Founded in 1946 by community leaders, the South Florida Museum opened in 1947 on Bradenton's Memorial Pier with the Montague Tallant collection of Florida's First Peoples pre- and immediate post-contact archaeological material as well as collections relating to the scientific and cultural history of southwest Florida and Manatee County. The Museum emerged as a leading cultural organization in the community, providing educational programs and field trips to tens of thousands of students through the years. In 1949 an exhibition pool for a baby manatee was added and Baby Snoots became an instant attractions as well as the official mascot of Manatee County.