Attractions

VENICE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

As Chairman of the Board for the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce, it is my pleasure to welcome you to our paradise on the Gulf. With miles of beautiful beaches, intracoastal waterways, bike trails, and breathtaking sunsets, it is no wonder Venice is constantly ranked as one of the nation’s top destinations to visit, vacation and call home

While you are here be sure to take an evening stroll through our historic downtown area. In doing so, you will find dining and shopping, with smiling faces and friendly folks, in a city that is rich with a unique history and a thriving cultural scene

VENICE OFFICIAL WEBSITE

The City of Venice (“City”) will not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, family or religious status with respect to any City program, activity or service.

The City has developed a Title VI and ADA Plan pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended and related Federal and State nondiscrimination statutes and regulations. The City’s Title VI and ADA Plan outlines the assistance and procedures of the Title VI and ADA Plan requirements which also includes a written process on how to file a Title VI or an ADA complaint should one arise, and describes the complaint investigation process. 

VENICE MAIN STREET

Today's Venice is shaped by a rich heritage. The area of Venice was originally the home of the Calusas, Native Americans who lived more than 12,000 years ago. Although Florida was occupied by the Spanish in the sixteenth century, much of its southwestern coast remained a wilderness.

The 1800's saw the first true wave of settlers sweep the area when the government offered free land to anyone who would homestead it. Bolstered by northern newspapers' glowing accounts of the beauty and richness of the state, newcomers began to move in.

Originally called Horse and Chaise because of a carriage like tree formation that marked the spot for fisherman, the city acquired its present name in 1888 from settler Frank Higel, considered the "Father of Venice," because of its likeness to the canal city in Italy where he spent his childhood

VENICE THEATRE

When the then-Venice Little Theatre mounted its first production in the 1950s, it did so in a borrowed building, had no paid staff, operated entirely with volunteers, and its only revenue came from sales of the $2 tickets.

Today, Venice Theatre is per capita, the largest community theatre in the United States with an operating budget of almost three million dollars, a large professional staff and an honored place in the history of Venice Florida.

That history is rich with the stories of the people who nurtured the theatre and made it what it is today. Many of those stories can be found in this history. This is dedicated to them