A short distance from our Blind Pass Condominiums, is the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum on the Sanibel-Captiva Road on Sanibel Island. If you enjoy looking at seashells this is a must-visit location for you!
Come learn everything there is to know about seashells on Sanibel – the many different types of shells, the best season to collect shells and the best time of day to go out. You won’t want to miss the Marine biologists who give Live Tank Talks throughout the day.
As the only sea shell museum in the nation, Bailey-Matthews displays shells from all over the world. In addition to displaying shell specimens, they also share insights into the various roles shells have played in the past, today, and in the future.
The museum takes great care to be accurate, which means their information evolves as new scientific discoveries are made. They have a world-renowned malacologist and two Marine Biologists that are joined by highly educated docents to share knowledge, surprising facts, and rare insights into the lesser-known complexities of shells. You’ll learn all about the science as well as the cultural, historical and culinary facets of shells.
In their own words, “…our greatest asset is an innate sense of curiosity and wonder about shells. We have a lot of fun here at the Museum; we thankfully never stop learning and sometimes even get a little goofy about new discoveries — whether brought to our attention by a guest, gleaned from our own research, or found within the larger scientific world. Come see us — you’ll be glad you did!”
The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $15 adults (18+), $9 for youth 12-17, $7 for children 4-11. Children under 4 are admitted free as are active military. Phone: (239) 395-2233. Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum, 3075 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel, Florida.
