Nature
The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum and Aquarium in Sanibel, Florida, grew from a 1984 bequest by shell collector Charlene McMurphy into a major museum, research center, and educational institution devoted to shells and mollusks, especially those of Florida and the Gulf. Supported by local donors, advisor R. Tucker Abbott, and Raymond Burr, it opened in 1995 and built collections of nearly 600,000 specimens from Sanibel, Captiva, Florida, the Caribbean, and beyond. Its exhibitions combine global shell displays with living marine habitats. Accredited nationally, it expanded outreach programs, then rebuilt after Hurricane Ian’s devastating 2022 damage and reopened in 2024.
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Sanibel, Florida · United States
