Manatee Center

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Manatee Center SEASONAL CLOSURE for inventory and exhibit refreshing. Open to the public Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 4pm. King Power Plant.
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We are a manatee resource center in downtown Fort Pierce with a gift shop, indoor exhibit hall, and outdoor waterfront deck area. The Manatee Observation and Education Center is a waterfront environmental education and wildlife viewing center located on Florida's east coast in beautiful downtown Fort Pierce. We are a not-for-profit organization operated by three full-time staff members, two part-time staff members, and nearly 100 volunteers. The Center lies just west of the Atlantic ocean and straddles the nationally recognized Indian River Lagoon, a saltwater estuary, and Moore's Creek, a freshwater tributary. The site is a historical congregating place for Florida manatees as a result of warm water effluence from the long-retired Henry B. While the plant is no longer there, it continues to be a congregating place for manatees and visitors alike. Come inside the Center to learn about manatees and other wild animals, Florida's diverse habitats and much more. Explore hands-on exhibits and informational displays that are both fun and educational. Stand along the covered observation walkway or climb the second story observation tower for your chance to see Florida's "Gentle Giants" resting or playing in Moore's Creek. You may also see a variety of other wildlife including the Bottlenose Dolphin, Mullet, Brown Pelicans, and Terns. Stroll through the Center's gardens where red, yellow, and purple flowers abound. We are striving to replace exotic plants with native plants to attract Florida's colorful butterflies. And visit the pond area to read about our effort to sprout red mangrove propagules to donate and plant along the shoreline where needed.

We're still in our seasonal pause, but the lagoon learning never stops! 🚧🐋Our exhibit hall and gift shop are closed for ...
10/17/2026

We're still in our seasonal pause, but the lagoon learning never stops! 🚧🐋

Our exhibit hall and gift shop are closed for maintenance, exhibit updates and a seasonal refresh. We reopen soon, and we can't wait to show you what's new!

In the meantime, our Lunch and Learns, Clean Ups, Outreach Presentations, and Manatales preschool program are still going strong. 📚

👉 Find dates and register at ManateeCenter.com
🛍️ Our gift shop is also open online, so you can shop from anywhere!

Mark your calendar: October 27! 💙

What an incredible morning Learning on the Lagoon!The Manatee Center was thrilled to help bring this beautiful mural to ...
10/12/2026

What an incredible morning Learning on the Lagoon!

The Manatee Center was thrilled to help bring this beautiful mural to life through education and hands-on discovery!

A huge thank you to FPUA and the Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency for helping to make this wonderful community event possible, and to our incredible environmental partners for sharing their knowledge and passion for the Indian River Lagoon.

What better way to connect our community with the wildlife featured in this amazing artwork than by getting our feet wet and discovering what lives right beneath the surface!

Public art, education and conservation, a wonderful combination!

💙 From Community Day to Learning on the Lagoon! 🌊The Manatee Center enjoyed a fun-filled Community Day at Celebration Po...
10/05/2026

💙 From Community Day to Learning on the Lagoon! 🌊

The Manatee Center enjoyed a fun-filled Community Day at Celebration Pointe this weekend alongside so many wonderful community organizations!

It was great to see Commissioner Curtis Johnson and the Fire Department come out to meet and mingle with the Celebration Pointe community. What a wonderful way to bring neighbors together to learn about fire safety, manatees and our local environment, and, of course, cool off with waterslides and a bounce house!

The Manatee Center was thrilled to be part of the day and grateful for another opportunity to take manatee and lagoon education beyond our walls!

And speaking of getting outside and cooling off... join us next Saturday for another FREE family event!

Come out to Jaycee Park and see the freshly painted FPUA Water Tank Mural, then discover the amazing animals brought to life in the artwork, sea turtles, dolphins and manatees, oh my!

The Manatee Center will be joined by InWater Research Group, FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, ORCA, Smithsonian–St. Lucie County Aquarium, FPUA and FPRA for a morning of wildlife, science and hands-on learning.

And bring your swimsuits and water shoes! We’ll be getting into the Indian River Lagoon for seine netting to discover some of the fascinating creatures living right beneath the surface.

📅 Saturday, October 10 | 9 AM–Noon
📍 Jaycee Park, Pavilion 2 | Fort Pierce
💙 FREE & family-friendly!

Come see the mural, meet the organizations helping protect our local wildlife, get your feet wet and Learn on the Lagoon!

Thank you so much G-Star School of the Arts for the wonderful opportunity to spend time with your students! The Manatee...
10/02/2026

Thank you so much G-Star School of the Arts for the wonderful opportunity to spend time with your students! The Manatee Center loved sharing why the Florida manatee, an important keystone species, and the habitat they depend on are so important to protect and conserve. It was wonderful to see so much interest and so many great questions from your students, our future stewards!😍

🚧 Pardon Our Seasonal Pause!The Manatee Center will be closed for the month, while our team works behind the scenes on m...
09/29/2026

🚧 Pardon Our Seasonal Pause!

