HISTORY Discovered by Hernando DeSoto in 1539, Bradenton was incorporated as a city in 1903. The city is situated between Hillsborough and Sarasota counties and is 14 square miles. The estimated population of Bradenton is 54,000.
GOVERNMENT Bradenton City Hall is located at 101 Old Main St. and is open Monday-Thursday from 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Bradenton’s mayor is Wayne Poston, and the city commissioners are: Gene Gallo, Ward 1; Marianne Barnebey, Ward 2; Patrick Roff, Ward 3; Bemis Smith, Ward 4; and Harold Byrd, Ward 5. City Council meets twice a month on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month.
VILLAGE OF THE ARTS The Village of the Arts is a downtown district that features about 30 galleries run by local artists. Galleries feature art that ranges from paintings, jewelry and ceramics to gardening, music and food. The village is bordered by 14th and Ninth streets west, and Ninth and 17th avenues west.
MANATEE PLAYERS The Manatee Players is a national award-winning theatrical group. Manatee Players have a theater at 102 Old Main Street, and await a new performing arts theater that is under construction on Third Avenue West.
ARTCENTER MANATEE The ArtCenter is located at 209 Ninth St. W. and houses three art galleries and five studios, and offers a range of art classes. Classes include oil painting, watercolors, photography, pottery and jewelry making.
SNOTY Go to the South Florida Museum to meet the world’s oldest living manatee, Snooty. Each summer, the museum hosts a birthday party for Snooty, who turned 60 in July 2008, but Snooty loves company any day.
MANATEE VILLAGE HISTORICAL PARK This national historic site is located at 1404 Manatee Ave. E. Visitors explore what life was like for the early pioneers of Manatee County. Its notable buildings for viewing include the first courthouse in Manatee County, the Bunker Hill School Experience and the Wiggins General Store. Plus, there’s a chapel, a “cracker” house and a boat-building barn.
McKECHNIE FIELD This stadium on Ninth Street West has been home to the Pittsburgh Pirates every spring. Orginally built in 1923, the stadium, which seats 6,500, puts fans close to the field. Last spring training McKechnie hosted its first night game after recently installing stadium lights.
RIVERWALK Located in downtown Bradenton, the Riverwalk runs along the Manatee River on Barcarrotta Boulevard. This is a great spot to go for a walk or sit on a park bench and just enjoy the scenery.
SOUTH FLORIDA MUSEUM This museum is home to a state-of-theart domed theater at the Bishop Planetarium and Snooty the manatee. It’s the largest natural and cultural history museum on Florida’s west coast and is one of the oldest operating museums in the state.
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