A Wheelchair Accessible Sarasota, Florida Travel Guide

After a few spectacular days in Tampa recently (read my blog post all about accessibility in Tampa here), I headed to Sarasota, Florida for the first time ever. To be honest, I didn’t really know what Sarasota had to offer or what accessible sights there were to enjoy, but I’ve heard from multiple people that Sarasota is a fun destination, so I was excited to finally check it out. In short, Sarasota did not disappoint. 

Whether you’re looking for an accessible beach destination or a plethora of indoor and outdoor attractions, there are plenty of wheelchair accessible Sarasota attractions and things to do for any visitor. I had a wonderful few days in Sarasota and quickly discovered that it should be a must-visit destination for any accessible Florida trip. 

Here’s my wheelchair accessible Sarasota travel guide, including things to do, places to eat, and where to stay –

Wheelchair Accessible Sarasota Florida Attractions & Things to Do

The Ringling

I simply can’t talk about Sarasota without mentioning its history with the circus. Sarasota became the winter quarters for the Ringling Bros. Circus in 1927 and the city has had a strong connection to the circus since that time. Today, you can learn all about the circus life, and much more, at The Ringling in Sarasota, Florida. 

The Ringling estate has a circus museum so big that it is in two different buildings, but there is also an art museum, beautiful gardens, and the home of John and Mable Ringling (known as Ca’ d’Zan) on the estate as well. You could honestly spend a whole day at The Ringling because there is so much to see, but I spent about three hours hitting the highlights during my visit. 

I started in the Circus Museum and it was by far one of the most fun museums I’ve ever visited. It was really entertaining and had a lot of great information on display. I grew up going to the circus every year and it was fascinating to see what the circus was like in the 1920s-1950s, which was the peak of the circus in the U.S.

There were interactive activities throughout the Circus Museum, a full-size train that showed how the circus’ talent and crew traveled, videos about the history of the circus, and much more. However, my favorite thing in the Circus Museum was the World’s Largest Miniature Circus, created by Howard Tibbal. It’s an exact 3/4-inch-to-the-foot scale replica of what the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus looked like between 1919-1938. The miniature circus is 3,800 square feet in size and the attention to detail was truly incredible, from the circus animals to the audience members and more, this is something that you just have to see in-person to really understand how amazing it is. 

Once I finished touring the Circus Museums, I rolled across the estate to the Ringling Museum of Art. This museum was designated as the official State Art Museum of Florida in 1980 and I quickly realized why. The museum is huge and showcases thousands of works of art, some of which were actually owned by John and Mable Ringling. 

Accessibility at The Ringling’s various museums and attractions was spectacular for me. It was easy and smooth to roll around the estate in my powered wheelchair thanks to paved paths, but wheelchair accessible trams are available if needed. The trams have a ramp for wheelchair users to board. Another thing that I loved about The Ringling is the fact that they provide free admission for personal care attendants.

While I didn’t have time to visit Ca’ d’Zan, which was the home of John and Mable Ringling, I do know that it is wheelchair-friendly. The first floor of the mansion is accessible and there is a historic elevator that can bring guests to the second floor, but it is contingent on ongoing repairs since it’s so old. 

I tremendously enjoyed spending a few hours at The Ringling, as there is so much to see and accessibility is great for wheelchair users. If you’re planning a trip to Sarasota, put The Ringling at the top of your list of places to visit. 

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

If you are looking for a great outdoor activity that’s wheelchair accessible in Sarasota, look no further than the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. The gardens are spread across two separate campuses, the 15-acre Downtown Sarasota campus and the 30-acre Historic Spanish Point campus. I visited the downtown campus and absolutely loved rolling around the gardens for a couple hours. 

The downtown campus is on Sarasota Bay, so the flowers and plants were even more beautiful with the waterfront views. Another cool fact about the downtown campus is that it’s the only botanical garden in the world that is dedicated to the study and display of epiphytic orchids, gesneriads and ferns, bromeliads, and other tropical plants. I’ve visited a number of botanical gardens around the world and this one had some of the most beautiful displays I’ve seen.

The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens were a wheelchair accessible oasis for me. There were paved paths throughout the gardens, but a couple of the smaller paths were laid with pebble stones. My powered wheelchair was able to easily traverse all of the paths though, which was wonderful. The gardens also have wheelchairs available for use on a first-come, first-served basis and like The Ringling, they allow free entry for personal care attendants. 

If you have kiddos that you’ll be visiting the gardens with (or even if you don’t, to be honest), it’s worth noting that the Ann Goldstein Children’s Rainforest Garden is a must-visit. The children’s garden features a huge and beautiful Banyan tree, a waterfall, play areas, and it is inclusive for children of all abilities. It is ramped and easy to enjoy from a wheelchair. 

