Manatee County Agricultural Museum

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Manatee County Agricultural Museum We recognize the historical achievements of our pioneer farmers with a hands-on museum. Open Tues.- Fri. and 1st & 3rd Sat. of the month
from 10 AM - 4 PM

Thank you for visiting the Manatee County Agricultural Museum’s page. Please note if you post a comment, the Manatee County Agricultural Museum reserves the right to delete submissions that are not topically related to the particular social medium article being commented upon; comments that contain vulgar language, personal attacks of any kind, or comments that are offensive to a person with reasonable sensitivity or target or disparage age, race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sexual preference, handicapped or disabled, genetic information, or status as a veteran or disabled veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces. Further, the Manatee County Agricultural Museum also reserves the right to delete comments that:
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Did you know quail were once a Manatee County commodity? These ground-dwelling game birds were bred for home use and to ...
09/13/2026

Did you know quail were once a Manatee County commodity? These ground-dwelling game birds were bred for home use and to supply game preserves. 🥚

Bentham (Ben) Richardson and his son William started quail ranching in 1963 with only 6 pairs of birds. By 1968, they had 300 pairs of breeders and started Richardson Quail Ranch off Morgan Johnson Road in Bradenton.

Ben and William bred their hens to lay 20 or more eggs a month, with their ranch's incubator room holding approximately 4,500 eggs at a time. Automation enabled the two men to run the ranch by themselves, but the business eventually grew to a point where more help was necessary. Despite their success, reliable and affordable help was difficult to find, and the Richardsons sold their ranch in the late 1970s.

Come see the Richardson's quail incubator currently on display in the Ag Museum's Livestock Room. Learn more about Richardson Quail Ranch at https://www.manateecountyagmuseum.com/single-post/2017/11/01/little-quail-big-business-for-a-time-in-manatee-county.

Photographs are courtesy of the Manatee County Public Library Historic Digital Collection.

Join the Ag Museum at the Rocky Bluff Library on Tuesday, October 6th from 5 - 6 PM for an in-depth look at the rise of ...
09/11/2026

Join the Ag Museum at the Rocky Bluff Library on Tuesday, October 6th from 5 - 6 PM for an in-depth look at the rise of Tropicana and the citrus legacy that shaped our region. Get the squeeze on Tropicana founder Anthony Rossi and how his journey from taxicab driver to tomato farmer shaped Tropicana’s global brand today. 🍊

This event is free, but registration is required. Register today through the Manatee County Public Library System at https://manateelibrary.libcal.com/event/17111302.

Thank you to William G. and Marie Selby Foundation and our wonderful Friends of Manatee County Agricultural Museum! We'r...
09/09/2026

Thank you to William G. and Marie Selby Foundation and our wonderful Friends of Manatee County Agricultural Museum! We're excited to be one step closer to expanding the Ag Museum. A new climate-controlled storage facility will open up a world of opportunity for expanding our collection and rotating out new exhibits. Follow along to watch us grow! 🌱❤

Be sure to check out the Florida Maritime Museum's exhibit "Vacationing in Cortez: Greetings from Old Florida" while it ...
09/07/2026

Be sure to check out the Florida Maritime Museum's exhibit "Vacationing in Cortez: Greetings from Old Florida" while it is on display at Manatee County Public Library System's Central Library! 🎣⚓🐟

This exhibition tells the story of tourism in Cortez, highlighting both the charter fishing industry, as well as the Albion Inn. The exhibition is located on the second floor of the library in front of and inside the Archive Lab.

Join us inside the Ag Museum on Thursday, September 10th from 1-2 PM for Sprout Lab with the Palmetto Branch Library! Th...
09/07/2026

Join us inside the Ag Museum on Thursday, September 10th from 1-2 PM for Sprout Lab with the Palmetto Branch Library! This fall, explore a different theme each month through a short story time and hands-on, STEM based exploration. 🌱🍅🍕

In September, learn how to 'grow' a pizza and plant your own tomato and basil seeds. Discover how agriculture is everywhere- even in your pizza! This fun family event is FREE, but registration is required.

Register online through the Manatee County Public Library System at https://manateelibrary.libcal.com/event/17103706.

The Ag Museum will be closed this Saturday, September 5th for Labor Day weekend. We will reopen Tuesday, September 8th w...
09/04/2026

The Ag Museum will be closed this Saturday, September 5th for Labor Day weekend. We will reopen Tuesday, September 8th with our regular operating hours.

Save the date for a FREE homeschool morning at the Ag Museum and Palmetto Historical Park on Friday, October 23rd! Join ...
09/02/2026

Save the date for a FREE homeschool morning at the Ag Museum and Palmetto Historical Park on Friday, October 23rd! Join us from 10 AM - noon to explore a variety of hands-on stations exploring agriculture and history.

While this is a drop-in event, please ensure you allow yourself enough time to explore all stations at your own pace. This event promptly ends at noon. No registration is required. First come, first served. Children under 18 must be supervised at all times.

Please Note: This event is now offered in lieu of scheduled homeschool field trips.

Can you recognize any faces or places in our Fruits & Vegetables Room collage? This photo exhibit features over a hundre...
09/01/2026

Can you recognize any faces or places in our Fruits & Vegetables Room collage? This photo exhibit features over a hundred years of Manatee County agriculture from 1900 to 2004! 🍅🚜🌱

Can you spot Don Burgis measuring tomatoes at the UF/IFAS Agricultural Experimental Farm in 1977 or Emmett McCray checking plants with Dallas Woodson in the 1960s? Look for a 1900 pineapple farm, gawk at a massive 1938 white winter radish, and take a peek into a Farmer's Night Class from the 1950s.

Grab a photo key next time you stop by to identify all these scenes and more. What else can you find?

Did you know the Ag Museum's Hall of Fame library is open to you? That's right! Anyone can book an appointment to browse...
08/29/2026

Did you know the Ag Museum's Hall of Fame library is open to you? That's right! Anyone can book an appointment to browse our collection of agricultural books or request access to the Ag Museum's archives, which are open to the public for research. 📚🌱

We have everything from historical Audubon guides to orchid growing guides. Here's a peek into a book from our collection, "The Yearbook of Agriculture, 1954" focused on agricultural marketing, printed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Did you know Florida produced 30% of the nation's fruit at the time?

To make a research appointment, please contact [email protected] or call 941-721-2034.

Address

1015 6th Street W
Palmetto, FL
34221

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+19417212034

Website

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