Last updated: 7/20/2023
Bradenton, Florida
Street Address
201 10th Street, WestBradenton, FL 34205
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 9265201 10th Street WestBradenton, FL 34205
phone: 941-746-4131
fax: 941-747-2556
e-mail: info@bishopscience.org
web: www.bishopscience.org

Hours

Tuesday - Saturday 10 a.m - 5 p.m.
Sunday 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Monday (January-April & July) 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Admissions

Adults $15.95
Seniors (65+) $13.95
Children (4-12) $11.95
Museum, Planetarium & Aquarium

Staff

Andrew Sandall
phone:
Kamala Martinez
phone:
Tiffany LaBritt
phone: 941-216-3462
Lauren Aristizabal
phone:
Laurie Voight
phone: 941-216-3463
Ashley Berridge
phone: 941-216-3457
Tish Sacks
phone: 941-216-3473
Ashley Girt
phone:
Remi Gonzalez
phone:
Susan Mccarthy
phone:
Howard Hochhalter
phone:
Jake Balkan
phone:
Tim Marks
phone:
Debby Lamontaine
phone:
Brian Carter
phone:
Anne Adams
phone:
Ashley Waite
phone:
Rick Reineck
phone:
Alyssa Miller
phone:
Michael Winters
phone:
Description

The South Florida Museum is the largest natural and cultural history museum on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Under that same roof is also the Parker Manatee Aquarium, home to Snooty, thought to be the oldest living manatee in captivity at age 61. With Snooty, are manatees in rehabilitation for US Fish and Wildlife. The Bishop Planetarium is a digital planetarium which serves also as a multipurpose theater.

Mission

To engage and inspire learners of all ages; we protect, interpret and communicate scientific and cultural knowledge of Florida, the world, and our universe.

History

The South Florida Museum was incorporated on December 23, 1946 as a private, not for profit Florida Corporation to educate visitors about the natural and cultural history of Florida’s Gulf Coast region and provide the community with a museum that would attract both residents and visitors to the growing downtown district. The museum opened its doors on Bradenton's Memorial Pier in 1947 with the Montague Tallant collection of Florida's First Peoples' pre- and immediate post-contact archaeological materials, and a small collection of other artifacts, objects and biological materials related to the history of southwest Florida and Manatee County. The museum relocated in 1967 to a new, two-story building occupying a full city block in downtown Bradenton, incorporating an enlarged manatee viewing/education area and the Bishop Planetarium. In 1980 the Museum added a Spanish Plaza, emphasizing this area’s Spanish heritage with a full-size replica of Hernando DeSoto’s home in Barcarrota, Spain, a 16th century chapel and a foundation with a bronze sculpture of DeSoto on horseback.

Facilities
Auditoriums
Lecture Halls
Performance Areas
Governance

Private Non-Profit

Services
Gift Shop
Special Event Rental
Group Tours
ADA
Wheelchair Accessible
Exhibitions
Museum Events
DISCLAIMER
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MUSEUM CONFERENCES

Museum Trustee Association Spring Forum 2024

April 10 - 14, 2024

Atlanta, Georgia

Texas Association of Museums 2024 Lubock Annual Conference

April 14 - 17, 2024

Lubbock, Texas

2024 Colorado-Wyoming ANNUAL MEETING

May 1 - 4, 2024

Worland, Wyoming

West Virginia Association of Museums 2024 Conference

June 6 - 8, 2024

Shepherdstown, West Virginia

RECENT UPDATES

Museum Vendors

02/18 Tessellate

New York City, New York

10/30 Museum Fabrication Group, LLC

Denton, Texas

03/07 ConservArt Inc.

Boca Raton, Florida

Museum Associations

03/07 South Carolina Federation of Museums

Columbia, South Carolina