Located in Bradenton, FL, The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature is a breathtaking wedding venue, meeting space and party location. A number of exclusive spaces set the scene for an unforgettable experience. Guests will be WOW'D by the astonishing spaces The Museum has to offer.
Established in 1947, this inspiring venue is a Museum of natural science and Florida history. Housed on the Gulf Coast, it displays a range of intriguing items unique to the area. This includes fossils, prehistoric artifacts, and so much more. With a number of different venue spaces The Museum offers a glimpse of true Florida beauty.
Our Spanish Courtyard space allows guests to be transported to Spain in the 1900's. This intimate setting is ideal for celebrations big and small. Add a little ambience to your event with our ever present café lighting lending to a romantic and elegant night filled with love. Columns and a lighted fountain add a touch of class and sophistication. There is space to host up to 225 guests in an extravagant affair. One unique feature of The Spanish Courtyard is that The Parker Manatee Rehabilitation Habitat houses majestic manatees who with the help of our Animal Care Team , get released back into the ocean once they are healed and may be present for your special event. The Parker Manatee Rehabilitation Habitat glass walls allow it to be viewable from The Jeanie Kirkpatrick Boardroom, designed for smaller gatherings (up to 60 guests seated) and can serve as a getting ready suite, conveniently located off The Spanish Courtyard.
Soon-to-be-weds can put a unique out of this world spin as The Planetarium Lobby sets the scene for upscale cocktail hours. An open floor plan gives guests plenty of space to wander around and socialize. The Planetarium itself is a great venue for proposals, ceremonies or a display a pre-programed show or personal slideshow for guests during cocktail hour. The happy couple can impress loved ones with the wonders of the night sky.
Need a larger space for a bigger event? The Riverside Plaza sits adjacent to the Manatee River and offers a large, paved, area for your ceremony, reception, and even a band and dancefloor and can house up to 400 guests. This sexy, modern space is for the couples who love to add a special design touch to their day. Adjacent to this space, The West Garden is great for mingling during cocktail hour, with lush grass and greenery spaces. With designated areas designed to house food or bar trucks leave your guests' bellies full and create a memorable experience. Capability to add bistro lighting has been installed to enhance the night sky with some extra twinkle. Additional indoor space allows guest access to our private powder rooms and allows a great cool-off zone for guests.
Come see all The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature has to offer for your special day.
Ashley Richmond(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 21-04-2023 I recently had the pleasure of holding my wedding in the beautiful courtyard of the Bishop Museum in April 2023, and I cannot recommend this venue enough! From start to finish, the entire experience was nothing short of exceptional.Firstly, the venue itself is absolutely stunning. The Bishop Museum's courtyard is a true oasis in the heart of Bradenton, with lush greenery, beautiful flowers, and a tranquil fountain providing the perfect backdrop for our ceremony and reception. Our guests were blown away by the natural beauty of the space, and we couldn't have asked for a more picturesque setting for our special day. Once the sun set, the twinkle lets kept the magic going. I cannot say enough positive things about this space -- it is stunning! Our guests also loved that we had cocktail hour in front of the manatee tank. Many guests were not from Florida and had never seen a manatee before. It was such a fun and memorable detail that we couldn't get anywhere else!On the day of our wedding, everything ran like clockwork thanks to the professionalism and organization of the Bishop Museum team. Overall, I cannot recommend the Bishop Museum enough as a wedding venue. From the stunning setting to the exceptional staff, everything about our experience was top-notch. If you're looking for a unique and unforgettable location for your special day, look no further than the Bishop Museum. Reviewed on 24-04-2023
Alyssa DeMaio(other)5 out of 5 Rating
I’m so happy that I found this venue on the knot. The location was amazing, there was so many things to do within walking distance. The courtyard was STUNNING and let’s not forget the manatees, they were a huge hit with my guests (and me of course). The staff was so kind and helpful. I did go through two different event coordinators, but honestly it didn’t change a thing. I’d get married here again 100 times. Reviewed on 08-12-2023
Kristina Fehrman(other)4 out of 5 Rating
I want to start this by saying overall; we are extremely happy with how our wedding day turned out and the experience working with the Bishop as a whole. I would say our biggest issue was communication- the venue went through 3 different coordinators in the 1 year we spent planning and it seemed like my contract wasn’t handled the best. My contract would reflect one thing, but then I’d be told something else. I would say if you book here- get everything (even if you don’t think you need it) in writing. Christine was lovely, professional and very helpful- she was the one who pulled everything together in the end for us and we’re super grateful for her! Reviewed on 24-10-2023
Farrah Parish(other)5 out of 5 Rating
