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The City of Palms

We're pleased that you are considering visiting us. To insure you stay is a pleasant one, we have listed some attractions you might be interested in seeing while you are with us.

Ford Winter Home - After stepping back in time at the Edison Home, visitors can step next door to the winter home of automobile industrialist Henry Ford. The three acre estate was purchased by Ford in 1916 to spend the winter months visiting his friend, Thomas Edison. The two properties are separated by a fence, which both families named "The Friendship Gate". Ford's home, known as "Mangoes", has undergone extensive renovation to bring it back to the period when he and his wife Clara lived there. A 1914 Model T, 1917 Ford truck and a 1929 Model A are also on display.

Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa - For a great vacation or a productive company meeting visit our beautiful resort located on the enchanting southwest coast of Florida amid 80 acres of unspoiled natural beauty where you will find every imaginable luxury and comfort. Sanibel Harbour is the area's only AAA Four Diamond Resort. You may stay in either one of our luxurious hotel rooms or in a spacious condominium. During your stay you will be pampered at our world-class Spa, take tennis lessons with one of our tennis professionals, rent a waverunner or motorboat, or just relax at one of our three swimming pools. But be sure to experience one of our spectacular sunsets.

Fort Myers Historical Museum - Housed appropriately in the restored ACL Peck Street Depot, which discontinued rail passenger service in 1971 after 67 years, displays and exhibits document history of the area from 1200 BC through the present. Displays include graphic depictions of Calusa, Spanish explorers and Seminole Indian civilizations, ancient artifacts gathered from the region, and a significant collection of Ethel Cooper Glass. A favorite acquisition is a private rail car, The Esperanza, circa 1930, presented to the museum by the Fort Myers Centennial Committee in 1985. Explore the WWII Buckingham and Page Field exhibit which will include a recently excavated P39 bomber that crashed into Estero Bay during WWII. The research center, widely used by local residents, includes an extensive photo collection, oral history tapes, maps and other materials about the Fort Myers area. Local history books and gift items are sold in the gift shop. The museum presents educational programs, traveling exhibits and oral history programs on a continuing basis.

Burroughs Home - Fort Myers' first luxury home, actually credited with starting the area's building boom at the turn of the century by cattleman John Murphy, has been restored and is open to the public. Today, those with a passion for the past can enjoy a 30-minute living history tour of the Georgian revival home, which is also available for special events. The Burroughs Home is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $3 per person. Parking is available next door at the Sheraton Harbor Place Hotel.

Manatee Park - This park is unique because visitors can view the endangered West Indian Manatee in a non-captive natural environment. Manatees are mammals and naturally prefer to be in warm waters. This especially attracts them in the winter months to Manatee Park, which is adjacent to a warm water discharge canal from the power plant. The park features an "eco-tourium" where visitors can learn more about the manatee, a manatee viewing platform, picnic shelters, guided viewing programs, a canoe launch to the Orange River, a boardwalk made of recycled plastic and a fishing cove.

Imaginarium Hands-on Museum and Aquarium - Visitors explore and discover the physical sciences, aquatic sciences and humanities through a series of interactive exhibits. Located in downtown Fort Myers at the historic 1938 Water Plant, the museum includes exhibits on how science works, water, weather, Florida horticulture and agriculture, water treatment, human body, economics and banking, the Internet Station and a chemical abuse simulator. Other facilities include a 100-seat theater with 3-D and video system, the Dr. James A. Adams Center for meetings and events, Imagination Station for activities, Imaginarium Store, and Yawkey Pavilion for outdoor activities at the base of the 128-foot brightly-painted water tower.

J.C. Cruises - The wide Caloosahatchee River, running through downtown Fort Myers is the starting point for a variety of eight scenic cruises. Luncheon and dinner cruises aboard the 600-passenger "Capt. J.P. Paddlewheeler" ranging from two hours to full day excursions are also available. Also inquire about the 80-passenger river cruise, which travels up the picturesque Caloosahatchee and Orange Rivers into the manatee sanctuary. All cruises depart from the downtown Fort Myers Yacht Basin at the corner of Lee Street and Edwards Drive. Prices vary depending on cruise type and season.

Eden Vineyards Winery - Wine connoisseurs can sample vino from the southernmost winery in the continental United States at the Eden Vineyards Winery. After supplying fine wines to some of Florida's best restaurants for several years, the owners of the family-operated Eden Vineyards decided to open the winery for visits. The winery is located in a natural Florida setting, reminding visitors of the area's subtropical beauty. Wine tastings are provided for a nominal fee.

Lee County Alliance of the Arts - Housed in the 12,100 squarefoot William R. Frizzell Cultural Center, the Lee County Alliance of the Arts includes a public gallery with a new exhibition each month. The 200-seat Claiborne and Ned Foulds Theater offers dramas, recitals, concerts and workshops, arts and crafts gift shop, and regular classes in all art forms. Admission is free and program costs vary.

Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre - The dinner theatre is Fort Myers' dining and entertainment showplace. Visit the Playbill Bar for a predinner or postshow cocktail. Enjoy a sumptuous buffet with garden fresh salad bar, hot entree buffet, and lavish dessert tables. Then sit back, relax, and enjoy a full-length, professional, Broadway-style, live theatrical performance.

Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium - Outside, rustic boardwalks lead visitors on a tour of a subtropical environment, including an Audubon aviary and Seminole Indian village. Inside, permanent and changing exhibits of the natural history of Southwest Florida are on display from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday; and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Snake and alligator demonstrations are held twice daily. Guided nature walks and aviary tours are offered several times each week. Admission to the nature center is $4 for adults, and $2.50 for children younger than 12. Annual memberships for free admission and discounts are available. Advance notice is required for groups. The planetarium features changing shows and laser effect in its 90-seat theater.

