Circus magnate John Ringling and his wife, Mable, built their ostentatious winter home just south of Tampa, and today the lavish estate houses a series of galleries and gardens. Ca’ d’Zan was the Ringlings’ Prohibition-era, Venetian-style mansion, with ceiling frescoes and no shortage of marble; the Museum of Art includes classic Asian and European works as well as more contemporary pieces, many purchased by the Ringlings themselves. Not surprisingly, the Ringling is also home to an impressive collection of memorabilia related to American circuses, which can be viewed in the Circus Museum.
