5 Things You Can’t Miss in Bradenton

We’re back on the Sun Coast southwest of Tampa visiting the city of Bradenton.

From a national memorial that educates visitors on the 1539 landing of Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto and a nearby botanical garden with collections of rare plants to a village where you can find some of the oldest buildings in the area and a place where you should go if you want to swim with horses.

Today, we’re telling you about 5 things you can’t miss in Bradenton.


Manatee Village Historical Park

1404 Manatee Ave E, Bradenton, FL 34208

Take a deep dive into the history of the area long before paved roads and electricity at Manatee Village Historical Park.

This open-air museum is home to 14 preserved and replica structures representative of Manatee County’s founding period between 1840 and 1918.

Walk inside the 1903 Wiggins General Store to experience how people shopped for household necessities before Amazon, think about what it would have been like to stand trial in 1860 by exploring the oldest remaining wooden courthouse in Florida, and see where children would have learned reading, writing and arithmetic in a one-room schoolhouse.

There’s also the Old Meeting House, a church constructed in 1887, and a “Cracker Gothic” settler house dating back to 1912.

The grounds contain a vintage steam locomotive and a boat works.

Allow a couple of hours for your visit. Admission is free, with donations welcome.


Palma Sola Botanical Park

9800 17th Ave NW, Bradenton, FL 34209

Established in the mid-1990s, Palma Sola Botanical Park sits on a ten-acre site once home to a local nursery.

Because of its unique location, the gardens sit within a protected micro climate and are notably frost-free allowing the park to showcase collections of rare palms, fruits, flowering trees and other subtropical plants. There’s even a nice selection of cactus.

Open daily 8am til sunset, visitors can stroll through this oasis that has become a popular spot for weddings.

The lush grounds boast three tranquil lakes, a wealth of butterflies, screened pavilion and two lovely gazebos.

This hidden gem is free with boxes on-site where you can leave a donation.

The botanical park is located next door to Robinson Preserve, another natural attraction you should check out if you have some time.


De Soto National Memorial Park

8300 De Soto Memorial Hwy, Bradenton, FL 34209

On 26 acres where the Manatee River joins Tampa Bay is De Soto National Memorial.

Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto’s pursuit of glory and riches brought him to the New World in 1539, one of the first Europeans credited with discovering America.

Created in 1948, the park tells the story of the arrival by the famous explorer and the resistance from the indigenous communities whose only desire was to protect their land.

At the park’s entrance is a recreation of a 16th century native village where living history programs are held during cooler months.

A small visitors center operated by the National Park Service is open daily, with displays and park rangers on hand to help folks better understand this controversial event that changed the face of the American Southeast forever.

The park has 3,000 feet of coastline with about 80-percent of the park being mangrove swamp.

Taking a walk on the nature trail that starts adjacent to the visitor’s center will lead to a monument commissioned by the Catholic church in the early 1960s. It originally included a nine-foot tall bronze statue of de Soto, that had to be removed in the 1970s because of vandalism.

Nearby is the Memorial Cross put up in the 1990s to honor the 12 original priests and friars who traveled with de Soto on his expedition.

The de Soto Trail Monument can be found between the native village and the visitor’s center. Placed here in 1939, it marks the start of the de Soto Trail, a 34-stop driving tour through Florida of locations connected with the expedition.

Open daily 9am to 5pm, there is no charge to visit the park.


Swimming Horses

8400 Manatee Ave W, Bradenton, FL 34209

If swimming with horses is on your bucket list, Bradenton is a place where you can check it off.

This adventure happens in the waters of Palma Sola Bay with Causeway Park on Manatee Avenue the starting point.

Ride and swim on horseback with a majestic Gypsy or Drum horse, some of the rarest breeds, as they take you on an exploration of the bay, offering opportunities to encounter dolphins and manatees.

For more information:

C Ponies - Horseback Riding on the Beach


Cortez Fishing Village

Cortez Village is one of Florida’s last commercial fishing villages with a modern history dating back to the 1880s.

Check out this quick guide.


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