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Stroll Through Sarasota History With an Interactive Walking Tour

By Kim Doleatto January 17, 2023

Andrea Knies and Mimi Cirbusova leading a historic walking tour in downtown Sarasota.

Image: Courtesy Photo

Mimi Cirbusova and Andrea Knies talk about dead people as though they’re alive because to them, they kind of still are. The pair reanimate historic local figures through the places they visit and the stories on their popular walking tours.

Andrea Knies (left) and Mimi Cirbusova

Brimming with movers and shakers who dared to tame the area b efore air conditioning and paved the way for today, there’s no shortage of characters and events to pull from. “We don’t want people to remember dates and timelines, but to remember the people’s experiences,” Cirbusova says.

That’s what participants will discover during their walking tours, born of the pair’s shared love of local history. In 2018, that led to the creation of Compass Rose History Experiences . Compass Rose is a storytelling project that presents the past in a conversational way that, before the organized tours, riveted the duo's friends at happy hour.

“We’d be out with friends and start conversing about history stuff and everyone would quiet down to listen,” Cirbusova, 35, says. Knies, 41, asked them, “Wait, would you pay for this?” and the answer was always "yes." 

"For us, it’s just so much fun and we saw other people value it, too,” Cirbusova says.

Compass Rose's “1926 Sarasota” tour, which covers Palm and Pineapple avenues, looks at the boom and bust of the Roaring '20s in Sarasota, which saw unfettered development. Lavish at the time, hotels like John Ringling’s  El Vernona and Charles Ringling's Sarasota Terrace Hotel opened. There were also the Mira Mar plaza and the American National Bank building, later known as the Orange Blossom Hotel— not to mention the many churches that popped up. That year also saw the completion of the John Ringling Bridge and the beginning of construction of the Sarasota County Courthouse. (Yes, you’re allowed to make parallels with today’s fast and furious development .)

As for the boom and bust tour concept, it also came with a dash of magic, not unlike the pair's penchant for reanimating the dead. “We saw omens of $19.26 on receipts. The idea just chased us,” Cirbusova says.

“We visit buildings you see all the time and know the name of, but maybe you don’t know the stories of why they’re still standing,” says Knies. “We look at the ‘why?’”

The other historic Compass Rose History Experiences walking tour could be considered a “Part 2," of sorts. Called “Resilience,” this tour looks at the road to recovery during the post-Great Depression and World War II years of the 1930s and '40s.

“So often, people only think of the terrible events during this time, but the community came together in beautiful ways," Cirbusova says. " The Kress building on Main Street went up during the Depression and it created jobs at the time and was very exciting for residents. The  Wilson building on Orange Avenue was being used as a Red Cross run by Mrs. Van Wezel who led the volunteer efforts there. They would do blood drives, and get supplies to ship overseas. The 'Knit Your Bit' campaign called on the public to knit socks and scarves for the troops."

When possible, the two history buffs use primary sources like old newspapers, census records, letters and probate records. In the case of populations of the community that were purposely left out of the record, like minorities, they rely more on cemeteries and oral histories.

Knies, who moved to the area in 2014, says, “I’ve always found it important to know who stood here before me. I got into local history immediately, kind of like knowing where your go-to grocery store is when you move to a new neighborhood.”

The tours are capped at 20 people, to keep the experience intimate and safe, but if you can’t make it, step back in time on your own watch with Compass Rose History Experiences podcasts called “Navigating History,” which dive deep into local history and show that reality is truly stranger than fiction.

Tickets for one tour are $20 or $30 for both and happen once a month through April. Tours meet at Five Points Park in Downtown Sarasota, span less than one mile, and last 75 to 90 minutes. All tours begin at 3:30 pm. To buy tickets, click here .

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Weekend Tours

1st and 3rd Saturdays

10:00am - 2:00pm

Price: $10.00 per person

Children: $5.00 per child

Children under 6 free.

ALL TOURS TAKE PLACE AT DOCK

Educational Tours

One of the main purposes of the Compass Rose is to educate children about the great tradition of sailing. This ship serves as a floating "school". We teach  about our ship and the Civil War world she encountered in the 1860's. We toss in some pirate fun to boot, or should we say "booty" ? Truly fascinating for kids and adults as well!

Call  903-744-3825

Group Tours

Book your own Group Tour of the Compass Rose and enjoy a private excursion into the world of pirates and privateers. It's fun to gather your group of friends, church, co-workers or group affliates to storm the Rose in your  "pirate attire" and have a rousing good time! Call us at 903-744-3825  or use the Contact Us button below today! Special pricing and times available

Compass Rose

Closed for renovations.

