Many Sarasotans know the broad strokes of our area’s history—it’s hard not to. The legacy of John Ringling is everywhere, from street names to the circus imagery woven into storefronts and local landmarks alike. We drool over the mid-century modern structures of the Sarasota School of Architecture and marvel at the legacy of formative figures like Marie Selby amongst her bayside banyans. But as is the case with history, the familiar stories get told again and again, while others—even equally fascinating and culture-defining ones—get lost in the proverbial dusty attic box of time. 

There’s one way you can sweep that dust away, and it comes from a source you might not have heard of: the Sarasota County Auto Tours. Created as part of Sarasota County's 2021 Centennial celebration, the app features nine self-guided driving tours stretching from downtown Sarasota to Venice, Englewood, Old Miakka and beyond. Since its inception, more than a thousand visitors and locals alike have spent an afternoon getting introduced to the area's lesser-known history—or rediscovering the place they call home.

The concept was born during the pandemic, when self-guided and outdoor experiences were at their peak appeal (and necessity). While some live events were hosted to mark the occasion, the Centennial Committee also launched a series of virtual programs, including the tours. Years later, they’ve endured thanks to the management of the Friends of the Sarasota County History Center, the nonprofit organization that supports the county’s historical preservation and archival efforts. The History Center itself houses maps, photographs, newspapers and artifacts documenting Sarasota County’s evolution, while the tours translate some of that scholarship into a format accessible to the public.  

 Instead of spending your bumper-to-bumper commute along Fruitville Road or Tamiami Trail wishing you were somewhere else, you can find out where where the “world’s first superstar” Mary Pickford planned to build her home, why four decagon buildings were once moved in the middle of the night, and where Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson once played baseball. The stories unfold in the very places they happened thanks to GPS assistance, making the conversation between Sarasota's past and present more tangible and alive.

That immediacy is part of the appeal. Sarasota County has transformed rapidly over the last few years. In a region evolving this quickly, history can sometimes feel vulnerable—as though entire eras might disappear under new construction. The tours push back against that possibility, highlighting not only celebrated landmarks, but also the quieter places that might otherwise fade into obscurity: women’s clubs, schoolhouses, cemeteries, churches, mobile home parks and agricultural sites. 

“Even though I represented Englewood on the commission for over a decade, I still learned some new things," says Shannon Staub, founding president of the Library Foundation for Sarasota County and former county commissioner. "[It was] a wonderful way to spend an hour on a beautiful afternoon in a beautiful area.”

It's easy to drive the same roads every day without wondering what—or who—was there before. The Sarasota County Auto Tours provide an unconventional way to discover local lore that extends well beyond museums and historic sites and into the landscapes we pass by every day.