Manatee Observation and Education Center in Florida Ridge

Unfortunately we didnt get to see manatees in Nov 2022. Maybe well be lucky another time.

Its great. Theres cute sea cows

Closed for renovations until Nov 8th call first to confirm.

Love seeing these manatees when they come in. Unfortunately they arent around all year. I used to come a d watch them at this location long before it was an obsession. They have swam and played and enjoyed the warm water from the power plant this is the plant started producing. Its the warm water that draws to them here to this location.

Cool little place woth lots of info

A great tour with an experienced captain who cares about conservation. He was very knowledgeable and provided great insight on what we observed on the tour. We saw several Manatees and some bottle noise Dolphins.

The gift shop has amazing treaures!

Nice small free place. Manatee are outside in canals not inside the center.

Amazing experience here today! We got here at 2pm and received so much information from volunteers George and Moira, who were so welcoming knowledgeable and friendly. Didnt see any manatees this time but well be back!

Cute place but manatees were not in season. Still learned a lot.

Had a great time

Very interesting museum and information centre

A great place for families with or without children. Had a touch tank that included sea a sea urchin and star fish, a live cam playing of manatees in Blue Springs, a video of manatee history, and an observation deck for visitors to see manatees if present. The entry fee was only $2!

Best things were the short educational film, live manatee cam and great gift shop!

It was nice but unfortunately the center wasnt fully open while we were there. We did see just one Manatee in the water.

Probably a good place for young children for the interactive displays. However, we are adults, and this is a couple of rooms with a few aquariums. If we had seen manatees, I would say it was well worth the $2 ticket price, but that did not happen on the day we visited.

Ok so Im not sure how to guage how many stars to give for this one. So the inside part $2 per person is alright and I assume it goes to good use. Theres some fish tanks and a few other exhibits in the 2 rooms. The lady was very nice and took time to tell us everything she knew about the exhibits which was cool. The outside is pretty nice and great to just walk, get some sun, pictures, people watch, boats and some outside time. Liked reading about the artist trail and the other exhibits outside ..very cool to read some ft Pierce history. We did not see any Manatee but still had a good afternoon. If your close by then its cool to see but wouldnt drive too far.

You cant see manatees here except occasionally. But the kids will enjoy the touch pool where employees tell about the sea urchins, star fish, and crabs. This place is ideal for kids 10 and under.

Fun little place, unfortunately didnt see any manatees

Admission is only $2. Very small inside but the 17 minute video is definitely worth watching. Theres a touch tank Great for kids. The gift shop is really nice too.

I believe this place is meant for the youngest of children which we are not :-)

I love the Manatee Observation and Education center in Ft Pierce. Very knowledgeable volunteers and staff. I am only referring to the Manatee 5k race recently held (this being 2 stars out of 5). Being that the race is for the manatees along with other sponsors supporting manatee conservation, I was otherwise very disappointed in the racers/walkers just throwing their cups on the side of the Seaway bridge just after receiving their cups from the water station! I should have taken a picture, but I did not have my phone on me during the race. If we are to be part of a 5k supporting manatees and marine life, what good are the racers/walkers doing when they are throwing literal trash on the side of the bridge? I dont understand those people. We shouldnt throw trash anywhere unless one sees a receptacle. At least help prevent trash going into our beautiful waters. Something needs to done to prevent this happening again for future 5k races, especially this one. Thank you.

No manatees to be seen, to warm, but good information about manatees and a nice little gift shop.

Knowledgeable volunteers. We got to see 3 manatees in the river. Also a very nice gift shop with a nice variety of gifts and souvenirs.

$2 to get in... Anything more wouldnt be worth your time. No guarantee of seeing manatees.. We didnt see any.. They said they havent been around lately.Love the touch tank. Informative and friendly staff.Small establishment.

Small place but pretty nicely done. Staffed by volunteers so no pontoon ride to see wildlife. No guarantees of seeing manatees as they are wild and passing by, however we saw two in the hour we were there.

Neat little place. They offer some cool information on the sea life here in our oceans. They also sell boat ride tickets which were both fun and relaxing.

Went on a chilly and windy day but it was almost the end of my niece and honorary nephews trip. We know of some sneaky private spots that we visited 1st and they were able to see these beautiful creatures at least once. Our last viewing visit was here and unfortunately it was a slow day...for the sea cows. The lovely staff approached us instantly and let us know only 2 had passed through an hour prior but what surprised me the most is they asked about our off site sighting and time to log it. I honestly didnt know this was a good thing. Ive only lived here in Fort Pierce for 3.5 years and learned something new. Anyhoo, free, friendly and informative with an amazing, high quality and affordable gift shop!! Im disappointed in myself for walking and driving by so many times!! Please visit, support and protect our manatees!!

Do you love Manatees & want to learn more about them? This is the place. It is mostly run by dedicated knowledgeable volunteers, so it is very inexpensive. $2 entry fee is more than reasonable. They have an interesting movie & history of the Florida Manatee & its other specie counterparts, located throughout the world. If you love them & want to help them, as they are sadly disappearing from the only place in the USA, where they exist in groups, then go to the center. Learn how you can do your part to save them and pass on that knowledge, that may save them from imminent extinction in FL. They are eco fragile & need their water to be specific. It really depends on the weather, whether or not theyll be there. You can see some tropical fish & turtles & walk thru their butterfly garden.The volunteers are super friendly. Since there were no Manatees at their viewing place, they gave me directions to a place where they might be. They have a nice gift shop with reasonable prices, as well. I also glad that I did my small part in helping Manatees by learning why they are dying out, and hopefully, with the support of many Floridians & visitors, we can save them. I donated what I could, aside from the fee, but was never asked. There is a donation box. Use it if want, if you cant, you can still take your kids for a couple of hours of inexpensive fun, with the "petting" aquarium & scavenger hunt. Lets save the Manatee, together!