The Downtown Sarasota campus of the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is open daily from 10am-5pm. Admission is $20 per adult, $10 for ages 5-17, and free for children age 4 and under. Plan to spend at least a couple hours wandering around these vast and wheelchair accessible Sarasota Florida gardens. 

Siesta Key Beach

If you’ve followed me for any amount of time at all, you probably know that I’m a beach addict. I love nothing more than lounging on the beach and I’ve been lucky enough to visit a lot of Florida beaches, but I had never visited Siesta Key Beach until this recent Sarasota trip. I have heard how wonderful it is from others, but was so excited to finally check it out for myself. I’m happy to say that it certainly did not disappoint.

Siesta Key Beach is one of the most accessible beaches in Florida for a variety of reasons. There are plenty of disabled parking spaces, beach wheelchairs, and even a Mobi-Mat. 

The beach wheelchairs are manual, meaning that they do need to be pushed by someone. The chairs can be rented on a first-come, first-served basis and they are completely free to use. 

If you’d rather stay in your own wheelchair instead of transferring to a beach wheelchair, the beach also has a Mobi-Mat. The Mobi-Mat extends over 400 feet out on the sand and it even has several spots where you can pull off and sit, and you won’t be blocking the main pathway there. The Mobi-Mat does go pretty far out, but I did wish it could’ve gotten a bit closer to the water. 

I had such a fun time at Siesta Key Beach and immensely enjoyed soaking up the sun for a while. If you are looking for some fun in the sun while you’re in Sarasota, Siesta Key is the place to be. 

Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium 

Just a short drive from downtown Sarasota is the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, which I was able to visit during my trip. While at Mote, I saw manatees, otters, sea turtles, fish, and even sharks, but this place is so much more than just an average aquarium. 

Mote is also an independent, nonprofit marine research institution. The marine scientists at Mote are committed to sustainability and the conservation of oceans. They have even studied human cancer using marine models, which I thought was pretty remarkable. It was cool to see just how much the ocean can teach us. 

This is a fantastic place to visit in Sarasota and it is fully wheelchair accessible. I was able to easily see all of the animals through large glass windows and I learned all about the animals via informational displays. If you need a manual wheelchair during your visit, several are available for free on a first-come, first-served basis. 

The Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium is open 365 days per year from 9:30am-5pm. Admission costs $24 per adult or $18 per child and can be purchased online in advance of your visit here.

St. Armand’s Circle 

If you’re in the mood to do some shopping, there is no better place in Sarasota than St. Armand’s Circle. This luxurious shopping, dining, and entertainment center is only about a mile from the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, making it the perfect spot to grab a meal and do some shopping after touring the aquarium.

There are over 130 shops and restaurants at St. Armand’s Circle, so no matter what you’re looking for, you can certainly find it here. I rolled around for a while (and bought way too much) and then enjoyed a delicious dinner at Columbia Restaurant, which is at St. Armand’s Circle. Columbia is a Spanish/Cuban restaurant and is my favorite restaurant in the world. I’ve eaten at Columbia in other Florida cities many times, so I was thrilled to see that St. Armand’s had one. 

While at St. Armand’s Circle, you should also be sure to check out the “Circus Ring of Fame”, which honors circus performing legends, and the Italian statues throughout the Circle. St. Armand’s Circle was the vision of John Ringling and many of the statues on display were from his own private collection. 

Accessibility at St. Armand’s Circle was great. I could easily access all of the shops and restaurants in my powered wheelchair, and curb cuts and sidewalks throughout the Circle were smooth. I had a wonderful time at this wheelchair accessible Sarasota Florida attraction! 

Sarasota Classic Car Museum 

To be honest, I’ve never been somebody that’s into cars really. However, I did find a new appreciation for the beauty of cars at the Sarasota Classic Car Museum. The Sarasota Classic Car Museum features over 75 automobiles on display, ranging from Ferraris to Bentleys and everything in-between. 

The museum did a phenomenal job of showcasing the history of cars as well. I tremendously enjoyed learning about the history of cars, as that’s something I’ve never really taken the time to learn about in the past, but this was the perfect place to dive right in. The museum’s staff members were very knowledgeable and happy to answer any questions as well. 

The museum was completely wheelchair accessible and the majority of the exhibits were spacious enough for me to easily maneuver. There were a couple spots where I had to be careful as I squeezed between cars, but I was able to do it and see all of the classics. 

The Sarasota Classic Car Museum is the second oldest continuously operating antique car museum in the United States, and whether you’re a huge fan of cars before coming or not, I would absolutely suggest visiting this wheelchair accessible Sarasota Florida attraction while you’re in the area. There’s a reason why this museums has been around for so long and during your visit, I think you’ll see why. 

