The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature

What The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature does

The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit natural and cultural history museum headquartered in Bradenton, Florida, on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Founded in 1949 (originally as the South Florida Museum) and self-described as the largest natural history museum on Florida's Gulf Coast, the institution interprets the regional natural history from the Pleistocene to the present. Its core assets are three differentiated facility components: (1) the all-digital Planetarium at The Bishop, a 50-foot full-dome theater that is the premier astronomy facility on Florida's west coast; (2) the Parker Manatee Rehabilitation Habitat, a 60,000-gallon Stage 2 rehabilitation facility modeled after a cypress spring, operating inside a federal-state-nonprofit partnership structure for sick and injured manatee recovery; and (3) the Mosaic Backyard Universe, an immersive pre-K through grade 2 STEAM learning environment. Supporting offerings include science camps, homeschool programs, K-12 field trips, rotating special traveling exhibitions, evening programming (Laser Light Nights, Bishop After Hours, think + drink, Yoga at The Bishop), weddings and private event rentals, and the Pathways mobile digital tour app.

The museum serves a diversified customer mix: families with children, K-12 schools and educators (over 11,000 students annually across 11 Florida counties), adults and seniors, and military families via the Blue Star Museums program. Annual visitor throughput is 80,000+, with management projecting a $4.1 million annual economic benefit to the Bradenton community. Revenue mechanics span paid admissions (tiered from $16 child to $25 adult, with free Pre-K and free members), annual memberships under the Discovery Society program, recurring giving via the Bishop Foster Friends monthly donor program, one-time donations, event rentals, and grant funding (with notable past capital campaign support from Mosaic/Foundation, Manatee County TDC, the State of Florida, and PNC Bank via New Markets Tax Credits). Go-to-market is event-driven and community-led: field trips, summer learning programs, science camps, special traveling exhibitions, and manatee viewing drive visitation, supplemented by partnerships with regional school districts and conservation agencies (Florida FWC, ZooTampa, Mote Marine Laboratory, Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, TECO Manatee Viewing Center). Distribution is anchored at a single physical facility with online ticketing through the Blackbaud platform and direct-sales outreach to school districts across 11 counties.

Operationally the museum has been on a multi-year capacity-expansion arc: a 2018 Connect Capital Campaign backed the North Education Center and Mosaic Backyard Universe build, a 2021 renovation of the Parker Manatee Rehabilitation Habitat upgraded rehabilitation conditions, and a 2022 ~$550,000 state grant funded further rehabilitation expansion to lift Florida's manatee rehab capacity by ~10%. Leadership transitioned to Andrew M. Sandall as CEO in January 2023, and recent programming has added cultural-history temporary exhibitions (e.g., the January-May 2025 National GUITAR Museum tour). The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees (currently chaired by Jeanie Kirkpatrick), has no subsidiaries or parent entity, and is privately funded rather than publicly traded.

Name

The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature

Legal name

The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, Inc.

Website

https://bishopscience.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature is a nonprofit natural history museum in Bradenton, Florida, featuring a 50-foot digital planetarium, a Stage 2 manatee rehabilitation habitat, and STEAM learning spaces serving families, K-12 schools, and tourists across Florida's Gulf Coast.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural History Museum

NAICS

Museums (712110)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural History Museums (THAJADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Educational & Edutainment Parks (Science/Discovery/Children’s Parks) (THAJAEAG), Science Camps & Field Programs (Nature, Space, Marine, Geology) (EDAMABAB)

Keywords

• Natural history museum
• Science education programs
• Planetarium shows
• Manatee rehabilitation
• Interactive museum exhibits

Headquarters

HQ city

Bradenton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Museum Admission: Revenue generated from ticket sales for museum admission with tiered pricing by age group including adults, seniors, college students, and children.
2. Membership Program: Discovery Society membership program offering free admission to members and various benefits.
3. Donations: Tax-deductible contributions as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, including the Bishop Foster Friends monthly giving program supporting manatee care.
4. Event Rentals: Wedding and event rental services for private functions at the museum facility.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature operates a natural and cultural history museum in Bradenton, Florida, offering a state-of-the-art 50-foot full-dome digital planetarium, a 60,000-gallon Stage 2 manatee rehabilitation habitat, and an interactive Mosaic Backyard Universe STEAM learning space for young children. The museum supplements these core attractions with school field trips, summer science camps, homeschool programs, traveling exhibitions, adult evening events, and venue rentals, generating revenue through admissions, memberships, donations, and grants.

