I need you to look at that picture above this text. Look at it. Study it. That happened. I went to the Circus Museum at The Ringling and stuffed myself into a clown car. I did it for you.

Yes, we recently took the kids on a grand adventure to Sarasota, FL, where we not only hung out with fellow Roarbot Anthony Karcz but also visited The Ringling and the Sarasota Classic Car Museum.

Listen here to hear all the greatness:

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First, I should probably mention that clown car again… There is an area devoted to circus show itself. Not only can you see famous acts and read about the performers, but there are also interactive exhibits like walking a tightrope, a human cannonball model, and stuffing yourself into a clown car (Note: Getting in was far easier than getting out…). We spent a lot of time in this room. But it wasn’t the only room we spent a lot of time in.

We spent a majority of our visit with “The Model.” The model is a giant (“Giant” is an understatement. It is super giant. Mega. It’s like a sideshow attraction all by itself.) showcase of what a town looked like when the circus rolled through. Here’s one small section of it:

The Model is MASSIVE. This is only one very small section.

The only cultural guidepost I have for an “old-time circus” coming to town is from Something Wicked This Way Comes. Luckily, I saw no figure for Mr. Dark strolling the Midway…

It took us almost 30 minutes just to walk through the model. As you do, you see how they used over 1,300 workers to build the tents, cook the food, care for the animals, and create the magic of the circus. Not only does the model give you a physical look at the sights of the circus, but it also fills the air with sounds. Each part of the model is accompanied with different background noise to help put you right in the circus. One of the kids is convinced he even smelled cotton candy at one point. We ogled every piece of detail, every sound, every smell.

I should also note, The Ringling is IMMENSE. Seriously big. It’s acres and acres big. This gigantic campus contains a circus museum (well, two, but one was closed during our visit), a Mansion, a Modern Art Museum, and a playground (with the World’s Fastest Slide (Note: not official, but it certainly felt that way to us)). We talk about all of those in the podcast (seriously – the player is embedded at the top the article. You should listen to it).

Note: Visit Sarasota County provided the passes for our trip to The Ringling. All opinions in this article and podcast episode are our own. You can learn more about attractions in Sarasota, FL, at www.VisitSarasota.org or www.SarasotaBigPass.com

Let us know if there are experiences you’d like us to take on for you. If you leave us a comment on iTunes with your name, we’ll give you a special shout out on a future show. You can also connect with the show on Facebook and Twitter.