The Manatee Center will be closed for the month, while our team works behind the scenes on maintenance, exhibit updates, inventory, cleaning, and a seasonal refresh. 🐋🌿

We plan to reopen at the end of October - refreshed and ready to welcome you back! 772-429-6266

🌊 See you at the lagoon soon!

Lunch and Learns as well as Manatales for parents and their preschoolers is ongoing, check our website for details.




🌿 300+ POUNDS OF DEBRIS REMOVED! 🌊💪Our Community Action Day was a HUGE success! Together, volunteers collected more than...
09/25/2026

🌿 300+ POUNDS OF DEBRIS REMOVED! 🌊💪

Our Community Action Day was a HUGE success! Together, volunteers collected more than 50 buckets and over 300 pounds of debris from the parking lot, shoreline, mangroves, and surrounding areas.

That’s 300+ pounds of trash that will no longer be littering our lagoon and making its way into the Indian River Lagoon! 💙

A BIG thank you to the Fort Pierce students and families from the Forest Grove MOA Program, The American Dream Factory Director Jack Hudson, and our amazing Manatee Center volunteers who rolled up their sleeves and got to work!

📅 SAVE THE DATE: December 12
Join us for our next Community Action Day!

🪣 We’ve got the buckets — you bring the labor!

Come get your hands dirty and help us make a difference for our lagoon, wildlife, and community. 🌊🌿

One more chance this September! Manatales - our free preschool program for little lagoon lovers and their grown-ups - ha...
09/25/2026

One more chance this September!

Manatales - our free preschool program for little lagoon lovers and their grown-ups - has one final day this month and we'd love to see your family there.

📅 Saturday, September 27
⏰ 9:30 AM or 11:00 AM
📍 Manatee Center | 480 N Indian River Drive, Fort Pierce
💰 Free for children and parents

Each session includes storytime, music and movement, hands-on crafts and a little lagoon learning that even the youngest explorers can enjoy.

Spots are limited and registration is required - don't wait!

Register now at ManateeCenter.com and give your little one a morning they'll talk about all week. 🌊

09/24/2026

🌿🐋 When you’re a manatee, you’ve got to get creative when snack time rolls around!

Manatees LOVE their greens—and they can eat around 10% of their body weight in vegetation every day! That’s a whole lot of salad. 🥗💚

Seagrass is an incredibly important food source for manatees, and healthy seagrass beds are also vital to the Indian River Lagoon. They provide food and shelter for countless lagoon creatures, help stabilize the bottom, and contribute to a healthier ecosystem.

And sometimes, manatees find some pretty creative ways to reach those tasty greens! 😂🌱

👉 Have you ever spotted a manatee stretching, reaching, or getting creative to grab a snack?

📸 Post your photo in the comments! We’d love to see your funniest or most memorable manatee mealtime moment.

Call FWC if they are in distress or seem to be stranded or sick. 888-404-FWCC (3922)

🎨🌊 The Mural Has a Story to Tell!Have you seen the beautiful new FPUA Water Tank Mural at Jaycee Park? Now you can disco...
09/23/2026

🎨🌊 The Mural Has a Story to Tell!

Have you seen the beautiful new FPUA Water Tank Mural at Jaycee Park? Now you can discover the wildlife, conservation and community story behind the art!

The Manatee Center is excited to host a NEW, FREE family event — Learning on the Lagoon: The Water & Wildlife of the FPUA Water Tank Mural on Saturday, October 10, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Created by renowned muralist Christian Stanley, the mural brings the wildlife of the Indian River Lagoon to life. Now, we’re bringing together the organizations behind the project and those working to study, protect and educate our community about the wildlife that inspired it!

Join the Manatee Center, Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency (FPRA), FPUA, Ocean Research & Conservation Association, Smithsonian–St. Lucie County Aquarium, Inwater Research Group and FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute for a fun morning of learning and exploration.

🎨 Learn the story behind the new mural on FPUA’s Jaycee Park water storage tank, funded by FPRA, and discover how the FPRA mural program is bringing public art to spaces throughout our community.

🐋 Then meet local environmental organizations and discover more about the manatees, dolphins, sea turtles, fish and other wildlife that inspired the mural through educational exhibits and activities.

🐟 And get your feet wet with the Manatee Center during our hands-on seine netting programs along the Indian River Lagoon to discover what might be living right beneath the surface!

📅 Saturday, October 10
⏰ 9 a.m.–noon
📍 Jaycee Park, Fort Pierce – Pavilion 2
💙 FREE & family-friendly!

Come discover how public art, local wildlife and environmental education come together right here along the Indian River Lagoon!

Address

480 N Indian River Drive
Fort Pierce, FL
34950

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 3pm
Wednesday 10am - 3pm
Thursday 10am - 3pm
Friday 10am - 3pm
Saturday 10am - 3pm

Telephone

+17724296266

Website

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