Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium

The National Shell Museum is one of the great treasures on Sanibel. They have just recently reopened and wow is it nice! The staff were amazing - answering questions and just willing to nerd out about sea life in general when prompted. We especially appreciated the touch tanks where anybody can wash hands and touch various mollusks in both cold and warmer tanks. The shells themselves were absolutely stunning - huge in quantity, quality, and frequently size. The displays are beautifully laid out with plenty of space to mull about. Alongside the shells were various displays of shell use in cultures that really brings the experience to life. There is a modest library with sitting area, art gallery, and a quite interesting video playing upstairs outside the shell exhibit. The lower floor includes displays of live specimens (including the aforementioned touch pools). In summary, this is a museum that deserves a visit. The care put into it is obvious at every turn.

We visited Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum yesterday, on a brief day trip from Naples. What a treat!! The shells and aquarium were so well exhibited. It's definitely meant to educate and wow people of all ages, from toddlers to seniors, and I consider it a must see and do while on Sanibel ❤️

A wonderful museum on Sanibel. We stopped by on a busy, rainy Sunday. Downstairs there is a small aquarium with marine animal exhibits and lots of good information on mollusks and snails. A touch tbaj with a helpful museum docent is also downstairs. Upstairs is the Hall of Shells, which is undergoing expansion but in its current state is still well worth the time. So many beautiful and diverse shells from across the world. Don't miss the short film that goes to the heart of the Museum's education and advocacy mission. The second floor also has a very interesting exhibit on the use of shells in fashion, a must see. Lastly, don't forget to stop by the gift shop, well curated and fun!

A truly beautiful museum! I’ve grown up coming to the island and I’ve always wanted to stop by the Shell Museum and finally did it this time. There there are beautiful exhibits, knowledgeable talks, and shell’s galore. My absolute favorite was seeing all of the junonias on display! They really did an excellent job showcasing Sanibel’s beautiful seashells along with so many from around the world. Highly recommend stopping in for a visit to learn more about the history of shells, and to see the amazing collection they have!

Checked their website for info before arrival. Didn’t see anything on their main page that the great hall of shells was closed for remodel/renovation. That was the main reason for going, but it was fun to see the seahorses. The video was informative. Ticket price was reduced. Enjoyed that it is a hands on experience. I would go again if I was back in the area.

Awesome she'll museum!!! Great displays!!! Recovered from Hurricane damage!!! Great stop on captiva!!! Highly recommended!!! Also get a free pass for another trip by completing a survey currently!

Great way to spend an afternoon escaping the extreme UV index or the rainstorms. Took the 9 year old, 10 year old, 15 year old, and 11 week old and had a great time. The touch tank and aquarium were our favorite but the shell exhibits and discovery cart were great too. Highly recommend.

This place was immaculately clean and well taken care of. The shells were awesome if you’re into that. The OCTOPUS stole the show for us & was the reason we travelled to this museum. If you want to see something magnificent and you’re close by, GO SEE THE GIANT PACIFIC OCTOPUS! They also offer a teacher discount!

Our family's tag line for the Shell Museum is still "more interesting than you'd think". We haven't been back since the big hurricane and it's jarring to see the water line inside the museum where the storm surge reached. A lot of the exhibits sadly got destroyed so there is a reduced rate for the museum, which is nice. During this visit, everyone was so kind and we had such a great time. I can't remember the name of the lady who was working at the front desk, but she was great. Chris W who showed us the tanks was also great. We met the new octopus, who was very friendly. We also saw an upstairs exhibit "Shells in fashion" which was pretty cool, as well as a photography exhibit. The gift shop was also really nice and we purchased a few items there. We will always return next time we're on the island. :)

A wonderful Museaum! A lot to learn here and perfect for families and adults. There is even a hands on experience to touch some shells in water. The pricing to get in was perfect. Parking is in a big lot. I loved how all the shell displays were. Some shells were on handmade mini beds. It was so cute. I loved the experience to touch shells in the cold water. The staff there were really helpful and kind. They helped my son out. The museum was pretty open and not too crowded. The gift shop was nice as well. The staff in there helped us find nice shell stores that were legit and not going to take your money... or be a tourist trap.

