The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum connects people to the natural world through their love of shells and the animals that create them. Its mission is to use exceptional collections, aquariums, programs, experiences, and science to be the nation’s leading museum in the conservation, preservation, interpretation, and celebration of shells, mollusks, and their ecosystems.

Permanent exhibitions on view include the Great Hall of Shells which displays highlights of the Museum’s collection of some 500,000 shells, as well as the Beyond Shells living gallery of aquariums and over 50 species of marine life. One of the best things to do on Sanibel Island, the Museum offers fun and educational activities for the whole family. Kids love touching live mollusks in our touch pools, winning scavenger hunt prizes, and watching our Giant Pacific Octopus. Come visit the only museum in the United States devoted solely to shells and mollusks! ShellMuseum.org 

Our new Executive Director is Sam Ankerson, who joined the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum in March 2021. His prior positions include Deputy Director at the Norton Museum of Art (West Palm Beach, FL), Director of Development at Shelburne Museum (Shelburne, VT), and Director of Major Gifts for the Colleges of Arts and Sciences at the University of Vermont. He has been shelling on Sanibel since the late 1970s and is honored to strengthen and advance the Museum’s work to build awareness and appreciation of mollusks, their shells, and natural environments.

Submitted by Stephanie Muddell for GoToSanibelCaptiva.com and next issue of Island Scene magazine.