Park Features

Park Map #4

The Nest

Inspired by Field theory architecture used in the former Selby Library building that previously occupied the site, this stunning structure serves as a focal point within the park. Grab a drink and your favorite snack, have a seat and take in the beauty of the park, as well as the comings and goings of others. View The Nest Café Menu

Photo by: Ryan Gamma

Park Map: #5

Common Ground

Eight acres of inviting, spacious lawns stretching from The Nest to the bayfront serve as a gathering place to come together. The name says it all – one park for all – free and welcoming, open and accessible for everyone to enjoy.

Park Map: #3

The Oval

This special place serves as a hub of activity in the park and is host to frequent fitness classes and live concerts, as well as movie screenings on the large LED screen. The ipe-lined amphitheater ensures every seat is the best seat in the house. Click here to view the Calendar of Events

Park Map: #27

Ibis Playground and Picnic Area

The larger-than-life ibis birds, fondly named Sara and Zota, welcome children of all ages to play, laugh, and have fun. Manufactured by Monstrum of Denmark, the Ibis Playground is inspired by the birds that roost in the nearby mangrove. A soft, rubberized and cushioned playing surface in a bay-inspired color palate engulfs the play area.

The nearby shade-covered pavilion includes ADA-accessible picnic tables, so everyone enjoys the fun and has a front-row seat to watch the playground action.

Park Map: #26

Reading Room

Built on the original foundation of the former Selby Library that once occupied the site, this outdoor Reading Room provides a quiet, tree-shaded nook to escape and enjoy a good book. One of the on-site Lending Libraries sits nearby, in case you have a spontaneous urge to pick up a good book (or choose to leave one to share with others).

Photo by: Ryan Gamma

Park Map: #6

Sunset Deck

A prime spot to relax and take in breathtaking views and catch spectacular sunsets over Sarasota Bay – under the shade of a majestic live oak tree.

Photo by: Visit Sarasota County

Park Map: #22

Resilient Shoreline

This living shoreline is floodable, resilient and able to handle the storm surge that is an inherent part of tropical storms and hurricanes – allowing nature to solve the problems created by powerful storms, rather than trying to apply man-made solutions. The sand will ebb and flow, the flood waters will naturally recede, and the coastline will respond – just as nature intended.

Photo by: Thomas Kiessling

Park Map: #20

Mangrove Bayou

This restored and revitalized area was transformed as the mangroves were meticulously and professionally windowed and as 3 feet of polluted silt (a by-product of decades of previously untreated stormwater runoff) were removed by dredging the bayou in 2022. Since restoration, this healthier, more stable environment has resulted in the return of numerous species of marine life and birds to the area.

Photo by: Rebecca Jo Olmstead Guttridge

Park Map: #34

Mangrove Bayou Walkway

The half-mile, 10-foot-wide cushioned and rubberized walkway hugs a restored mangrove bayou, gracefully weaving through native plant communities and stormwater gardens. The path also serves as an accessible fitness circuit for everyday walkers, joggers, and cyclists.

Photo by: Visit Sarasota County

Park Map: #14 & 17

Baffle Box and Denitrification Trench

The Baffle Box along with a 600-foot network of denitrification trench tunnels remove silt, nitrates and other pollutants from more than 70 million gallons of stormwater that pass through the park each year to ensure the water is treated before flowing into the bayou and Sarasota Bay.

Park Map: #24

ADA-Accessible Kayak Launch

This ADA-Accessible paddle launch provides direct bayou and bay access for kayakers and paddle boarders – complete with a spray station and drying rack to rinse off your vessel after an enjoyable time out on Sarasota Bay. Click here to rent a kayak or paddle board

Photo by: Ryan Gamma

Park Map: #1

Blue Pagoda
(Welcome Center)

Designed by architect Victor Lundy and constructed in 1956, this historic building serves as the Welcome Center at The Bay. Its name was inspired by its distinctive roof covered in blue celadon ceramic tiles.

Park Map: #23

Fountain Garden

Surrounding what was originally called “Tuttle’s Puddle,” the restored Fountain Garden at the corner of North Tamiami Trail and Blvd of the Arts contains Florida-friendly plantings. The restored historic Japanese Lantern that majestically adorns the pond was discovered at the puddle’s bottom just a few years ago – an artifact gifted to the Sarasota Garden Club in the 1930s.