Even though the shell gallery was closed for renovations (as of Apr 2024), I still had fun checking out what was available. Ticket prices are also lower since the whole museum is not fully reorganized since hurricane Ian. They had a fun scavenger hunt, which got me looking at parts of the exhibits I may have glanced over previously. The touch tanks are open, and feature many species of local and Pacific mollusks. The gift shop was fun too and featured many different shell ID guides. It will be exciting to revisit once the shell gallery and all the animal exhibits are open!

Interesting museum. First time here and it was a nice relaxing time to learned all about shells and we got to touch some snails. The scavenger hunt was a little confusing so we skipped it. A little pricey for admission.

Honestly the idea of a shell museum is quite boring, but we had reciprocal membership so we decided to get our kiddos out of the heat. This place is small but quite spectacular considering the topic . My kids had a blast with all of the hands on activities. Definitely worth a trip to get out of the hot sun.

We enjoyed our visit recently with our grandsons. They were especially excited to be able to touch some of the ocean animals. Since Hurricane Ian damaged the upper floor of the museum, that area was closed while undergoing restoration. However, the remaining exhibits are at eye viewing levels with brief, easy-to-read facts that both children and adults can enjoy. It was worth the visit, but once the rest of the museum is restored, we can anticipate an even more in-depth experience.

Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum is located on Sanibel Captiva Rd. It was all started in 1984 by a local shell collector. Fast forward to present day, it's now the only accredited museum in the United States devoted solely to shells and mollusks. It truly is a one of a kind attraction on the island. Once you walk in you see the front desk. You will register and pay for your tickets. -Adult (18+): $23.95 -Youth (12-17): $14.95 -Child (5-11): $8.95 -Under 5: Free *Active-duty service members and their families are always welcome at no charge and discounts are available for seniors (65+), AAA, and AARP* After we paid for our tickets, the exploration began. The exhibits here are absolutely wonderful. We all loved learning the ins and outs of the animals. Here are all of the exhibits that they offer. -The Great Hall of Shells. ( Shells native to Sanibel Captiva, Shells from around the world, Record breaking sized Shells, Shells in Architecture, Art, and Human History, Sailors Valentines, Cameos, Shell Inlay, Buttons, and Bows). They have daily tours given by the educators in this area. -Aquariums and Touch Pools (an aquarium gallery filled with living mollusks. The animals that literally shells). Daily at 11 am they have an educator around to talk about the Giant Pacific Octopus that they have on display in a large aquarium. -Queen of the Sea( Educators give an explanation to the Conchs at this exhibit. 2pm Daily) -Mollusk Hospital: A Shell Folk Art Journey in 20 Rooms ( Mollusk Hospital is a group of 20 imaginative, miniature hospital rooms - from nursery to radiology to surgery to recovery - in which hundreds of shells are the patients) -Blackwater Moments: Nocturnal Photography of Open-Ocean Mollusks. (remarkable images of marine life swimming at night) The Museum also offers other educational opportunities outside of the normal museum experience. They have online lectures from scientists free of charge. (Spot the Mollusk, Cephalopods Coast to Coast) Adult education classes( Fantastic Shells and where to find them, Mound House Field Trip, A day in the life of an aquarist, Shell Ambassador Certification Course, Lighthouse Beach Marine Biology Field Lab) Just have to signup for all of them on certain dates . Dates given upon signing up. All and all this was a great experience. We've been coming here for years and never knew this place was here. We shall be returning for sure.

Alive or dead mollusks and bivalves are cool! We had a great time at the National Shell Musum on Sanibel island. It was really cool to see live mollusks next to the shells you find on the beach. The collection upstairs was a great way to learn about the shelled sea critters of Florida! It was a quick stop but well worth it! We only spent 30-45 minutes there. Parking is easy. It's a nonprofit so the ticket price was great and the shop was a delight.

Fun place. Learned a lot about the shells and got to pet some sea life. The staff is very knowledgeable about the shells and the sea animals on display. Fun location definitely a good spot to visit when in captiva.

National shell museum is described as the Smithsonian of Shell Museum's. Very pretty building, many tanks, shells, and crustaceans from around the world. Interesting? a lot of info & pretty gift shop.

