Manatee Village Historical Park

Manatee Village Historical Park is a group of several original buildings that were built in the 1800's in the area that is now called Manatee County, Florida. Back when this area was first settled, it was actually part of Hillsborough County.

The park includes a home, church, school, courthouse, boathouse and general store, plus a few extra buildings. We went on a weekday when there weren't any special events planned. To my surprise, all the buildings, except the barns, were open for self-guided tours. It was thrilling to step back in time as we entered each of these structures.

Each of the following structures is located within the historical park:

The Stephens Home

While just about every aspect of this village is amazing, the one thing that stood out to me was the architecture. The picture on the right was taken in the hallway of the Stephens home. Notice how there are two large white doors that are open. That was to let the breeze circulate throughout the house, yet they could be closed when the weather was cold, or to keep out animals at night when they were sleeping. 

The Church

The Schoolhouse

As with so many historic villages, there’s so much more to see and experience, not just here at Manatee, but in any historical village. If there’s one near you, or near where you’re going, consider stopping. Many places have taken local historic buildings and moved them all together to preserve the area for future generations to learn about. I love it when my tax money goes to fund something like this. And if you visit, I'd love to hear about where it was and how you liked it. Perhaps I'll get to visit there someday too!