Sanibel Island Family Fun

Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum

Hours & Admission
Open Daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Children 4 and under: FREE
Youth 5-17: $5.00
Adults 18+: $11.00

(Closed Thanksgiving Day. Open Noon To 4 On New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Fourth Of July, Labor Day & Christmas Day)

Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum features more than 30 exhibits of mollusks from around the world. Exhibits are devoted to shells in art and history, shell habitat, rare specimens, fossil shells, common Southwest Florida shells, and more. The learning lab features a hands-on play area for children, displays, games, and a tank with indigenous mollusks. The museum store also offers a wide selection of shell books.

Sanibel Sea School

Sanibel Sea School is dedicated to vibrantly teaching children and adults about marine ecosystems. We use the barrier island habitats of Sanibel and Captiva to give our students an opportunity to touch, feel, and understand their natural surroundings in a field setting. Through their experiences, students develop an intimate bond with the ocean and its inhabitants, and gain an enhanced awareness of the tightly woven fabric of our global environment. 

Sanibel Thriller

If there is one cruise to take…this is it! Board the Sanibel Thriller for the thrill of a lifetime. You will cruise the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Pine Island Sound, circumnavigating the world’s most prestigious barrier islands. During the narrated tour you will see wildlife such as dolphins and exotic birdlife, as well as the historical Sanibel Lighthouse. Please call for pricing. Due to the trip’s popularity, we have implemented a 24 hour cancellation policy.

Sanibel Public Library

Find it all at the Sanibel Public Library. The latest in books, movies, magazines, and music. A state-of-the-art computer lab. A warm and inviting children’s room. A customer-focused staff ready to help. Stop in. Everyone is welcome.
Sanibel library Hours
Mon & Thu 9AM - 8PM
Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat 9AM - 5PM
Sun Closed

j.N. ding darling national wildlife refuge

Sanibel Island Attractions The "Ding" Darling Wildlife Refuge is part of the largest mangrove ecosystem in the United States. The Refuge offers interactive exhibits in the Visitor & Education Center.  On this Refuge you can take the wildlife drive, Hike or Bike the trails, kayak, canoe, paddleboard, fish & boat, or all the above. J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge is the number one spot for birding in America. Home to over 245 species of birds both migratory and residential, you are bound to see our avian inhabitants on refuge property.

Captain Bob's Excellent Adventure Eco Tours

Captain Bob's Excellent Adventure offers both an amazing airboat ride and a one-of-a-kind, hands-on reptile experience that puts you up close and personal with some of the Everglades' most famous inhabitants! Board the Funmobile where trained naturalists will guide you to the headwaters of the Western Everglades. On your journey there, you will learn about the Everglades truly unique eco-system. Upon arrival, you will board a airboat that will take you deep into the swamps surrounded by alligators and birds on an hour-long adventure that has no equal. It's great fun for kids!

A 6,900+ square foot nature center currently serves the needs of education, exhibition, and operations. Four miles of trails are available to take visitors through the various habitats on guided and self-guided tours. The nature center also has a digitized herbarium collection, and houses a library for use by staff, volunteers, and members. A native plant nursery provides sources for native plant landscaping to serve the needs of wildlife , minimize ecological disruption and to help conserve water.

Butterfly House Tours
Tuesdays at 10 a.m. for a suggested $1 donation. A guide will teach you about the life cycle and behavior of butterflies. The butterfly house is open year-round to all visitors without a guide.

Hours and Admission
Nature Center
Monday through Friday
8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. October through May
8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. June through September

Nature Center & Trails, $5/adult, children under 17 free and members free

Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation

crow, clinic for the rehabilitation of wildlife

CROW hosts a diverse array of wildlife presentations, special events and interactive activities on a year-round basis. Learning opportunities for youth and adults successfully blend education in an informative, practical and entertaining manner through daily presentations, customized group programs, interactive exhibits, wildlife boat excursions, live webcams and video footage of animal rescue, rehabilitation and release efforts.