PORT MANATEE in Bradenton FL – Get a behind-the-scenes look at Port Manatee on the FREE open-air public tram tour.
Q TIPS SAY: An excellent way to see the 4th largest Port & IT IS FREE! Great informative, educational trip for all that last about an hour. Call, make your reservation and enjoy, we did.
Mrs.Q says: A place to see a ship from Hong Kong called the Fortune Bird, delivering Steel from Belgium to an American Port.
Port Manatee’s open-air tram accommodates 70 adults. Call 941-722-6621 to reserve a spot for you and a friend, a club, school or civic group. We look forward to seeing you! Parties of five or more guests, call 941-722-6621 to schedule your tour.
Follow signs for Tram and Visitor Parking as you enter the port’s main entrance off Piney Point Road near the Port Manatee water tower. Guests will check in and sign a waiver form before boarding the tram — there is no need to visit the Access Control Center main building.
Port Manatee’s Public Tours are free and are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. Spaces fill up quickly, so plan accordingly. Security protocols require that all reservations be made at least two weeks in advance. Last-minute additions to your group are not permitted. When making a reservation, be prepared to provide the date of birth, email address and contact information for each person in your party. A government-issued photo ID is required at check-in. Arrive at least 30 minutes before your scheduled departure time. This is sufficient time for security personnel to check identification and for each person to sign a waiver form before boarding the tram. Food, beverages and restroom facilities are not available during the tour.
The weather is generally moderate during the tour season, but visitors should prepare for the possibility of extreme temperatures. Tours are not given on rainy days. If the tour is postponed, we will make every effort to contact you by phone or email by 9 a.m. the day of your tour. Port Manatee offers fantastic views of Tampa Bay and up-close encounters with large, oceangoing ships & native birds and, if your lucky, an alligator or two. Be sure to bring your camera and obey they rules of what you can and cannot photograph.
FACTS:
Port Manatee handles approximately 9 million tons of cargo each year.
Primary Cargoes: Tropical fruits and vegetables, Citrus juices and beverages, Forestry products
Refined petroleum products, Finished phosphate fertilizers, Non-ferrous metals, Cement and cement clinker
Steel, Project cargo such as power plant and bridge components, heavy machinery and over-sized vehicles.
Top Imports and Exports: Petroleum Products Import – Cement Products Import. Fertilizer, Export: Forestry Products, Fruit, Orange Juice, Import and Export, Natural Gas – Automobiles.
Port Manatee has more than one million square feet of public warehouse and office space, featuring 202,000 square feet of refrigerated space, including 30,000 square feet of freezer space. The port offers nearly one-and-one-half miles of berthing for ships. Another 1,584 feet of deep water berthing is set for completion in 2010 with the opening of Berth 12.
Location: Port Manatee is located in the eastern Gulf of Mexico at the entrance to Tampa Bay.
It is the closest U.S. deep water seaport to the Panama Canal. The port is located in west central Florida on the Gulf Coast. Eight million Floridians live within two hours of Port Manatee.
With thousands of acres of nearby vacant land, Port Manatee has room to grow. Latitude 27° 38’ 3” north, Longitude 83° 33’ 30” west.
Railroad – Operating 24 hours a day to accommodate customer needs, Port Manatee’s railroad connects to the CSX mainline with a 1,835-horsepower switch engine and nearly eight miles of track, 19 switches, nine crossings and 300-plus car capacity.
The port is 12 miles from the Egmont Key pilot station, including 2.95 miles from the intersection of Cut B in the main Tampa Bay Shipping Channel
Multi-purpose cranes handling containers, project, heavy-lift, bulk, breakbulk and general cargo.
Lifting capacity: 100 tons at 80 feet.