Sanibel Island : Accommodations : Attractions

Visit: Bailey-Mathews Shell Museum

Museum Mission:
• "To educate about shells and mollusks, the shell-makers, through exhibits, educational programs, library services and publications;
• "To further awareness of nature and the natural environment;
• "To promote collection-based research on shells and mollusks with emphasis on Southwest Florida and the Gulf of Mexico.

The non-profit Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum features more than 30 exhibits of mollusks from around the world. Exhibits are devoted to shells in art and history, shell habitat, rare specimens, fossil shells, common Southwest Florida shells, and more. The learning lab features a hands-on play area for children, displays, games, and a tank with indigenous mollusks. Provides a rich opportunity for the visitor to explore, discover, and map their own course through the exhibits in the Great Hall of Shells. The objective of the Museum is to inspire, educate, and to provide leadership in the natural history of shells and nature-related issues.

Southwest Florida Shells

Species from the collection of The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum. All were collected, at different times and by many collectors, on the islands of Sanibel, Captiva, and neighboring areas. This mollusk guide is being expanded and updated on a regular basis; make sure you bookmark and check the site to follow its progress.

Most of the shells are portrayed as they were found, without heavy surface cleaning. For the bivalves, in most cases the inside of the right valve and the outside of the left valve are illustrated. Viewers should keep in mind that many species of mollusks are highly variable in shape and color.

SCHOOL SHELL COLLECTION KIT AND OPTIONAL SHELL-RELATED VIDEOS

The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum has available a collection of many species of shells, with teaching instructions, for purchase by Schools or Children's Museums. The cost is $20.00 ($25.00 U.S. funds to Canada or Mexico, $30.00 U.S. funds to other foreign countries) to cover materials and shipping. Purchase orders must be accompanied by a check. The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum’s 10-minute children’s video, Shells of the Sea, is available for an additional $10.00. In addition, Mollusks in Action, a 30-minute intermediate-level video is available in either VHS format ($20.00) or DVD ($22.00).

Please make checks payable to The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum. Schools or Children's Museums interested in obtaining a school shell collection kit and optional shell-related videos must make a written request on their institutional letterhead. (Please include a street address, not a P. O. Box, for UPS shipping.) If you place your order during holidays or vacations, please add your residential address.

HOURS of OPERATION:
Open Daily: 10:00am - 4:00pm

ADDRESS:
3075 Sanibel-Captiva Road
Sanibel, Florida 33957 USA

Phone: (239) 395-2233 Toll-free: (888) 679-6450 Fax: (239) 395-6706