Venice

Downtown Venice

Venice is a small city in Florida that’s known for its beautiful downtown area, which dates back to the 1920s. Downtown Venice, Florida is a place for pleasant surprises. This historic district is home to a number of interesting boutiques and individual businesses for browsing in a relaxing atmosphere of times gone by.

The downtown area is full of small businesses run by families who have lived in Venice for generations. These local shops are the soul of Venice and contribute greatly to its economic vitality. If you visit Venice, be sure to check out West Venice Avenue and East Venice Avenue, as well as Tampa Avenue, Miami Avenue, Nokomis Avenue and Nassau Street—all areas full of boutiques, restaurants and bars with plenty of sweet treats too!

History of Downtown Venice

In the 1920s, Downtown Venice was carefully planned out with a Mediterranean theme. The architecture, pastel color palette and tree-lined avenues were all designed to create a Main Street ambience and social hub for the city. This forethought certainly paid dividends as it has marked Venice out as a delightful place to visit, stay or live with its historic designation.

The Triangle Inn is now a fascinating local museum on S. Nokomis Avenue. It was moved from its original position on Nassau Street where it featured a round staircase and Italian-style green tile roof. The rooms are full of photographs of old Venice along with archives and changing displays of local exhibits

Explore Downtown

History, Culture and Businesses

Downtown is the heart of Venice. It’s where you can stroll through Centennial Park and enjoy free concerts, get community information at the Venice MainStreet kiosk, and even play at the Intergenerational Fountain. You can also find free parking along with free street parking in the district.

Downtown offers plenty to discover—from historic buildings to 1920s architecture, there are guided walking tours or self-guided tour brochures that will help you understand Venice’s fascinating history.

Venice holds many distinctions including being a Silver Bicycle Friendly Community, a Monarch City USA and has been awarded the Coolest Downtown Award and the Outstanding Achievement Award for Landscaped Areas by America in Bloom in 2020. Trails at Venetian Waterway Park and The Legacy Trail offer miles of walking and biking that connect directly downtown.

Venice is a great place to spend a day, a weekend, or a lifetime. Visit Venice MainStreet at VisitVeniceFL.org for more info on what’s happening downtown.