Where to Eat in Sarasota 

Sarasota has some seriously delicious restaurants and eateries. While I didn’t have enough time to eat at all of Sarasota’s fantastic restaurants during my trip, I was able to check out some of the best. Here are my favorite places that I ate at in wheelchair accessible Sarasota Florida –

Rise & Nye’s

If you’re in need of something sweet (and who isn’t?!), look no further than Rise & Nye’s in downtown Sarasota. This ice cream shop employs people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It’s a fully inclusive space, which is AMAZING, but they also have really delicious ice cream. I had a peanut butter fluff milkshake and holy moly, it was so tasty!! Inclusivity and some of the best ice cream I’ve ever eaten made Rise & Nye’s one of my favorite eateries in Sarasota!

Miguel’s Restaurant 

When I pulled up to Miguel’s, I honestly thought about leaving and going somewhere else instead. It was in a strip mall and looked tiny, so I just assumed that the food would be subpar. But I was very very very wrong. As they say, “Never judge a book by its cover.” Miguel’s has French and continental cuisine and it ended up being one of my favorite meals of all time. I tried multiple items on the menu, from chicken to steak frites and chocolate mousse for dessert. Every single item blew my mind and I’m already dreaming about eating here again. 

Daiquiri Deck

Daiquiri Deck has a few locations in the Sarasota area and I ate at the one in Siesta Key. The beachside bar and restaurant is known for its plethora of daiquiri options, and I can confirm they are amazing, but Daiquiri Deck has delicious food and you can frequently enjoy live music as well. Daiquiri Deck has a raw bar with oysters, but I had the fried mozzarella for an appetizer and the grouper sandwich for my entree. Everything was very tasty and I would absolutely eat here again. 

Columbia Restaurant 

I am not exaggerating AT ALL when I say that Columbia Restaurant is my favorite restaurant in the entire world. As I said earlier in the St. Armand’s Circle paragraph, Columbia Restaurant has locations in several Florida cities and I’ve visited a few of them in the past, but while in Sarasota, I was able to dine at Columbia Restaurant at St. Armands Circle. I tremendously enjoyed the 1905 salad (best salad ever!) and some tapas (the black bean cakes are my favorite!), but the highlight of any dining experience at Columbia is the white chocolate bread pudding for dessert. There is no better dessert anywhere, I promise you. If you’re near a Columbia in Florida, this is a must-get. 

Toasted Mango Cafe

For a delicious breakfast, head to the Toasted Mango Cafe in Sarasota! Toasted Mango is open for both breakfast and lunch, but trust me when I say that your tastebuds need to experience the award-winning toasted mango waffle. It’s a Belgian style waffle topped with fresh mango, toasted coconut, and whipped cream. After just one bite of it, I was in love. If for some reason you don’t want the toasted mango waffle though, their breakfast and lunch menus are expansive. Check out all of the options here.

Where to Stay: Hyatt Place Sarasota-Bradenton Airport

While in Sarasota, I stayed at the Hyatt Place Sarasota-Bradenton Airport. The hotel is located across the street from the Sarasota airport, within walking/rolling distance of The Ringling, and it’s only three miles from downtown Sarasota. It’s in a convenient location for accessing Sarasota’s top attractions and the hotel was accessible for all of my needs.

I stayed in room 141 on the ground floor and it was wheelchair accessible. There was a living area with a mini fridge, TV, and a desk. In the bedroom, there was a king sized bed. It was a good height for self-transferring from a wheelchair and a hoyer lift could roll under the bed as well. 

In the bathroom, there was a roll-in shower with a fold-down bench seat and shower wand. It was smooth entry into the shower and there was also a pull-under sink and grab bars by the toilet. Accessibility within the bedroom and bathroom couldn’t have worked better for me and I was impressed by the size of the room. 

Other amenities at the Hyatt Place Sarasota-Bradenton Airport included complimentary breakfast, free internet access, free parking, and the pool had an access lift. I would absolutely recommend this hotel and I look forward to staying here again myself. 

My time in Sarasota was so much fun and I’m grateful that I now know just how awesome this city is. From learning about the circus life to relaxing on the beach and enjoying delicious food, there are so many things to do in wheelchair accessible Sarasota Florida. At this point, the only thing you need to do is plan your own getaway to this beautiful Florida city! 

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*Thank you to Visit Florida and Visit Sarasota for working with me on this trip and showing me the best of wheelchair accessible Sarasota! While my experiences in Sarasota were complimentary, all opinions expressed are authentic and my own.

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