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BRADENTON VACATION RENTALS, FLORIDA |
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Sights and Attractions in Bradenton |
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| Bradenton is steeped in history and a trip to the downtown area will take you back in time. Nature and history together throw up a feast of experiences. |
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Lake Manatee State Park
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
Myakka River State Park
Mixon Fruit Farms
Rosa Fiorelli Winery
Pelican Man's Bird Sanctuary
Manatee Village Historical Park
South Florida Museum
State Art Museum of Florida |
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| Lake Manatee State Park |
| Bradenton is the seat of the Manatee County and so the first place you should visit is the Lake Manatee State Park. Spread along the southern shore of Lake Manatee, the 556-acre park gives you an opportunity to swim, enjoy a picnic, take a boat ride, hike, or fish for bluegill, shell-cracker, catfish, perch, largemouth and sunshine bass. A vehicle, with a maximum of 8 people gets you into the Park for $4. |
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| Marie Selby Botanical Gardens |
| If exotic orchids, bromeliads, and tropical plants are what you are interested in, go no further than the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota. This 8.5-acre garden has more than 6,000 species of plants, including 6,000 live orchids. Apart from the flowers, you can visit the Museum of Botany and the Arts, and, yes, the poison dart frog collection. The garden is open daily from 10 AM to 5 AM, except at Christmas. For non-member adults, the entry fee is $12, while children from 6 to 11 years can go in for $6. All areas of the park are accessible by wheelchair. |
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| Myakka River State Park |
| The Myakka River State Park is one of the oldest and largest in the State. Located along the Myakka River, which has been designated as a Florida Wild and Scenic river, the park has 58 square miles of wetlands, hammocks, prairies and pinelands, which house abundant wildlife. At the park, you also have the opportunity to boat, catch freshwater fish, canoe, and kayak. The admission fee is $5 for a vehicle with up to 8 people. Fishing and boating equipment is available on rent. |
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| Mixon Fruit Farms |
| Fresh farm produce, especially fruits, can be picked up from the Mixon Fruit Farms—free of cost or for a very reasonable sum. Once just a fruit stand, the farm now boasts a 350-acre grove of some of the finest citrus produce of the region. Apart from orange and its products, the farm has cream, butter fudge and honey on offer. As the Orange Blossom Express takes you through the farm, the processing unit, the gift shop and the butterfly garden, you would have worked up an appetite for the expanded deli menu they have for lunch. A simple tour would cost an adult $4 and a child $3; with lunch included it’s about $10 for an adult and $4 for a child. The farm is open to visitors November through April. |
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| Rosa Fiorelli Winery |
| For a taste of fine Florida grapes and wine, visit the Rosa Fiorelli Winery, a family-owned and operated business that has 10 acres of vineyards with their own fermenting and bottling units. A walkthrough of the vineyard, a chance to taste and buy the wine, and a delicious spread for lunch could make this a splendid day. The winery is open to visitors Monday through Saturday from 10 AM to 5:30 PM and on Sundays from 12 to 5 PM. A regular tasting tour costs $2 per person, while a lunch tour costs $13.70 (sales tax extra). |
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| Pelican Man's Bird Sanctuary |
| Avid bird-watchers can revel in the sight of over 70 species of Florida native and migratory birds at Pelican Man’s Bird Sanctuary. Pelicans are the star attraction there, of course, but the sanctuary also offers sightings of wading birds, shore birds, birds of prey, water birds and song birds. |
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| Manatee Village Historical Park |
| Bradenton is famous for the Manatee Village Historical Park, which is a historic site and is open to the public free of cost. The Park has on its premises more than 10 buildings of historic value. Most of the buildings date back to the 1800s or the early 1900s, and include a courthouse, a church, a general store and museum, a settler’s home, and the Old Manatee Cemetery. The Park is open on weekdays 9 AM to 4:30 PM and on Sundays from 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM. |
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| South Florida Museum |
| No trip to Manatee County is complete without visiting Snooty™ the Manatee at the South Florida Museum. This archeological museum traces the natural history of Florida from the Paleo-Indian period till the advancement of the Spanish in the 1500s. Also on the premises is the Bishop Planetarium, which has a full-dome digital theater. And the star attraction at the property is the Parker Manatee Aquarium, where you can meet Snooty the Manatee and his charming friends. The South Florida Museum admits adults for $13.75, senior citizens for $11.75 and children between 4 and 12 for $8.75. |
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| State Art Museum of Florida |
| The official State Art Museum of Florida, the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is a short drive away at Sarasota. Located on a 66-acre estate, the museum has 21 galleries displaying European paintings, Cypriot antiquities, Asian Art, American paintings, and contemporary art. The estate also has the Circus Museum that displays the history of the circus through costumes, equipment and other artifacts. There’s more at this location : Cà d’Zan, or House of John, a restored waterfront mansion, and Mabel Ringling’s Rose Garden. The museum is open 10 AM through 5:30 PM, all seven days of the week. Adults can enter for $15, students and teachers for $5, and children below 5 free of cost. |
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