Sarasota HistoricalSociety

Sarasota HistoricalSociety The Historical Society of Sarasota County is a private non-profit. We admire and pay homage to those who labored to form this Sarasota home.
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We showcase 2 of Sarasota's oldest buildings on our campus in Pioneer Park, 12th St just east of Tamiami Trail in Sarasota FL We acknowledge and are grateful for the sacrifices made and the creative energies expended by those who came before us. Conserving our heritage is the Historical Society’s primary concern. Beginning in 1927 with a citizens group’s collection of historical materials and the

forming of the Office of County Historian in the early 1950’s, a Sarasota County Historical Society evolved in 1959. The Society reorganized in 1977 as a not-for-profit corporation. Join our email list to keep current with the Historical Society: https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?llr=ffxaw5cab&p=oi&m=ffxaw5cab&sit=i54bn8neb&f=a03d9f05-ff78-4618-8e1e-08dc18596f37

The more things change…The more things change, the more they remain the same. Didn't it used to be Decoration Day? And w...
05/24/2026

The more things change…

The more things change, the more they remain the same. Didn't it used to be Decoration Day? And wasn't it always May 30th? And weren't there crepe paper poppies from the American Legion? Yes and yes. And yes.* Going back to the origins of the commemoration of fallen soldiers: It...

The more things change, the more they remain the same. Didn’t it used to be Decoration Day? And wasn’t it always May 30th? And weren’t there crepe paper poppies from the American …

05/24/2026

One of Sarasota's "hidden treasures". Makes us smile.

May 10, 1966: “Some friends of mine in musical theater feel I have wasted my talent but I don’t think so,” Harold Ronk, ...
05/21/2026

May 10, 1966: “Some friends of mine in musical theater feel I have wasted my talent but I don’t think so,” Harold Ronk, the singing ringmaster at the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, told The Times. Formerly of the National Symphony of Washington, Mr. Ronk now spent nearly the whole year “singing in the sawdust realm,” which he still found gratifying: “Popcorn and lemonade is certainly a far cry from ‘Pagliacci,’” he said, “but essentially, a stage is a stage.” Photo: Robert Walker/The New York Times

Two years! Can you imagine being enslaved for two more years for lack of information!!
05/21/2026

Two years! Can you imagine being enslaved for two more years for lack of information!!

Today we recognize Florida Emancipation Day, commemorating May 20, 1865, when enslaved people in Florida were finally informed of their freedom in Tallahassee, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued.

As we honor the resilience, contributions, and enduring legacy of Black Floridians, we also recommit ourselves to the ongoing fight for justice, equality, and freedom for all!

Address

1260 12th Street (In Pioneer Park)
Sarasota, FL
34236

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 2pm
Friday 10am - 2pm

Telephone

(941) 364-9076

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