We had a super intimate wedding with our closest family and it was a dream!! Staff was so helpful through the whole planning process and wedding night! You can rent tables and chairs there so one less thing you have to worry about. It’s an added bonus that the courtyard is so naturally pretty you don’t need to do much to make it a beautiful wedding! Reviewed on 14-09-2023
Amanda Small(other)5 out of 5 Rating
We booked the courtyard and the conference room. Everyone at the facility was very responsive and helpful in coordinating the walkthrough and the day of. Reviewed on 25-08-2023
Hannah Overfield(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 18-11-2022 We held our ceremony in the courtyard and reception in the Riverside plaza. The bridal party got ready in the boardroom all while watching the manatees swim about. The venue was beautiful and the staff was great to work with and very accommodating. The ceremony under the lights of the courtyard was exactly the old Florida vibe I wanted for my wedding. Reviewed on 30-01-2023
Amber Wojcek(bride)2 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 06-03-2022 We started thinking of hosting our wedding at the Bishop before Covid, when there was the previous events coordinator who was extremely responsive and knowledgeable over email. We wrote back last year to start re-planning our wedding, and there was a definite shift in communication. First, I had to call multiple times because no one bothered to forward the old coordinator's emails, and I couldn't get a hold of anyone for a while. I also communicated with other people in the museum when trying to figure out who I could talk to, and no one was particularly helpful. When I finally did get connected, we were back on track. But, you're better off treating this as a space rental than a wedding venue. The price is great, but you're not going to get the level of service you would expect from a wedding venue. One day when we asked where to expect to find the chairs for set up, we were told \"they'll probably be somewhere outside.\" When you're setting up a wedding, you want definites.The morning of the wedding, my caterer called me because even though we paid for extra set-up time, the facilities person wasn't there on time and the gate was locked. We also had to track him back down because the toilet wasn't working in the board room. Things you'd hope they'd check and take care of before hosting an event.While in the planning process, I often had to email multiple, multiple times; called over and over to no answer; and left voicemails for multiple people that were never responded to. I would get an email that we owed money and were past due, but couldn't get a hold of someone to pay!I often had to argue that we were told something when it was contradicted later. I hate being this person, but eventually I CC'd the person in charge of the museum because we were a few weeks out and I still had a laundry list of unanswered questions and issues. I got a response that the events coordinator was out of the office on a family emergency, which I understand, yet all the issues I was emailing about were things that I had asked about over a week prior. Anyways, after that, someone took care of everything.Obviously, it's a lovely venue - everyone was delighted by the manatee tank, and we bought admission for our guests to hang out in the museum while we did pictures, which was a lot of fun. I just consistently felt that something had been resolved and taken care of, only to have some issue come up later. The Bishop seems to want to be an events venue, but hasn't gone all-in on it yet. Both times we pre-arranged visits to tour the space, we were on our own. The first time when I asked for the person we were supposed to meet (not the main events contact, but someone else who worked weekends), she was taking the day off. The second time, they seemed to again have no idea we'd be there. They just give you a pass and you get sent on your way with no real insight into anything. I never met anyone who dealt with events.So basically, if you're going to get married here, assume that you'll need to bring in everything you need, and don't do anything too complicated because you won't have much time for set-up and breakdown, as you have to do everything outside of museum hours.And most of all, get everything in writing (once you're given something verbally over the phone, write it out and email it back and ask for confirmation of what you stated). And you MUST hire a coordinator. Reviewed on 08-03-2022
Kelsey Coary(bride)4 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 11-12-2021 The courtyard at this museum was a dream. It didn’t need much decoration, it was beautiful on its own. I have a special place in my heart for rescued manatees, which pretty much sold me on the location with their habitat located right there. The entire thing was a great value compared to most venues we looked at. You will need to hire from their caterers list, which wasn’t a problem for us. HIGHLY recommend renting the conference room located to the side of the courtyard. You are not supposed to set up before 3:30pm and you cannot begin the ceremony before 5:10pm, so it made prepping that much easier. Also it was very kind of the venue to note that the security (we were required to pay for) never showed and they returned the cost with our security deposit :)Like others, I’m giving it 4 stars because the communication with the venue wasn’t great. Our original venue contact was amazing and extremely responsive. Once she left without notice, we were left in the dark for a bit before someone finally responded. The new contact contradicted a lot of the things that were mentioned by the previous