No other area in the country can claim the rich cultural heritage, the abundance of circus families, and the home-based of as many circuses as Sarasota, Florida, and its surrounding communities. As a hub of circus activity for more than three-quarters of a century, Sarasota has earned its rightful title of "Home of the American Circus. When the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus moved its winter quarters to Sarasota in 1927, the serene seaside resort became a ring of circus activity, attracting famous circus families and artists from around the world, as well as thousands of tourists to its famed winter quarters. Sarasota quickly became known everywhere as Circus City, USA. John and Charles Ringling - two of the five original Ringling brothers who turned a small traveling circus into an international entertainment empire - wielded incredible influence on the economy, development, culture, and character of this same quaint village on beautiful Sarasota Bay.