Flashback

Flashback: Fishermen at The Bay Island Hotel

The three-story, 65-room hotel on the north end of Siesta Key welcomed visitors from 1912 all the way up to the early 1950s.

12/02/2019 By Ilene Denton

History Buffs

A Sarasota Duo's Historical Experiences Educate and Entertain

Offering everything from live events to a podcast, Compass Rose will lead you down a rabbit hole of Sarasota history.

08/30/2019 By Sarafina Murphy-Gibson

Air-Conditioned Exploration

We Tried It: City Sightseeing By Trolley

Discover Sarasota Tours offers trolley tours in the heart of the city for all tastes and interests.

08/13/2019 By Olivia Letts

Air Force One

Sarasota-Manatee Detailer Named to Air Force One Detailing Team at Seattle's Museum of Flight

The original Air Force One presidential jet from 1959 is currently in preservation stages after 15 years of restoration.

07/01/2019 By Staff

Herstory

Meet the Women Who Have Helped Shape Sarasota Over the Past Century

Our city wouldn't be the same without these ten powerful females.

06/28/2019 By Kay Kipling

A Collector's Paradise

Where to Find Your New Showpiece: Rum Runner's Antiques

Historical treasures from around the world are waiting for new homes at Rum Runner's Antiques, Dan Simic's labor of love.

06/10/2019 By Olivia Letts

Lost World

Remnants of Ancient Civilizations Are Still Around Us, But They’re Vanishing Fast

There are 319 officially recognized archaeological sites in Sarasota County, and 66 of them are likely to contain human remains.

05/30/2019 By Brad Edmonson

History

Flashback: Sarasota's Sun Debs

Starting in 1949, young, single women in Sarasota (14-24) could be selected to pose for photographs the city used to tout its beaches, both locally and nationally.

05/30/2019 By Kay Kipling

Architecture

Iconic Sarasota Home Named to National Register of Historic Places

Architect Paul Rudolph’s internationally acclaimed Umbrella House recently earned the honor.

03/29/2019 By Staff

Design

New Program Aims to Encourage Historic Preservation in Newtown

Property owners interested in making improvements or restorations to their buildings could be eligible for a portion of $200,000 in funding.

03/27/2019 By Staff

Law

Pulitzer Prize Winner to Speak at Legal Aid Fundraiser

Gilbert King, author of Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys and the Dawn of a New America, will speak in Sarasota on Thursday, March 28.

02/28/2019 By Staff

Environment

Historian's Talk Will Raise Money for Maritime Museum

Historian Jack E. Davis, recently featured in Sarasota Magazine, will speak at a fundraiser for the Florida Maritime Museum on Thursday, March 14

01/25/2019 By Staff

Politics

Sarasota Added to U.S. Civil Rights Trail

The Sarasota area was added to the trail because of the Lido Beach "wade-ins"—protests created to push Sarasota to desegregate local beaches.

01/22/2019 By Staff

Environment

Pulitzer-Winning Historian Speaks in Sarasota on Jan. 15

Jack E. Davis' book The Gulf: The Making of an American Sea examines the often-tragic history of the Gulf of Mexico.

12/21/2018 By Staff

Heat Index

Five Fun Facts From Discover Sarasota Tours About What Makes Our Town Special

Discover Sarasota promises it offers fascinating insight into Sarasota's rich cultural past.

11/30/2018 By Ilene Denton

Events

Civic Group to Honor John McCarthy at Annual Celebration

For decades, McCarthy has worked on environmental issues, parks management and historic preservation, given tours and lectures about the history of Sarasota and more.

10/16/2018 By Staff

Angola's Ashes

A Newly Excavated Settlement Highlights Florida’s History as a Haven for Escaped Slaves

Called one of the most significant historical sites in Florida and perhaps the U.S. by Florida historian Canter Brown Jr., Angola is a story of struggle, tragedy and, ultimately, survival in the quest for freedom.

06/27/2018 By Isaac Eger

Good Day, Sunshine

Major Hurricanes Rarely Hit Our Region. Here’s Why.

Because of the shape of Florida’s land mass and atmospheric factors related to the rotation of the earth, hurricanes tend to make landfall to the south and travel east across Florida, or to curve north and hit the northern Gulf Coast.

06/27/2018 By Pam Daniel

Weather Report

How Weather Shaped Our History

Pam Daniel and Robert Plunket consider the sunshine factor, hurricane havoc, fatal freezes—and more.

06/27/2018 By Pam Daniel and Robert Plunket

Good Day, Sunshine

Golden Heat Built Our Fortune, Inspired Our Art, Plagued Our Summers and Made Us Who We Are Today

You could argue that everything good that’s happened here has been tied to our glorious weather.

06/27/2018 By Robert Plunket