Fabulous museum on Sanibel Island. Admission is $25, but we used our reciprocating membership from a museum back home, and got in at no cost. You can also use your AAA card for a discount. One area has all kinds of different snails that you can hold, and school age kids would understand the Staff talking about them. There are also live mollusks and bi-valves. There are lots of posters and a few fish to view. Upstairs is the collection of shells from around the world. Displays include naturally colored ones, and every kind you can imagine. There is even a display of shells that are rare, and hard to find. The display of artwork is very nice, and word posters tell about our eco system in few words. We arrived at 10 a.m. opening, and walked right in. When we left at 11 a.m., a line was waiting. This is a non-profit organization.

This expensive, expensive museum was a huge disappointment. It is $24 for adults and $9 for my 10 year old, and takes about 25 minutes. Instead of the fun, craft activities they used to have for kids where they could make little crafts with shells and things, they have a fancy building and broken exhibits. Only about 30% were working and only 1-2 of the touch tanks were open.

We went to the shell museum this afternoon and greatly enjoyed it! Chris W. was working and was extremely knowledgeable and personable. He had great info both at the touch tanks and the Hall of Shells. Loved our experience, will definitely return.

Great history of Shell's had so many cool animals! 3 floors, interactive for children and great shop !

A cute museum that will definitely give you more information on snails and shells than you will ever want. After getting in some kayaking in the hot Florida sun, we decided to stop by the Shell Museum before heading over to the beach to get some AC and learn about shells. Located over on the Captiva part of Sanibel, the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum is a classic and very unique Sanibel attraction. We went inside and paid for admission ($11 per person, which isn't crazy, but is a little high for a smaller museum). We learned right away that every shell in the museum is real except for the huge shell at the entrance. We walked into their main area and found a huge globe in the middle of lots of fun and interesting shell exhibits. We learned various facts about snails around Sanibel and how snails and shells actually kill tons of people in other parts of the world (who knew?). While not a ton there, this part of the museum has lots of interesting information and unique exhibits. After looking around for about 20-30 minutes, we went to watch the movie in advance of the 1pm live presentation. The "movie theater" is just some chairs in a room with a tv on the wall. The movie they showed was essentially a lady who took a camera to the beach, saw some interesting patterns, and showed the camera various types of shells and snails. While really informative, the amateur nature of the film (various out of focus shots, weird transitions, overly long shots) came off more as a 10th grade science project rather than a museum documentary. While you learn a lot, I'd probably have to recommend skipping this part until they put together a newer video. After finishing the video, we went downstairs to see the live presentation being given by one of their marine biologist. While we thought it would be more of a demonstration or hands-on type of thing, it actually turned out to be a young lady who gave us a lecture on some of the darker things about snails and shells. We covered how certain snails eat other snails, how walking through a beach is like essentially walking through a snail cemetery, how you could go to jail if you take a living shell off the beach, and how terrible people sometimes throw or kick live shells out into the sea instead of gently setting them out there. While she provided lots of interesting information, it was a little intense and honestly made going to the beach afterwards a little depressing. Overall, the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum is an interesting place to check out when visiting Sanibel that provides lots of insights into the world of snails and shells. However, unless you are a nature enthusiast that wants to search for snails and their "bones" on the beach, you should probably check this place out near the end of your trip.

Amazing museum, with some of the largest shells I personally have ever seen. Very informative and interactive activities for all. My husband and I even created shell art in a specialty set up room, and were able to take them home. We are over 60, and had a blast doing this art! The staff were very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful, we will definitely come back!

This is a must stop if you're visiting Sanibel for more than a day. It's great for kids and adults and very fun and informative. You'll learn about all the different types of Shells you can find on Sanibel, to include the treasure and most rare of all, the Junonia! Plenty of parking and easy to find.

Nice place with a lot of interesting shells to view. There is an area with live mollusk to pet and a great impact wall that really sends a message. It is very small and probably not worth the price they charge but, if the money goes to saving the ocean then I support that. There was a nice woman at check in who found us additional discounts through AAA and college. I do appreciate that. Very clean and the employees are very friendly. Gift shop prices are reasonable also.

