before the bridge).