coordinator so please document everything you have been told so you can back up any changes. Besides the miscommunications, Brandy was pleasant to talk to and very responsive. I’m sure taking on all of the previous weddings was an adjustment. We did not see her the entire day of the wedding, nor did we know who we were supposed to meet with for questions or support until closer to wedding time when our day of coordinator met Alex from the museum. Also, we had originally planned for a late afternoon rehearsal the day before, but luckily I had tried to confirm that was still the case and the venue only told me then that we had to be in and out before 2pm because of another wedding. This is an extremely DIY venue, so if you have a lot of needs this may not be the place for you. We did a lot of figuring it out as we went. I don’t want these comments to discourage anyone from considering this place. While these things were hiccups, it doesn’t compare to the amount of success the night was for us. Everything that was promised to us, we received. All of our guests were in awe by the location and had nothing but wonderful things to say. I would recommend anyone to consider checking out this venue. Reviewed on 21-12-2021
Erin White(bride)4 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 13-11-2021 I fell in love with the courtyard and the \"extras\ Reviewed on 16-12-2021
Jessica Duncan(bride)4 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 30-10-2021 We loved this venue! It doesn't take a whole lot to dress it up, so if you are planning more of a destination wedding, that will work to your advantage. Also, how can you go wrong with a venue that has manatees?? Only minor downsides- your rehearsal has to be over a lunch hour which can be hard to get all your people to the venue to practice, and they do give you a specific list of vendors that they will allow (although this wasn't a deal breaker for us as Sarasota Catering did a fantastic job!) My only regret is not booking the holding room in which your bridal party can be tucked away while the guests filter in. Truly, you can't go wrong! Reviewed on 03-11-2021
Demi Gunn(bride)4 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 21-03-2021 My wedding turned out beautiful! My reasoning behind 4/5 stars is due to lack of communication from event staff at Bishop. There was a change in event coordinators during my wedding planning process which led to a few miscommunications. I just wish the process went a lot smoother than it did. The price for renting the courtyard was very competitive compared to any other wedding venue around. I stayed at the Hampton Inn next door which made transportation so easy for my bridal party. All in all it was an absolutely beautiful venue that offers scenery you don't find in a lot of wedding venues nowadays. I definitely recommend Bishop as your wedding venue. But just make sure you over communicate with the staff so you don't have any surprises. Reviewed on 03-07-2021
Lauren Biddle(bride)4 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 08-05-2021 Awesome, beautiful venue exactly what I dreamed of. Communication was lacking the first coordinator working there we loved, but she left to another job. The fountain was supposed to be off for the ceremony and speeches, but was on. The only other thing was the coordinator did not help much at the rehearsal so you need to hire a separate coordinator for that, which I did not know. Reviewed on 24-05-2021
Caitlin Cocanougher(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 01-11-2020 The Bishop's Courtyard is absolute beautiful all lit up at night and everyone loved the manatees! It was such a lovely and unique venue! Reviewed on 13-11-2020
Samantha Brocato(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 30-12-2015 We highly recommend this venue. Our wedding was beautiful and unique. So thankful we found The Bishop Museum. Reviewed on 08-07-2020
Lauren Fuhrig(bride)4 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 17-03-2018 We were so happy with this venue! We took a little risk with the outdoor venue but it was so worth it to have a perfect night under the patio lights in one of the classiest venues in the area! And you can’t beat the price! The only reason for 4 stars is the lack of communication with us and a few disappointments along the way- first no de Soto statue, and then construction on the manatee tank so no manatees! Reviewed on 28-05-2018
Alyssa Henriquez(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 08-04-2017 We had our wedding reception in the Spanish courtyard, and we got exactly what we expected. Everyone raved about this location. Debbie at the museum was very responsive to all our emails and questions. We lucked out with perfect weather, which is a blessing because there would not have been enough covered space for our 150 guests to be comfortably covered if it were raining, but we knew that going in. Highly recommend! Reviewed on 12-04-2017
Brittany Ward(bride)4 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 11-03-2017 My husband and I were very pleased with this venue! We did our ceremony in the chapel and the reception in the courtyard. Everything was beautiful. The chapel was a little bit small. It says on the brochure that it can fit 80... It was a very, very tight 80. Probably closer to 60 comfortably. The courtyard was my favorite part. It offered plenty of space for dancing, caterers to set up, and guest tables. The lights and lanterns gave it a very magical feel- just what I was looking for, actually. My only complaint would be that they don't offer a 'bridal room' or place for the wedding party to be hidden away from guests but still on the campus without additional costs. Reviewed on 31-03-2017
