The Marietta Museum of Whimsy is a fun, amazing place where your mind is taken on an enjoyable trip. It is an odd little place but one that is fascinating and glorious. You couldn’t possibly visit and not laugh. It can be seen from Tamiami Trail (41) because the colors stand out and there is a pick flamingo outside. It isn’t far from another eclectic art museum; the Ringling Museum.
It is basically a free museum that relies on volunteers to “man” it, actually “woman” it. The owner, creator, and collector is Marietta Lee. They ask for a $5.00 donation and it is worth it. There is a guard sitting and watching you; of course, pretty quickly you realize it is a fake. There are lots of twists and turns in the various rooms and each one is a delight.
The docents (are real) encourage everyone to go to the bathrooms because they also are works of art. There are paintings, sculpture, a funky light show, moving objects, porcelains, and metal garden art.
You move into another room that is guarded by a stack of wooden animals that guide you into it.
There is a new kitchen area where the arches were created by the various volunteers.
Taking a walk in the gardens are a must because there are all sorts of art objects that are resting somewhere among the plants. Each view is just a delight.
It doesn’t take long to go through it but it is well worth your while to visit. It just makes you happy. What a wonderful place to conceive of, let alone, build.
The Marietta Museum of Art & Whimsy is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 1pm to 4pm from October to May. The museum is closed during the summer months and major holidays.
2121 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34234.