A "MUST-DO" when visiting Sanibel! Great for the kids also! Make sure you attend the presentation given by their BRILLIANT Marine Biologist! It will help you appreciate the museum that much more! They have a great craft room for the kids, and family-friendly exhibits. This teaches everyone about the importance of caring for our sea life! Absolutely brilliant afternoon!

Before you even hit the beach on Sanibel or Captiva, visit this museum first! It is so educational and just fascinating! You will learn about the different types of seashells, what you can find here on the islands, as well as seeing seashells from all over the world. World-record shells included! This museum is super kid-friendly with plenty of hands-on exhibits too including touch ranks where you can touch live shells. If you've been to this museum in the past but not recently, it's completely renovated and you won't even recognize the interior. We loved the live octopus tank downstairs as well as the beautiful exhibits upstairs. And their gift shop has some unique items, from books and kitchenware to jewelry and art. I ended up purchasing a museum membership for my family as it was more cost effective and we could visit more than once while we stayed the week - another bonus is that you get a 20% discount in the gift shop and reciprocal benefits from other National museums. If you're curious about all the shells on Sanibel and Captiva, you'll love this adventure - and it's a greats place to spend a few hours in air conditioned comfort.

Pros: -It's a nonprofit, workers & volunteers are extremely helpful and knowledgable & want to be there -So many cool shells! Extinct shells! Shells from 1700! World record shells! -Make sure you are there for a tank talk with the marine biologist, very knowledgeable and interactive demonstration with the live critters in the shells. She also will tell you the best places to look for shells on Sanibel. -Cute gift shop (We got a hand carved wood hammer head Shark and pelican) Cons -Expensive -It's basically one floor full of displays -Kids (kids seemed interested but if you're a group of adults there's sometimes field trips there)

I was very skeptical when we decided to check out this museum. I couldn't believe that there would be enough to justify the entry fee. I was wrong. The museum is fairly small, but there's a lot packed in there. There are displays of shells from around the world. We also had the chance to make some shell art in a separate room. They have "tank talks" in the basement where you can see live shell animals and hear about them.

Little disappointing since all the interactive displays are turned off because of covid. However the $24 entry fee wasn't effected by covid. Small, 2 floors and can be done in 45 mins. Masks on the mannequins, really??

Excellent museum and well worth the price - They're doing a good job of requiring masking and getting people to maintain social distancing in an area which otherwise feels like a super spreader event - These may be the only intelligent people on the entire island so it's well worth your while supporting them

It's a one of a kind museum and a Sanibel "must see". Take time to watch the movie. Aquariums opening soon and I'm looking forward to presentations there too. And the gift shop is great fun!

This was a gem to find, it was a chilly day and we were looking for something fun to do, we loved it!!! So much information and the staff and volunteers were incredible!!! We were there on a day that we got to make a piece of free jewelry!! Rain or shine this is a fantastic place!!

Hello we're at the Shell museum and we looked at some amazing shells that we did not see at the beach. Also they had some really cool snail shells which I like, and they had some shells that were common that we saw at the beach together. I think it was great they had big the boxes that Sailors made for their sweethearts. So it was pretty fast not too boring.

I've been coming here for years and this is the first time I visited the museum. My husband always said it wasn't worth the time and money. I disagree. I brought our two girls here to escape the pool and beach. (One of them has been eaten alive by the no seeum bugs) And we all could have used a break from the sun. Anyway, it was fun! It's filled with very cool shells. It's a place where you can spend a couple hours, look at some neat shells. It's great for kids-- to keep them engaged, they have a scavenger hunt where they can find different shells and get a prize if they find them all. The staff is very knowledgeable and helpful. The live tank was cool. It was fun to learn about all the mollusks. Cost was $15 for adult. Kids $7 and I can't remember the age range and our 4 year old was free. I thought that was reasonably priced.

Our family had children in age from 6-17 and adults from 35-60yrs old. We all had a great time and learned stuff. We got to make Shell animals to bring home, the kids had a little scavenger hunt to win a little prize. We got to identify shells we have collected, learn stuff about shells that none of us knew and we got to apply our knew knowledge when we went shell hunting in the early morning. The prices are great. Def an island gem that everyone should check out!!

So many wonderful shells! There are open tanks to view, that show you what actually live in the shells you love to collect on the beautiful beaches here! Nice gift shop, super nice staff. We made shell necklaces and and attended a Gastropod and Bivalve lecture.