Natalie Currie(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 13-12-2014 Laurie at South Florida Museum was hands down, the easiest person to work with while planning our wedding. I sent her numerous emails, and her replies were always prompt, sometimes within just a few minutes. She even went the extra mile and reached out to another couple who had recently gotten married at the museum to ask them about a recommendation for me. Laurie did everything she could to make me feel like our event was important to her and the museum. The museum itself is beautiful and unlike any other venue, which is why we selected it. Our family and friends continue to comment on how nice of a setting the museum was, and we couldn't agree more! Just remember if you do decide to have your wedding here to add one more spot on your guest list- for Snooty! Reviewed on 27-01-2015
Deanna Ingerham(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 09-06-2012 The South Florida Museum courtyard is beautiful, and working with Tara (event manager) was great! Reviewed on 26-06-2012
Jennifer Hoskins(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 02-04-2012 This place is amazing! We had our wedding reception here and my guests can't stop talking about it. We had our reception in the spanish plaza the first week in April. It was perfect weather.\r\rThe spanish plaza has beautiful string lights strung all across the plaza lighting up the night gorgeously. And to top it off, they have a manatee aquarium right next to the courtyard where you can see one of the oldest manatees in the world swimming as you dance the night away. We also rented out the boardroom off to the side so guests could go in the A/C if they were warm. (It also acted as our rain plan in case the weather didn't go our way). \r\rThe staff are very friendly and were very helpful to all of our needs. Beautiful place! Reviewed on 30-04-2012
Barbie Rickman(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 24-09-2011 The Spanish courtyard connected to the museum is the best kept secret on the Florida West Coast. The cost is right and the ambiance is incredible. There is a small chapel attached to the courtyard, so you can have both ceremony and reception in one location. The venue is beautiful, not much extra decor is required. All of my guests are still commenting on how cool the place was. Tara with the museum is very helpful and knowledgeable. She is always there to assist. Very easy to work with and will allow hot food prep. Reviewed on 11-10-2011
Stephanie Metcalf(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 21-05-2011 In the day and age of way too expensive venues where you have to hire to bring in lighting and worry about handicap access or bathrooms or they are cheap with no character, the South Florida Shines through. The museum is absolutely stunning at night. Completely accessible with adequate bathrooms and affordable! Reviewed on 05-06-2011
Samantha Klepek(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 23-04-2011 The South FL Museum was a pleasure to work with. We had to reschedule our wedding 3 weeks before the 1st date due to a medical emergency. The museum worked with us and we were able to change the date. They didn't charge us a fee and we got all of our security deposit back. The day of the wedding the museum was wonderful!!! The price was great! We got extra time so my DJ and caterer could set up early and everything cost $2,100. Reviewed on 13-05-2011
Jaimee Grant(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 16-04-2011 This venue was great. Reviewed on 12-05-2011
Debby Dennison(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 20-11-2010 They have several different type of venues available to suit your needs. I worked with Tara and she was awesome. The venue we selection was inexpensive and absolutly beautiful. They are great for any type of venue you are looking for. Reviewed on 20-12-2010
Sheryl Booth(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 17-02-2008 We got married at the south florida museum on feb 17,2008. My parents were married there as well. When we decided on this location for our wedding we were so excited. It really does not require many decorations because the building and desgin are so beautuiful themselves. The staff was great. The only con was we had to be out by 12, and couldn't start until 5. But other than that I have no complaints. Reviewed on 28-06-2010
Erin Cox(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 02-04-2005 Error 2029;-It's outdoors, so you take a risk with the weather Reviewed on 10-05-2010
27 Reviews, with a Rating of 4.59 out of 5.0
Contact Info for The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature
The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature on the map
Meet the The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature Team
Adam Krajkowski, Assistant Director of Special Events (Events Director)
Hi there! Welcome to The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature! My name is Adam Krajkowski and am the Assistant Director of Special Events and a venue host for The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature. I am here to help make planning your special day easy and organized. With over 10 years of combined experience in event planning and human service industry, my personal goal is to make sure you are well taken care of and are shown the utmost hospitality. I strive to make every experience special, and hope you'll come by for a tour to let me show you what magical place awaits you for your event!