Bradenton, Florida Hotels and Travel Guide

Located just south of the Tampa Bay area in Manatee County, Bradenton, Florida was put on the map by famed Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto in 1539, and more than 400 years later, another immigrant helped put orange juice on America’s breakfast tables with the founding of Tropicana.

Bradenton’s history begins with Hernando DeSoto’s search for the lost city of gold, “El Dorado.” The conquistador claimed Florida for Spain after landing at Shaw’s Point near the mouth of the Manatee River. To commemorate DeSoto’s discovery, the DeSoto Historical Society has hosted a Grand Parade through the streets of downtown Bradenton every spring for almost 70 years.

The current city of Bradenton was formed in 1943, when the Florida legislature merged the cities of Manatee (incorporated in 1888) and Bradentown (incorporated in 1903). Located on the Manatee River in downtown Bradenton is the South Florida Museum, Bishop Planetarium and Parker Manatee Aquarium, which offer a glimpse at Florida’s past, present and future, as well as the natural wonders that attract visitors and residents to this sunny stretch of Florida’s Gulf Coast.

In 1947 a Sicilian immigrant named Anthony T. Rossi founded Tropicana Products in Bradenton. Although Tropicana’s corporate headquarters were moved to Chicago in 2003 after a series of corporate buyouts, the juice production for Tropicana is still located in Bradenton, and Tropicana Field is home to the Tampa Bay Devil Ray major league baseball team in nearby Tampa.

Bradenton is connected to the barrier islands of Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key, which are popular vacation spots. Anna Maria Island has accessible beachfront communities and building code restrictions that prohibit buildings from being more than three stories tall. Longboat Key is best known for its exclusive residences and luxury resorts, with golf and tennis as popular recreational sports, in addition to the water sports available on the Gulf of Mexico.