This place surprised me. I was expecting a bunch of beautiful labeled shells from the region. What I got was a massive education on the living animals (mollusks, gastropods, etc.) that shells are home to. Micro-mollusks to Deep-sea Mollusks. Mollusks as food to shells as art. It was easy to spend 3-4 hours there. Very fascinating. The volunteer dosant in the learning lab gave us a demo of some live animals from a live shell tank and was very informative. I now know more than most of the sex life of mollusks ;-) I also highly recommend the two rotating short videos played in the small theater every half hour. Check out their website to start your education. These animals are misunderstood and more important to us than you think.

If you like shells, then you have to stop here and check out the museum. They have shells from all over the world. The place does a nice job explaining how different shells grow with some having 50 shells to show the growth. Couple of films you can watch on different subjects. The main room is round and you can work in a clockwise pattern to see everything. Prices was $9 a person, also Raymond Burr of TV was big into shells and helped to raise money for them when he was alive. There is several photos of him shelling and raising money. Amazing see the sailor's valentines in a wood case (box, one is table) made from hundreds to thousands of shells with a pattern and sometimes spelling out so words.

That was a blast!going to the shell museum I was expecting old ladies and lacquered cabinets full of dusty half broken shells. instead I found a state of the art facility full of activities and fun! Do a scavenger hunt and compare what you've found on the beach to the collections in the museum. Listen to a tank talk that shows you what shells are before you find them in the beach. Make a fun craft that you can take home and share with a friend!

My mom is an avid shell collector, so she cajoled us into visiting the Shell Museum during our recent week in Sanibel and Captiva. What a pleasant surprise! I learned so many interesting tidbits about mollusks during a highly informative and at times rather amusing film. I have quite a respect for the little guys now that I know more about how they eat, move, and reproduce. The only downside? It took some fun out of eating mussels at Sweet Melissa's that evening! The live demonstration was also educational, albeit a bit redundant after watching the movie. The exhibits were engaging and as interactive as a shell museum could be. The Sailor's Valentine section was a particular standout. Yes, the admission price is a bit steep ($11/adult), but it's a great way to while away an hour or two when the weather is uncooperative or you've had too much sun.

The good things: I personally learned a lot and found it interesting. They had a cool art project where the kids can make something with sea shells and take it home. The bad: I found it to be very expensive for what you get. We paid nearly $50 for admission. My kids (1st grade, K, and 2) were bored within 30 min as they aren't going to stand and read all the information and they couldn't quite grasp a lot of their interactive activities. The interactive kid area was very small and much of it too young for them. My 2 year old enjoyed the kid area but she could've done everything she did there for free at home (play with seashells and puzzles). I recommend this if you have older kids. Definitely go to the interactive class as it was interesting and I learned a lot!! The 3/5 stars would mostly be because I feel the cost didn't add up to how long we were there.

I totally love this place! I learned so much and all of the displays were beautiful and informative

For the last ten years we stayed I. Sanibel every year and this is the first time we visited the Shell Museum. What an amazing place!

I am a sheller. My mom taught me many moons ago to appreciate them. But this museum is super impressive. It is amazing the kinds and number of shells this place has along with the art created from shells. It's all wonderful.

A great way to spend some time indoors while in the area! My visit took place in mid- to late-January. I arrived a little late in the afternoon, just a couple hours before they closed. Rather than tour the museum section, I opted to take in the roughly half-hour live tank presentation downstairs and follow up by watching the 2 movies (30 minutes each) in the theater. The young lady who gave the presentation was very knowledgeable and made for a wonderful lesson in all things related to shells. With live mollusks to use in the demonstration (and daily additions from the local beaches), she explained things that I never knew. At the end, she performed a question and answer period. After the presentation, I headed up stairs to the theater. The back to back documentary type movies were well done and provided much more background information about all things mollusk. When I was leaving, they said to come back in the next couple of days with my receipt and I would be allowed to take another look around on the original fare. Very nice, their hospitality was genuine. There is a small gift shop for those inclined to pick up a thing or two during their visit. I asked about AAA or military discount. They gave me military rate of $10 adult. It will be worth another visit the next time I am in the area.

