The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium, located on Sanibel, just celebrated its 30th anniversary by opening extensive, brand-new exhibits of thousands of shells from Southwest Florida and around the world. This is a unique and special moment for area residents and visitors to discover – or rediscover – the unmatchable beauty of these wonders of nature, and to learn about their biology, how they’ve been important to humans for centuries, and the ecosystems in Southwest Florida and beyond they come from.
For anyone with even a passing interest in shells and the natural features of our region, this new experience and resource is for you, and we warmly welcome you to visit.
Perhaps no place in the United States is more closely identified with shells and the coastal lifestyle they symbolize than Southwest Florida. Streets, businesses, home associations, sports teams, and countless other entities and endeavors here are named for shells. The idea of shelling on the beach has drawn people to this area for over 100 years and has helped grow a nature-and-recreation-based lifestyle and economy we cherish and rely upon…