Exhibits and More at the Manatee Center
480 North Indian River Drive Fort Pierce, FL 34950 • Hours of Operation
The Manatee Center is a 2,000 square-foot environmental education center that contains fresh and salt water aquaria, a touch tank, interactive displays, and other interactive living and non-living exhibits. Photos below help to give an overview of our exhibits, but nothing compares to the experience of viewing and interacting with these tanks and critters for yourself. We hope you'll visit us soon :)
When you first enter the Manatee Center, you'll be welcomed by a volunteer greeter (one of our over 100 dedicated volunteers) who will give you a small overview of the layout of our facility. You can watch our 17 minute welcome video, outlining the history of the Manatee Center and manatees in Florida, or you can skip the video and get right to the exhibits - whichever you prefer. The Center is a self-guided facility, though we often have volunteers and staff who can answer any questions for you as you explore our tanks and exhibits.
In our first exhibit room, you'll find our largest tank (an 800-gallon saltwater tank) which is separated into two: a native species tank and a non-native species tank with different species in each. You'll also find our lagoon babies, coral reef tank, and rotating partner exhibit. In addition to the living exhibits you'll find our manatee madness corner and an authentic manatee skeleton that was articulated with assistance from Manatee Center volunteers and currently hangs above the entryway between our two exhibit rooms.
Our indoor education room holds our Tide Pool Touch Tank, Diego the Red Rat Snake, Freshwater Tank, and Striped Mud Turtle tank. This room is your best bet for hands-on experiential learning and fun. You can touch critters from the touch tank including sea urchins, hermit crabs, sea cucumbers, a conch, and more. We have a coloring table with puzzles and an interactive guessing game in the Kids Corner with lots of fun to discover, all environmentally themed.
FEATURE: Diego was born in the Savannas Preserve State Park, just a quick drive from the Manatee Center. She is nine years old and has lived in the Manatee Center her whole life. She is very friendly and, when she isn't shedding or resting, can be touched or held. Just ask a volunteer.
Outside, you can explore our Observation Walkway and our two-story Observation Tower, looking for wild manatees who have migrated to the area for the winter. We see 300-400 manatees each year, and your best chance at seeing one is between November and March, the time during which manatees are migrating to Florida from colder areas along the coast. There's no guarantee that you will or won't see one, because our manatee friends are free roaming and wild, but there is great joy in searching and spotting one! To help you in your search, we also have our Roving Naturalist Volunteers, who walk along the water with polarized sunglasses helping you in your search for manatees. Our Roving Naturalists can also give you fun manatee facts while you search!
In addition to the walkway and tower, you can explore our butterfly garden, outdoor signage, pond (where we are currently growing seagrasses), and try to measure up to the size of a manatee! I
We also have one of the most unique and celebrated gift shops in Downtown Fort Pierce, the Vanishing Mermaid Gift Shop, where you can purchase gifts ranging from plush to home decor to clothing and more. We have books, jewelry, toys, art supplies, bags and more, and all profits directly support Manatee Center operations. You can choose from many eco-friendly items including Reef-Friendly sunscreen, Naked Bee brand lotions, ornate Cereal Box Jewelry, and more. Love it and want more? Manatee Center members enjoy a 10% discount at the gift shop, and volunteers enjoy a 20% discount.
If you have any questions, please call the Manatee Center Exhibit Hall at 772-429-6266 or Vanishing Mermaid Gift Shop at 772-429-6267.