My cousin was here for a few days and we happened to come across this little gem! We had a guy walk us through the two rooms, and tell us all about the fish. Potato and noodle were so cute! We did not get to do the touch tank because they were already touched a lot that morning. We did not see any manatee but these animals are in the wild not in a tank like at a zoo, so they come and go as they please. Will definitely be coming back!

Interesting but a little anticlimactic. $2 per person to enter a tiny two rooms. Manatee observation deck overlooking the marina Inlet. Tiny gift shop on the side of the building. Staff was friendly & knowledgeable.

Live fish and a snake.. exciting. The outside park is great for pictures though. Beautiful iron horse running in the wind on a hilltop by the palm trees. Sign of Fort pierce too.

Its a small place with a vast amount of information (not just about manatees). Learned a lot.

Quaint, educational, and great for kids. Its a quick, informative stop. $1 admission.

The manatee observation is great if you can come at the right time of year year catch the manatees that swim by. Theres also a nice little gift shop and small aquarium that is free for this month to go in. Its a cute little area with a few tanks of interesting fish and some amphibians as well. I think its better for younger children since there isnt too much to see, however they have activities for little kids and games for them to play regarding the wildlife. Kids can also make a donation and sign the inside of a shell. As far as the aquarium goes, I prefer the St. Lucie County Aquarium. They do have a cool eel and puffer fish.

If youre looking for a good place to spot manatees ( & learn about themthis is a must-stop! Check the flag as you drive by- if the manatee flag is up- the manatees are out! :I see manatees there 8/10 times Ive stopped.

Very nice place and filled with information. Friendly staff was even nice to see Manatee right there. Has he was coming up for air.

The place was closed eventually has been for quite some time.Will rate it later if they open.

Excellent place to visit. Lots of information that is well displayed. Didnt see any manatees . 5 out of seven stars for a perfect score especially this time of year.

This is a charming little education center run by passionate volunteers. I think it was only $1 to enter, which is of course just a token fee for this non-profit. We saw a couple manatees hanging out in the harbor. A very peaceful place.

What an amazing experience! We didn’t see any manatees, but instead we’re surprised by a huge array of other animals! My daughter and I are new to Florida and the tropics, and being animal lovers we want to learn them all, and the Center helped us on that quest! The staff was INCREDIBLE! The volunteer coordinator (I don’t recall her namewas so knowledgeable, patient, and kind! We started by watching an extremely informative video all about manatees and conservation. We didn’t think we would be there more then a half hour and ended up spending about 2 hours there! It’s a must see! Especially for kids (and admission is only $1can’t wait to go back!

The Fort Pierce Manatee Center is located near the Fort Pierce City Marina. A small educational facility dedicated to informing the public about manatees and some of the other animals living in the coastal waters of Florida.The Manatee Center is strategically located near the water. The manatees and other sea life discussed may actually be swimming nearby. In a previous visit to the marina, I saw a juvenile Manatee pass by in an area with relatively shallow waters.The Manatee Center has a few tanks that contain marine life much smaller than a Manatee. Small fish that dont have to exercise an enormous amount of caution in the water to be safe from this gentle vegetarian.The design of the Manatee Center seemed straightforward to me, except for one detail. When I was in the outside area of the building, I felt as if I was on the deck of a boat.A minor detail that makes the Manatee Center the perfect pit stop before going on a fishing or boat tour.An opportunity to learn about the sea life swimming around or beneath your chosen vessel.A trip to the Manatee Center can be memorialized with a purchase from the gift shop. Hopefully a small memento of a memory made.

Nice little education center. They have live animals in tanks and an area outside to catch a view of some manatees, if theyre there.

This is a great place to bring younger kids. The staff was super engaging. There were multiple teaching opportunities. Even the art on the walls was lovely.

Lots of fun for kids and adults, did not get to see a manatee but saw plenty of other water wildlife.

I liked how the employees here were geriatrics. They were so friendly. If you buy something inside the souvenir shop, you can get inside their mini museum.. the place itself was nice. Too bad we havent seen any Manatees. 😞 Manatees go here during months of 2nd week of Oct til December when the water is warm.

Well informed curators of this little institution highlighting local wildlife. Nominal fee includes view of aquariums touch tanks, and filmstrip.

Took my son here, this place is definitely worth $1 to visit! We werent able to see Manatees but were able to interact with several different marinewildlife.

If youre patient and love looking at Manatees, this is the place for you. Weve seen several, but its not like a zoo, where they come up to the fence. Keep an eye out for breaks in the water and bubbles, the Manatees are there.

A small place that teaches people about manatees. It has an educational video, coloring station, friendly staff, a gift shop that is inexpensive compared to other places, and a very nice viewing area. We did not see any real manatees but its worth stopping at. Kids will enjoy themselves.