The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum is back and better!

Reporter: Haley Zarcone
Published: Updated:
Known for their infamous shells, this is just one of the many on display throughout the museum.

Another Sanibel staple has returned to the island after Hurricane Ian. The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum officially opened March 1st.

A museum dedicated to mollusks and their shells, this Sanibel staple is back.

After being closed to the public for 17 months, Sam Ankerson says the time between doors closing and re-opening has given them time to revamp what they had and add some new additions.

“We’ve added new features, like these giant touchable shells that we see right here. We have a Queen Helmut and an Australian trumpet, which is actually the largest species of gastropod mollusk and shell in the world” said Ankerson.

What you can see and touch!

Not only can you look at the over 60 species of mollusks the museum has, but you can get a feel for their slimy nature. The museum now has two touch pools where dozens of these creatures live.

Mollusks and Senior Aquarist, Carly Hulse, know each other well. She helps to oversee all the animals in the new “living gallery”.

Hulse says, “It’s been a really long, emotional journey. So it’s really really exciting to finally see it all come back together again. So I’m excited. I’m just really excited to share my passion of mollusks with everybody again. So you want to save the whales, you got to save the snails. So excited to do it again.”

mollusks
Museumgoers can see and feel dozens of mollusks in their new “living gallery.”

A few of the creatures you can look forward to meeting are:

  • Lewis Moon Snails
  • Gumboot Chiton
  • California Sea Hare

Educating Sanibel and Beyond

More than just Sanibel, this museum sees visitors from all over. Employees like Carol Kaplan have waited for doors to open; she knows their visitors have, too.

“If I could tell you, but it would get corny after a while, how much I’ve missed this place, because we all have. All the Islanders and not islanders,” says Kaplan.

Kaplan and other museum employees are excited about their new educational additions to the museum. When doors opened at 10 a.m. Friday morning, WINK had a tour and was able to see the new “Reproductive” exhibit.

Ankerson says the exhibit “goes into the anatomy of different kinds of models. So, there are eight classes of mollusks. And the common characteristics of their anatomy vary from class to class. So through these models and diagrams, this is a deeper look into the anatomy of these animals, whether they’re right bivalves, gastropods, or cephalopods.”

The museum is open from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. The downstairs is open to the public, while the upstairs is still undergoing renovations.

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