Bradenton’s Riverwalk expansion gets ready to open. Here’s a sneak peek at the park
A new section of the Bradenton Riverwalk will allow visitors to learn the area’s history while they enjoy the view along the Manatee River — and it’s almost ready to open.
The expansion of the Riverwalk has boardwalks, a pier and walking trails. The park incorporates the Manatee Mineral Springs Park, which served as a settlement for enslaved people who escaped in the early 1800s.
When the $7.5 million project is done, visitors can walk along the Manatee River from City Hall in downtown Bradenton all the way to the new section ending at the intersection of 12th Street East and Riverside Drive.
The eastern section opens in September, but the full connection between both sides of the Riverwalk will be done by the end of the year.
The park also features an interactive crank that lets visitors pump water from the spring to create an aerial map of the Manatee River on the sidewalk, gazebo structures for shaded seating and oyster domes to improve water quality in the river.
“It’s not just a walk along the river, but the park part of it is a space where families and the neighborhood can gather,” said Mayor Gene Brown, who also shared that the ADA-accessible viewing tower is his favorite feature. “People can walk from one end of our Riverwalk to the other end and have a three-mile nice trip.”
There are also efforts to keep the site’s history alive by shining a spotlight on what historians call the Angola settlement. In 2021, a team of local archaeologists dug up hundreds of artifacts on the property, including a dog skeleton, utensils and marbles.
“Finding buttons and pieces of pottery and marbles are the little things that tell us about how people lived,” Sherry Svekis, president of the Reflections of Manatee historic preservation group, said at the time.
Some of what researchers found underground will be on display, along with public art and educational posters throughout the park that teach visitors about the people who once called the area home.
“You can read it in books and learn,” Brown said, “but if you’re at the park, it can be proactive where you get the education while you’re there.”
Grand opening
What: City leaders plan to host a formal opening ceremony for the Riverwalk East extension.
When: 11 a.m. Sept. 10.
Information: Visit www.CityOfBradenton.com
