May/June • 2021 • GASPARILLA MAGAZINE A
Decades before Florida’s swamplands
were a twinkle in Walt Disney’s
eye, John Ringling set his sights on
developing a sleepy little fi shing village
in the Gulf of Mexico. Best known for its
beaches and warm weather, most people
aren’t aware of the close ties Sarasota has
had to the circus for the past 100 years. In
fact, the circus runs strong in the DNA of
Sarasota and the surrounding communities,
and has helped to shape the thriving art
community there that we enjoy today.
Before we had the television, Netfl ix or
the internet, we had the Big Top. Traveling
circuses, carnivals, and sideshows are a
thing of the past, but there was a time
when they were the most popular form of
entertainment. When the circus would come
to town it meant fun for the whole family
featuring exotic animals, carnival rides, and
a sideshow. People would come from miles
away to see the circus or visit the carnival, so
circus performers spent most of their lives
on the road.
Better Call Bob
Ask around for an expert on all things circus
in Sarasota, and one name pops up time
and again: Bob Collins. Bob is a popular tour
guide for Discover Sarasota Tours, which
is a locally-owned tour company offering
entertaining, interactive and informative airconditioned
guide-led trolley or van tours
about the most interesting people, intriguing
places and amazing stories that have
shaped Sarasota’s rich cultural past.
Bob Collins’ love affair with the circus was
nurtured when he fi rst visited Sarasota as a
child, beginning in 1950. Since then he has
enjoyed a 44-year career in entertainment
marketing, working for such shows as Ice
Capades, World Wrestling Entertainment
and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey.
He also served on the board of the Circus
Arts Conservatory, helping to preserve and
promote the legacy of the circus in Sarasota.
He enjoys showing people The Circus Side
of Sarasota by conducting “Big Top” tours
and giving lectures about our charming and
historic “Circus City.”
Bob was able to give us the inside
scoop on such exciting bits of history
like “The Murder of Lobster Boy,” “The
Legendary Homes of The Little People and
Mademoiselle Toto” and the history of the
making of “The Greatest Show on Earth,”
the 1951 movie that brought Hollywood
glamour to Sarasota.
Ringling Started It All
When we hear the name Ringling Brothers,
the fi rst thing that comes to mind is “The
Greatest Show on Earth. ” Yet few people
outside of Florida realize the celebrated
history that this revered circus has in shaping
the city of Sarasota.
As with most things about the circus,
everything centers around the Ringling
Brothers. The fi ve siblings worked together
to start their circus in 1884, and in 1909 they
merged with the Barnum and Bailey Circus,
Bob Collins with Bob’s Train information.
Discover
Sarasota Tours
Trolley.