REAL Exclusive Magazine

South Florida Museum

“Something for everyone.”

By Tracy Eisnaugle

Three of the Suncoast’s most precious attractions are conveniently located under one roof, the celebrated South Florida Museum. The cherished home of the South Florida Museum, Bishop Planetarium, and Parker Manatee Aquarium. Located on Bradenton’s Riverfront in the historic downtown area, this exploratory complex has entertained and educated both visitors and locals since 1947.

Community leaders came together in 1946 and founded the South Florida Museum, opening the facility to the public in 1947 showcasing the Montague Tallant Collection, a rare collection of artifacts from Florida’s First Peoples. The initial exhibit encompassed the pre- and immediate post-contact archaeological material as well as donated collections relating to the cultural and scientific history of Manatee County and Southwest Florida.

The South Florida Museum is a treasure for our community, proudly the largest natural and cultural history museum on the Gulf Coast of Florida. The Museum tells the story of the region from the Pleistocene to the present through the use of true-scale dioramas and spectacular exhibits, surrounding visitors with impressive fossils from Florida’s earliest mammals and marine species. Taking guests on a remarkable tour through the areas diverse aquatic environments including the Pine Uplands, Riverine, estuarine and Gulf water habitats. The Museum showcases an eclectic collection of exhibits including local maritime traditions, Native American history, early 20th-century medical practices, and our local Spanish conquistador Hernando DeSoto.

Home of Snooty™ the world’s most recognized manatee. In 1949, Baby Snoots, a West Indian manatee, arrived at the South Florida Museum. Snooty™ has been with the Museum through multiple renovations and even an electrical fire. To this day he still draws a crowd and is the oldest living manatee in captivity, providing significant scientific data and information for his endangered relatives. The Parker Manatee Aquarium is a 60,000 gallon fresh water habitat providing above and below water views of Snooty™ and his tank mates. Surrounding exhibits within the facility aid in the education of manatee anatomy, physiology and habitat. The Parker Manatee Aquarium is a second stage rehabilitation facility, providing a temporary home for manatees that will be released back into the wild after having received medical treatment. The Parker Manatee Aquarium works closely with Lowry Park Zoo’s critical care hospital for manatees.

In 1966 the Museum added the Bishop Planetarium alluring visitors with the exploration of our stellar universe, a remarkable astronomy educational resource. The newly renovated state-of-the-science planetarium and theatre opened in June 2005, a multipurpose domed theatre showcasing one of the most advanced all-digital projection systems in the world. The Bishop Planetarium is capable of accommodating a wide-range of programs with an extensive schedule of events and presentations including astronomy presentations, sound and light shows and wide-screen large format programming.

This continually changing and evolving museum has emerged as a leading cultural organization in our community, providing educational programs and field trips to tens of thousands of students over the years. The South Florida Museum continues its founding legacy of excellence in education, care of collections, engaging exhibits and programming for visitors and students of all ages. Their outstanding facility offers a wide range of rental opportunities, school programs, and group tours.

For more information about the South Florida Museum or to plan your next exploration, visit their website www.southfloridamuseum.org or discover the museum in person at 201 10th Street West, Bradenton, Florida.

Mission: To preserve, interpret, and communicate – through collections, exhibitions, and educational programs – scientific and cultural knowledge of Florida, the world, and our universe.

Bishop Planetarium Astronomy – Exploration – Discovery
South Florida Museum History – Paleontology – Archaeology
Parker Manatee Aquarium Research – Rescue – Rehabilitation