BRADENTON, Fla. — The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, formerly the South Florida Museum, has been educating people of all ages here in Manatee County for 75 years.
"So my favorite thing is seeing kids and their adults get really energized," said Ashley Waite, Director of Museum Experience at the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature.
Of course, how could you go wrong when you're greeted by Priscilla? She's a mastodon. Turn the corner, and you'll be welcomed by the jaw of a Megalodon.
"So, really, people are just amazed by what we have here. And especially knowing that a lot of this stuff used to live here. So they are walking in a place where Megalodons swam and mastodons walked. And so it's really incredible," Waite said.
In a nutshell, this is Florida's history. It's fascinating and unique, but the Bishop Museum has found a way to make it interesting for everyone.
"We are in Ice Age Florida right now. So people can see some of the animals that lived here during that time," Waite said. "Upstairs, we have a little bit more local history about the Manatee River. But we also have a planetarium where people can blast off into the universe. And then we have some Florida manatees that we're rehabilitating right now. So whether you love fossils, animals, or space, we have something for you."
For many years, a special resident captured the heart of every single visitor and resident alike. Snooty was the oldest manatee in captivity and called this museum home.
RELATED: Snooty, the world's oldest manatee, turns 69 years old; passes away 2 days later
Even after Snooty's heartbreaking death, the mission of the museum remains.
"So we've been rehabilitating manatees since the 90s, and it's a program that's really important to us," Waite said. "We are a second-stage rehab facility, which means we're not a hospital, we're the place that is able to take animals that are healthy but not yet ready to be released. So we free up spaces at the hospitals, so they can take on more animals. We usually have about two to three manatees with us. They're all very young, so we call them sub-adults. Right now, we have three young females who will most likely be released this winter."
Head on over to the opposite side of the museum, and that's where you'll find the planetarium.
"So throughout the day, most of our content is astronomy focused. But we have a couple of different shows that play every day throughout the day, just depending on your interests," White said. "Then at night, we have a once-a-month astronomy lecture called Stelliferous that focuses on what you can see in the night sky, but also breaking news and astronomy."
The museum is launching a new middle school program called IQuest and a teen night program for high schoolers.
Beginning on Nov. 22, a new temporary exhibit will be at the museum. It's called Towers of Tomorrow and is all about Lego. There will be 20 skyscrapers featured from all over the world made out of Lego bricks.
Click here for more information about how to visit.
