The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature

The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature has tons of awesome exhibitions, an impressive planetarium, and of course, the Parker Manatee Rehabilitation Habitat.

Exhibitions: Let’s begin with the first floor of the museum. Here is where you will find some incredible fossil evidence of the earliest animals to live in the state. The exhibits on the first floor include; Great Hall, Land of Change, Fabulous Florida Seas, Archaic Peoples and the Tallant Gallery. There is even a underwater viewing window that lets you see the manatees being cared for in the rehabilitation facility. The second floor features the River Heritage Hall, the Environmental Hall ,and the Visible Storage Gallery.

Manatee Habitat: The most popular part of the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature would definitely be the Parker Manatee Rehabilitation Habitat. It consists of a giant medical pool, about 60,000 gallons of water, and some manatees of course. This manatee habitat serves as a second stage rehabilitation facility. This is where the manatees temporarily stay before being released back into the wild. The manatees end up at the habitat after they have received treatment. There is an exhibit area where the medical pool is which allows visitors to learn about Manatees, and view the ones in the pool from above and below the water. Believe me, it’s pretty awesome!