Airplane Tours - Take a flight into the past. Put on your helmet, goggles and climb aboard the time machine at Classic Flight. The plane is a new production of the WACO YMF5 designed in 1935. It carries two passengers plus the pilot. Sightseeing and thrillseeking rides are available on the hour, from 9 a.m. to sunset out of Page Field in Fort Myers.

Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall and Gallery - Located on Summerlin Road between College Parkway and Cypress Lake Drive, the Performing Arts Hall opened in 1986. National Broadway productions, prominent entertainers, dance performances, popular and classical music concerts are scheduled year-round. The hall also is used for business conferences, seminars and meetings with dining available.

Edison Community College Gallery of Fine Art - In the Humanities Building near the Barbara B. Mann Hall, the ECC Gallery of Fine Art exhibits works of nationally and internationally renowned artists.

Seminole Gulf Railway - Enjoy a nostalgic dinner, murder mystery or sightseeing excursion as you travel through Southwest Florida's subtropical terrain aboard an elegant, old-fashioned dining or coach excursion train.

Kartworld - Great for kids of all ages, this amusement park features more than 70 pinball and video games, a mountainous miniature golf course, three race tracks (ages 3-7, 7-13 and 13 and up) and bumper boats as well as fresh baked pizza and other refreshment.

Sun Harvest Citrus - A great stop to or from the airport, this 16,000-square-foot packinghouse offers free tours and a well stocked gift shop to explore. Learn about the history of Florida's citrus industry and how citrus is cleaned, sized and packaged. Visitors can watch juice extraction and enjoy a free sample.

Balloon Odyssey - Take an exciting, romantic adventure on a hot air balloon over scenic Fort Myers and the surrounding area. Champagne picnic breakfast tours cost $150 per person. Launch locations depend on weather conditions. Address: 5100 S. Cleveland Avenue.

Nestled on the shores of the great Caloosahatchee River, North Ft. Myers hosts a wide variety of activities and inland nature tours for the Southwest Florida visitor. Read on for more details, and click on the hyper-texted areas for further details.

The Shell Factory - You can almost hear the waves breaking on the shore, there is something for everyone at the Shell Factory. This unusual attraction boasts 65,500 square feet (17 acres), of gift items from around the world. Landlubbers can take home a treasure chest of Neptune's creations without ever getting their feet wet. Thousands of shells and shell products are made by our own skilled artisans. You'll find an abundant selection of imaginative gifts, handblown glassworks, the Mineral Shop and a Designer's Corner. One entire room is devoted to shell jewelry, ranging from costume to fine. At the Pearl Pavilion, visitors pluck their own pearls from Japanese oysters and may select their own settings and have them expertly mounted. Satisfy your sweet tooth in our old-fashioned Fudge Kitchen. Visit our year-round Christmas Shoppe with a Florida flair. Two 10,000 gallon aquarium tanks, teeming with fish, even sharks, and a live alligator display are featured.

Babcock Wilderness Adventures - Enjoy a taste of the real Florida and the excitement of a true wilderness adventure. Travel in a comfortable swamp buggy with trained naturalist on a voyage through the beautiful woods and deep slow-moving waters of the Telegraph Cypress Swamp. See alligators, panthers, American bison, exotic birds, wild turkeys, snakes and other animals in their natural setting.

Sanibel/Captiva has its shelling and out-island charm, Ft. Myers has its history, North Ft. Myers has its diversity, but Ft. Myers Beach is where the action is. This is where you'll find a more typical beach lifestyle of sun tanning, tee shirt shops, great restaraunts, and browsing in wonderful shops. Look to these sites for the action:

Island Water Tours - Sightseeing from the water is the ideal way to enjoy the nature and wildlife of Estero Island. Climb aboard the 40-foot pontoon boat "Pelican Queen" for a sightseeing nature cruise on Estero Bay, where you will almost always see a variety of local birds, dolphin and an occasional manatee. This $12.50 cruise departs at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. On Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for $22.50 a person, the "Pelican Queen" also takes shellseekers on a voyage to Big Hickory Island, which is only accessible by boat. For sailors, Island Water Tours can arrange private six-passenger luxury sailing cruises. Half and full-day cruises on the Gulf of Mexico are also available.

Europa SeaKruz - The Gulf awaits you on a 6-hour, day or evening cruise aboard the SeaKruz. Your SeaKruz includes a full tableside meal, live entertainment, dancing, passenger games, contests, and the challenge of a Las Vegas-style casino. The full casino features blackjack, craps, roulette, Oasis Stud poker, slot machines and video poker.

Calusa Coast Outfitters - Are you looking for more than the typical "Scenic Nature Cruise?" See the real Florida! Calusa Coast Outfitters provides Estero Island's first true interpretive Eco-Tours of Estero Bay, Florida's oldest salt water aquatic preserve. They are a full-service provider of quality Eco-Tours, servicing the tourism industry, regional public and private schools, and local and seasonal residents. Calusa Coast Outfitters offers in-depth, personalized canoe, kayak and pontoon boat interpretive tours with strict attention to factual accuracy and detail. They feature historical/archaeological tours of the Mound Key State Archaeological Site. Listen to Atlantic bottlenose dolphin during dolphin encounters, using hydrophones and Mote Marine visual identification technology. Jungle cruises up the scenic Estero River. Group tours or private guided adventures.