It's a nice little museum, staff was nice. I liked how they had little activities throughout the museum. My son and my favorite was creating our own shell creature, it was included in our admission. They had a special on admission too, one paid adult get a free child pass. Once you paid for that day, you can come and go all day.

Enjoyed this museum more than I expected to! We were looking for something to do on a hot day and this was the perfect choice - great for kids! They arranged a scavenger hunt that got the kids exploring the shells. Also had a shell craft activity that the whole family enjoyed. We also stayed for the tank tour which taught us a lot about the native shells of the island.

This place is SO cool. A museum dedicated to the one thing everyone is looking for while visiting Sanibel. A gem of the island, for the island. Small fee to get in, but definitely worth it. So much to sea!

Amazing! Very educatiinal,fun. Interesting. Kids had a blast and learned a lot. Super friendly staff.

Keeping in mind this isn't a smithsonian, this is a must see for Sanibel. It was really informative. They obviously have a beautiful collection of sea shells, but it's way more than that. We took my two girls ages 5 & 7, and I was worried they'd be bored, but they loved it. They gave them a scavenger hunt to find specific shells on display, and they had a blast looking for them. At the end they got a prize and everything! To me the most wonderful part was the tank talk. It lasted about 30 min, and they explain basically how to tell if a shell on the beach is still alive since you are not allowed to live collect. So cool and informative. Definitely recommend for a rainy day. Overall seeing everything took less than 2 hrs. Also on certain days they have arts and crafts for the kids which we missed, included in the admission fee. Check on their website for dates and times. :)

Good museum. Laid out well, good exhibits, good for kids. A little high priced (Adult entry is $9 per person). While the museum has exhibits, a small children's area, and an auditorium which runs tow 30 minute videos, it covers shelling as a whole around the world. Some history. I wish it would have more on local Florida shelling as well as an exhibit on how to clean and preserve shells. The gift shop was nice - lots of shelling books and gifts. Once a year the museum holds a huge shell show that people come from all over for.

How much do I love shells a lot...I had to buy a second suitcase to fit all the ones I took home with me from Sanibel Island... But I was so pressed for time I almost did not go to the shell Museum shame on me... I am really glad I went the displays were really excellent, so informative colorful. They were playing a free little film called The Secret Life of Mollusks in the main area that I sat and really enjoyed. It was done by a local Sanibel woman and it was really interesting. The gift shop had amazing stuff to buy including a wonderful selection of books on shells. I highly recommend it. The only thing I learned that sorta disappointed me was that Sailor's Valentines were made for trade by women in Barbados and not by sailors but of course what was I thinking if sailors made them they would look like crap..How dumb was I??? Did I actually picture in my head a bunch of old salty sea men with tweezers and glue and tiny shells glueing them ever so carefully for their love across the sea..Wow sad...cut the string on that kite and set it free... A great place to bring kids a cool little side room just for kids with murals and a touch tanks and a matching game with shells. Nice volunteers as well! The collection of fossilized shells were of special interest. However I just wish they would have had more of the Sanibel rare ones that I myself found tons of...( people were amazed they were rare)...There is a wildlife bird watching area down the way about 1/4 a block and you can get a lot in that way. A really nice beach down that road as well..! BTW There is a Shell Fair ever year the first Thursday in March. Here are some pics from a previous yearhttp://thecraftsdept.marthastewart.com/photo-galleries?album=1&gallery=44

It's a nice place to take kids for a few hours when visiting Sanibel. The shell collection is amazing and there's a lot learn for kids who are patient and into science. The scavenger hunt and craft kits for kids make it more exciting. We combine it with a trip to the beach for a fun, full day on Sanibel.

We visit Sanibel every winter and go to many places on Sanibel over and over. This is more like a place you'd want to visit once or twice, but not repeatedly. It contains some amazing shells and some great history/information, though. We definitely enjoyed our visit.

I enjoyed my stop at the museum. I found the displays of the Sanibel shells to be the most interesting. If you are interested in the shells of Sanibel and/ or the life of mollusks it's worth stopping. There were also shells on display from around the world. There is a small children's area. They show 2 videos, approx. 1/2 hour each. They are slow but interesting none the less. I only stayed to watch one of the videos.