Bird Key was an untouched island until 1914 when Thomas Worcester of Cincinnati built a fourteen-room mansion on the Key. During the early 1920s, John Ringling bought many acres of real estate in the area, including Bird Key. Ida Ringling North, the only sister of John Ringling, occupied Bird Key in the 1940s.

Later, in 1960, Bird Key was developed by the Arvida Corporation and 511 home sites were approved. The total island is 142.5 acres.

As one of the most exclusive of Sarasota neighborhoods, Bird Key combines luxury and location with superior boater's amenities like deepwater canals, direct access to Sarasota Bay and the private Bird Key Yacht Club.

Bird Key offers canal and bay front locations, as well as non-waterfront lots. A neighborhood in the strictest sense of the word, it holds no commercial enterprises. Many of the oldest residences have undergone major renovations, or have been removed and replaced by larger luxurious homes. Prices of residences range from $550,000 to over $5,000,000.

Market Watch

Bird Key Links