Sarasota, Florida- The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art and Marie Selby Botanical Gardens are pleased to announce that they will reopen to the public May 27, 2020. The institutions, both of which have been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic since March 17, will resume Phase I operations as they adhere to comprehensive reopening plans that focus on the health and safety of both visitors and staff.
Steven High, The Ringling’s Executive Director said, “We look forward to welcoming members and visitors back to the museum and our beautiful grounds. We have been very busy preparing the museum and grounds and have made the appropriate modifications to ensure the safest experience for our guests.”
“We are excited to reopen alongside The Ringling,” says Jennifer Rominiecki, Selby Gardens’ President & CEO. “Our team has taken the utmost care and diligence in implementing on-site best practices that focus on the safety and well-being of our staff and visitors. We look forward to welcoming guests back to both our Downtown Sarasota and Historic Spanish Point campuses. ”
Both institutions will implement best practices for the Phase I reopening to ensure the safety of staff and guests. Highlights include the following:
- Increased sanitization and cleaning
- Limited occupancy and the closure of select areas and tours at each property
- Contactless ticket purchasing and no cash sales
- Strong encouragement to practice proper social distancing, hygiene and hand cleaning
For more details on each institution’s safety measures, please visit their websites.
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About The Ringling
The Ringling is a center for art, history and learning situated on 66 acres on Sarasota Bay. It is built on the legacy of circus entrepreneur, collector of art and financier John Ringling and his wife Mable.
The Ringling inspires visitors with an acclaimed collection of Old Master paintings, explores with them the diverse cultures and art of Asia, delights them with the story of the American circus, and transports them to the Roaring Twenties during a tour of the magnificent Ca’ d’Zan mansion.
The Ringling is also committed to exhibiting the work of an emerging community of living artists that moves beyond traditional practice and features dynamic and engaging contemporary visual and performing arts, including a diverse roster of theater, music and dance.
The Ringling is the State Art Museum of Florida. Affiliated with Florida State University, it is one of the largest university art centers in the nation.
About Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens provides 45 acres of bayfront sanctuaries connecting people with air plants of the world, native nature, and our regional history. Established by forward thinking women of their time, Selby Gardens is composed of the 15-acre Downtown Sarasota campus and the 30-acre Historic Spanish Point campus in the Osprey area of Sarasota County, Florida. The Downtown Campus on Sarasota Bay is the only botanical garden in the world dedicated to the display and study of epiphytic orchids, bromeliads, gesneriads and ferns, and other tropical plants. There is a significant focus on botany, horticulture, education, historical preservation, and the environment. The Historic Spanish Point (HSP) Campus is located less than 10 miles south along Little Sarasota Bay. The HSP Campus, one of the largest preserves showcasing native Florida plants that is interpreted for and open to the public, celebrates an archaeological record that encompasses approximately 5,000 years of Florida history. A Smithsonian Affiliate, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is also accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. For more information visit www.selby.org.
Media Contacts:
The Ringling:
Virginia Harshman
Manager, Marketing and Public Relations
Virginia.harshman@ringling.org
941-359-5700 x2803
Selby Gardens
Lynn Bates, APR, CPRC
Vice President for External Relations
lbates@selby.org
941-366-5731 Ext. 225