Private Sails

Be the envy of your friends and everyone on Lake Texoma as you charter the famous Compass Rose for an exclusive sail! You choose the date and time, we'll provide the fun, all inclusive. Not your cattle call party barge; the Compass Rose is a unique experience specializing in groups of 10 or less. We provide a more intimate experience aboard a classic wooden tall ship. Whether you're looking for luxury or the adventure of playing pirate, the Compass Rose and her crew will make sure your experience is one to remember. Contact us to plan your adventure.

                                                                                  Moonlight Sails

Looking for Romance? Peace? Adventure? Think you can't have it all in the same night? Think again! Sunset to moonlight, gourmet desserts and champagne, flying off the yardarms (if adventure is in your blood), watching the stars; it all happens aboard the Compass Rose. 3000 sq ft  of sails, a crew to meet your needs ... ahhh ... this is the life!

Historic Day Sails

Come enjoy a historic day sail and learn about brigantine ships, pirate lore , the history of the Compass Rose and Lake Texoma. Compass Rose is always the star of Lake Texoma when she hoists her sails! She is one of the few working Brigantines left in the world. Great fun for the whole family!   Call for booking information .

                    Weekend  " At Dock " Tours!  

1st Saturdays from 10:30 - 1:30 - April 7th thru Nov. 4th

Take an above and below decks tour of the famous Compass Rose!

            Group Educational Tours!

One of the main purposes of the Compass Rose is education about the great tradition of sailing. This ship serves as a floating "school". We teach  about our ship and the Civil War world she encountered in the 1860's. We toss in some pirate fun to boot, or should we say "booty" ? Truly fascinating for kids and adults as well! Special pricing and times are available. Contact us today!

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Compass rose Boat tours - Suncoast Tours

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The captain and tour guide were awesome. Gave great insight about water and surrounding... read more

Always a great time… dolphins, amazing shelling and drinks! Playlist is spot on! Do it! Sunset is... read more

Compass rose Boat tours

This is the best opportunity to experience the beautiful ocean life beyond the beach. The relaxing, safe boat took us about six and a half miles into the ocean where you couldn’t access without a boat. You are allowed freedom to enjoy the experience your way, whether that’s sitting on the bench or standing and looking out in front. We saw a pod of dolphins who “performed” for our group. They swam right next to the boat and did tricks such as flipping into the water. Once we arrived at the island, we went “shelling” for sand dollars. Our whole family probably found at least one hundred sand dollars combined in the thirty minutes we were out there. Bring a bag, because you will want one!! Our guides were so friendly and welcoming. They definitely wanted to help us make a good memory! Their names were Kive and Captain Rama. They sell refreshments along the way if you would like to purchase those too. Overall, I would definitely do this again!!!!!!!

I’ve done this tour each time I visit the area. I was a little hesitant this year due to the red tide. I emailed Geoff about how the red tide really was. His response was quick and honest. I also asked about captain Mikes availability because I couldn’t imagine doing this tour without his fun and outgoing personality. You board his ship as a passenger but leave as a friend. He is very engaging with everyone, knows so much about the history of the area and definitely knows how and where to find the dolphins. He also plays great music onboard. It just so happened that mike was not working the day we were planning on taking the tour. Geoff spoke to Mike and I got an email saying Mike was going to rearrange his schedule so he could captain our boat! This company is VERY customer service driven. Thank you Geoff and Mike for making it another amazing tour!!

Been looking for a sunset cruise in this area for years! Finally found Capt. Mahi Mike and his beautiful boat:) Took 16 adults from my wedding guest list..the boat was so new and clean and huge! Cant believe more people dont know about this, though more i wanna keep it secret for all of my visits😊 Drinks and a beautiful sunset cruise is the only way to go. Save me seat Capt!!

If your looking for a family friendly, relaxing boat cruise that will take you out looking for dolphins with a stop at an island full of sand dollars and great sea shells, this is it. When the dolphins were not cooperating the captain extended the tour and took us out of our way for another chance in another area. It worked! There were about 15 kids on our boat and it was just what they all were waiting for. They easily could have given up, but it was obvious they wanted so badly for all those kids to see dolphins, even though, everybody on the boat was having a great time anyway and would have been satisfied even if we hadn't seen any dolphins.

We had a GREAT Time on the Brews Cruise with Capt Raama & Kive! Enjoyed a Beautiful view of the Sunset and a cold Corona to boot! Looking forward to going back and trying their island adventure cruise. John & Lori - Texas

Had a wonderful time. The crew was fanatic... Beautiful sunset. Great music. We will do this again for sure.....