Fort Myers is known best for its beaches and fishing; however, there is so much more to see and learn. Whether you’re tired out from a long day at the beach or a rain storm has ruined your plans, check out the variety of museums Fort Myers has to offer.
Fort Myers' museums come in a variety of shapes and sizes, suitable for every type of visitor. For the history buffs, the Southwest Florida Museum of History is the place to see, while science and car fans will want to visit the Edison/Ford Winter Estates. Looking for something for the kids? Check out the Imaginarium Hands-On Museum and Aquarium.
The Southwest Florida Museum of History offers visitors a chance to see and learn about the history and traditions of Fort Myers and Southwest Florida. Here you can learn about Paleo Indians, the Calusa, the Seminoles, Spanish explorers and early settlers. There is an authentic replica of a “cracker” house and a 1926 La France fire pumper in addition to many other exhibits. The museum also holds a huge artifacts collection with pieces that date from the early days of the boating and fishing industries in Fort Myers. Be sure to check out the display of depression and carnival glass, too; there are more than 1,200 pieces!
The museum is open Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Group tours are also available.
If a historical museum is not your style, then visit the Edison/Ford Winter Estates. Inventor Thomas Edison and Henry Ford of Ford cars, were very good friends and liked to vacation together. Edison first visited the Fort Myers area in 1885 and purchased this home there which he named “Seminole Lodge.” Later, in 1915, Ford bought the neighboring property that he called “The Mangoes.” It is said that the two famous men spent their winters working, talking and relaxing together with their families.
When touring the “Seminole Lodge” and “The Mangoes,” visitors feel like they have stepped back in time with the original furnishings and architecture found in the homes.
One of the most intriguing places to visit on the grounds is Edison’s laboratory. This is the very place workers assisted Edison in his research on goldenrod as a source of natural rubber. All of his test tubes and research material are just as he left them, including a cot that he used for napping while his assistants continued his working. Because he was deaf, Edison had no problem falling asleep in the noisy environment.
In the late 1920s, Edison, Ford and Harvey Firestone worked together to find a natural source of rubber and established the Edison Botanical Garden Research Company. Their research proved that the common garden weed, goldenrod, did produce latex, a form of rubber.
Tours of the garden that helped aid in this discovery are available on the grounds Thursdays and Saturdays throughout the year. The museum is open seven days a week, year-round (closed for Christmas and Thanksgiving) from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. It is estimated that the Edison/Ford Museum receives more than 255,000 visitors per year making it one of the top 10 visited historical homes in the country.
Lastly, for a day of family fun with the kids, the Imaginarium Hands-On Museum and Aquarium. is sure to be the crowd pleaser. Here you can touch a cloud, feel the force of a hurricane, or run through a thunderstorm without ever leaving the building! There’s also a 600-gallon Stingray tank, a 400-gallon tidal pool with crabs, urchins and mollusks and much, much more.
The Imaginarium Museum is open Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays Noon to 5 p.m. Children under 3 are admitted free.
Article by Kristen Borrelli, a professional freelance writer and editor located in the South Florida area.
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