Spend an Afternoon at the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum
Anyone familiar with Sanibel Island is likely also familiar with this fun fact: Sanibel Island is one of the top shelling destinations in the world. All around the island, you’ll find opportunities to collect shells, discover different varieties, and even ID your specimens. However, the best place to really enhance your special interest in shells is at the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium.
About the Museum
It was 30 years ago that the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium first opened to the public. Since its inception, the goal of the museum has been to “serve as a premier institution for the conservation, interpretation, and celebration of shells, mollusks, and their ecosystems.” The museum was greatly impacted by Hurricane Ian in 2022, like virtually everything on the island was, but has been fully rebuilt and reopened to the public in March of 2024. Today, the museum boasts a collection of nearly 600,000 specimens and offers expanded offerings in its permanent exhibits, including the Living Gallery of Aquariums and the Great Hall of Shells.
Permanent Exhibits
The Living Gallery of Aquariums and the Great Hall of Shells are the museum’s premier and permanent exhibitions.
In the Living Gallery, visitors have the opportunity to see and even interact with live marine creatures. From the red mangrove ecosystems of Southwest Florida to the Pacific’s coral reefs, guests have the opportunity to see a Queen Conch navigate around with their great foot, to understand what gives the Giant Clam its oversized name, and watch how an octopus uses all 8 of their legs. One of the highlights of the Living Gallery are its two interactive touch tanks. Roll up your sleeves and get a feel of live specimens while enjoying daily Keeper Chats and Touch Pool Talks, led by the museum’s experts.
Next, enter the Great Hall of Shells to explore Phase 1 of the new shell exhibits, “featuring extraordinary specimens from all over the world that are highlights selected from the Museum’s collection of nearly 600,000 shells. Themes of these exhibits include global biodiversity, shapes and colors, and time and evolution; and special focuses on groups including cones, cowries, volutes, murexes, scallops, and carrier shells.” Phase 2, which will open later this summer, will include world record holders, fossils, art, the connection with the Calusa, and so much more.
Special Exhibitions
In addition to the museum’s permanent exhibits, they also play host to special exhibitions that highlight different topics to add a more in-depth view. The special exhibitions that are currently on view include: All That Glitters Is Not Gold: Amazing Abalone Shells, Brilliant Colors of the Sea: Nudibranchs and Their Relatives, and Adorned by the Sea: Shells in Fashion.
The final of the current special exhibitions, Adorned by the Sea: Shells in Fashion, highlights how shells have been incorporated into cultures around the world as a form of adornment. From ancient indigenous artists to modern names in fashion like Dior, McQueen, and Gucci, shells have been used to enhance and elevate fashion for almost as long as people have been walking the earth.
Staff Favorites
Everyone has favorites and that includes the team at Bailey-Matthews. On our recent visit, we asked the staff working that day to let us know which mollusk species held the top place in their hearts.
- Sabine – Florida Fighting Conch
- Sue – Shark Eye
- Lillian – Alphabet Cone
- Jorden – Horse Conch (specifically the live specimen in the touch tank, shown below)
We hope you’ll make time in your next visit to the island to explore everything Bailey-Matthews has to offer, including a stop in their delightful gift shop!
