St. Armands Circle: Shops, Gelato and a Little Circus History

A roundabout of palm-lined shops and restaurants between Sarasota and Lido Beach, with a story that goes back to John Ringling.

St. Armands Circle is exactly what it sounds like: a big landscaped circle ringed with boutiques, galleries, cafes and restaurants, sitting on a small key between downtown Sarasota and Lido Beach.

Its name is a happy mistake. The island was homesteaded in the 1800s by a Frenchman named Charles St. Amand, and somewhere along the way the spelling changed. In the 1920s circus king John Ringling bought the land and planned the Circle, lining it with classical statues from his collection. Many of those statues still stand among the palms.

Look down as you walk: the Circus Ring of Fame honors great circus performers with plaques around the Circle. Kids love spotting the clowns, acrobats and animal trainers.

Our favorite way to do it is an evening stroll with gelato, a little window shopping and dinner, then a short drive across to Lido Beach for the last of the sunset.

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