Product overview

The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature is a natural history museum on Florida's Gulf Coast offering a portfolio of interconnected visitor experiences and educational programs. Its core products include the Planetarium (state-of-the-art 50-foot full-dome theater for astronomy shows), the Parker Manatee Rehabilitation Habitat (60,000-gallon Stage 2 rehabilitation facility for rescued manatees), and the Mosaic Backyard Universe (interactive STEAM learning space for young children). Supporting offerings include the Pathways digital tour app, Science Camp, Student Field Trips, Homeschool Programs, rotating Special Temporary Exhibitions, and evening event programs such as Laser Light Nights and think + drink. The museum serves as both an entertainment destination and educational institution, with manatee rehabilitation being a unique conservation-focused component of its mission.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Parker Manatee Rehabilitation Habitat: A Stage 2 rehabilitation facility housing sick or injured manatees on their journey back to the wild, holding 60,000 gallons of water.
• Mosaic Backyard Universe
• The Planetarium at The Bishop
• Bishop Foster Friends (BFF) Program
• Pathways App

Products and services

• The Planetarium at The Bishop A state-of-the-art 50-foot full-dome theater and the premier astronomy facility on Florida's west coast, offering immersive planetarium shows, laser light nights, and astronomy programming including Stelliferous, KidSpace, Eyes on the Sky, and Sidewalk Astronomy events.
• Parker Manatee Rehabilitation Habitat A 60,000-gallon Stage 2 manatee rehabilitation facility modeled after a cypress spring, providing second-stage care for rescued manatees with above and underwater viewing. The Bishop has rehabilitated more than 50 manatees since 1998.
• Mosaic Backyard Universe An interactive learning space and immersive STEAM learning environment for children in pre-K through grade 2, modeled on a typical backyard setting with hands-on exploration of rocks, soil, water, weather, and living plants and animals.
• Pathways Tour App A free smartphone and tablet-based interactive tour guide app connecting visitors to museum collections and stories through customized graphics, video, and audio content, including tours such as Museum Celebrities and Adventure of a Water Droplet.
• Science Camp

Quantifiable outcome

• Served 11,000+ school children annually from 11 Florida counties through educational programs
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• The National GUITAR MuseumflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 January 2025The first museum in the United States dedicated to the history, evolution, and cultural impact of the guitar. Their touring exhibition 'America At The Crossroads: The GUITAR And A Changing Nation' was hosted at The Bishop through May 18, 2025.
• Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001A cooperative of nonprofit, private, state, and federal entities that rescue, rehabilitate, and return manatees to the wild. The Bishop was a founding member in 2001. The MRP is self-governing, originally created by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and includes organizations participating in manatee rescue, rehabilitation, biology, and field study.
• Manatee County Tourism Development Council / Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors BureaucoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMade a $1 million grant toward museum expansion and serves as a marketing partner sponsoring exhibitions like the National GUITAR Museum touring exhibit.
• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in manatee rescue and rehabilitation efforts, helping coordinate release operations and providing regulatory oversight.
• Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in manatee releases, providing research support and assistance with satellite-linked transmitter monitoring for released manatees.
• Mote Marine LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in manatee rehabilitation and release operations, contributing scientific expertise.
• TECO Manatee Viewing CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWarm water release site for manatees during winter months, located at Apollo Beach. Key partner in release operations.
• ZooTampa at Lowry ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCritical care hospital providing initial treatment for rescued manatees before transfer to The Bishop for secondary rehabilitation.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Orlando Science Center: Central Florida science museum with planetarium and K-12 educational programming. Comparable on family audience, educational mission, and STEM exhibit focus, though at larger scale and in a different region.
• Museum of Discovery and Science (Fort Lauderdale): Florida-based science museum with IMAX theater, interactive exhibits, and large K-12 school-group programming. Closely mirrors The Bishop on mix of planetarium-style theater, STEAM exhibits, and field trip economics, but serves South Florida rather than the Gulf Coast.
• Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science: Miami-based science museum featuring a planetarium, aquarium, and interactive exhibits. Comparable on the integrated museum-plus-planetarium-plus-aquatic element of The Bishop's offering, though located in a different Florida metro.

Direct peers

• ZooTampa at Lowry Park: Critical-care manatee hospital and MRP partner that provides initial treatment before transfer to The Bishop. Comparable on animal welfare mission, regional Florida audience, and conservation-driven visitor experience.
• Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium: Sarasota-based marine science institution and active MRP partner that contributes scientific expertise to The Bishop's manatee releases. Closely comparable as a Florida marine research/rehab/visitor institution.
• Clearwater Marine Aquarium: Florida Gulf Coast marine-life institution with rehabilitation focus and a direct manatee rescue/rehab partnership with The Bishop. Operates a similar mix of paid admission, education programs, and animal care as The Bishop.
• Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI Tampa): Regional science museum serving the same Tampa Bay/Gulf Coast population with hands-on exhibits, IMAX/planetarium-style theaters, and K-12 field trip programming — directly comparable on exhibit mix and educational mission.

Broad incumbents

• The Florida Aquarium: Larger Tampa-based aquarium and conservation institution. Overlaps The Bishop on marine life, conservation messaging, education, and Tampa Bay-area family tourism — comparable on visitor model though larger scale.
• Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: The preeminent U.S. natural history museum; offers comparable interpretive exhibits, planetarium-adjacent programming, and K-12 educational reach. A scale benchmark for collections, exhibits, and education even though it does not compete geographically.
• Houston Museum of Natural Science: Major U.S. natural history museum with a planetarium, butterfly center, and large permanent/traveling exhibition program. Comparable on multi-attraction format (planetarium + exhibits + education) and on operating a mixed admissions/membership/donation revenue model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BishopScienceFL
• Facebookfacebook.com/BishopScienceFL
• Instagraminstagram.com/BishopScienceFL
• TikToktiktok.com/@bishopsciencefl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-florida-museum

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature