About Us
The City of Mulberry has long been known as the “phosphate capital of the world.” It is home to the Mulberry Phosphate Museum which houses an outstanding collection of fossilized remains, area memorabilia, and educational exhibits on the phosphate industry.
As you walk through our museum, you will experience the Earth’s past, viewing the remains of various types of marine life as well as reptiles and mammals dating back millions of years. Your visit will be an introduction to the relationship of animal remains with the modern Phosphate Industry.
Our History
Our museum opened in 1986 after the city of Mulberry acquired the fossil collection from Joe Larned. At one time, Joe owned the largest private collection of Bone Valley Fossils in the state of Florida. Joe’s fossils can still be seen here and at the Smithsonian. At first, the city of Mulberry decided to place the collection in the towns old railroad depot, (this is where our fossil gallery lives today) people like Elin Becker began working with city officials to develop a museum that would highlight the fossil collection but would serve as an educational facility. That would showcase the relationship between paleontology and phosphate mining.