Our mission is to preserve and share the heritage of Manatee County’s founding period (1840-1918).

We do this through our museum and collection of historical and replica buildings. We typically display 2-3 exhibits on a variety of topics related to our mission. Our permanent exhibit is “One Century Plus of Ranching in Manatee County.”

Our buildings are furnished to display what life was like in early Florida.

In addition to our exhibits, we also host special events like lectures, book signings, festivals, workshops, and demonstrations.