Fun Things to Do

The Edison and Ford Winter Estates are the biggest tourist attraction in the city of Fort Myers. Edison Ford is a National Register Historic Site and is one of the most visited historic home sites in America. Visit the Edison and Ford historic homes, the twenty acres of gardens and see what the Edisons created during their many winters in Southwest Florida. Explore the 15,000 square foot museum which showcases Edison and Ford memorabilia and take a guided tour through the Edison Botanic Research Laboratory.

Walking Tours of Downtown Fort Myers are a fun and interesting way to explore the historic buildings of Fort Myers. Enjoy touring the River District, Fort Myers' downtown historic district, an area that has the largest concentration of historic structures still standing in all of Southwest Florida. If you are a history buff, try a River History Tour that highlights the historically maintained buildings in the district and the colorful people who built them. Whether you are interested in learning more about the foundation of our city, our art and architecture, the various Fort Myers walking and sightseeing tours are a must-do!  For more information, visit https://visitflorida.com for travel ideas articles in Florida.

The Butterfly Estates feature a working glass Butterfly Conservatory with cascading waterfalls, lush tropical nectar gardens, and butterflies. There is a Nature Interpretive Center where visitors can learn about how butterflies evolve from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis and then emerge as beautifully colored butterflies.

Manatee Park, which is about 2 miles down the road from Verandah, is a warm water refuge for the protected and threatened Florida Manatee. At Manatee Park you can rent a kayak and get up close to these gentle giants or you can take a boat tour. The park also provides paved trails and an amphitheater to view the manatees. You are most likely to see the manatees in late December, January and February when the temperature in the Gulf of Mexico drops below 68° F (20° C).

Babcock Ranch Eco Tours located off SR-31, is a 90-minute narrated tour through four different ecosystems. You will see wildlife in nature – alligators, birds, perhaps deer, wild hogs, wild turkeys, Sandhill cranes and more, often coming within a few yards. Or you can go off on your own and explore Babcock Ranch by foot. See the working cattle ranch, alligators, deer, a variety of native birds, and don’t forget the Gift Shop or the Gator Shack Restaurant.

Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve is over 3,500 acres of wetland ecosystem with a Boardwalk trail and Interpretive Center. The cypress slough catches and slowly filters rainwater on its way towards Estero Bay. A myriad of animals like otters, alligators, turtles, wading birds, and more live at the Slough year-round. Others, like migrating birds and butterflies, use the Slough as a feeding area or a winter home.

Naples Zoo is nationally accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the organization that sets the highest standards for wildlife care, education, and conservation. During your visit you will see animals like lions, monkeys, and giraffes and you can enjoy watching rare creatures during premier wildlife shows.

The Everglades Wonder Garden in Bonita Springs is a cute tropical zoo where a diverse family of rescued, rehabilitated and non-releasable Florida Alligators and Flamingos live as well as beautiful macaws, pythons, turtles, tortoises and even Chinese Golden Pheasants.

Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium in Fort Myers is a 105-acre site hosting a Natural History Museum with live animals, nature trails, a planetarium that is 44 feet in diameter with educational/fun shows daily, a butterfly aviary, an aviary that is home to many injured birds of prey including hawks, owls, and two bald eagles. The Center hosts many exhibits and programs about the animals, plants and environment of Southwest Florida

Koreshan State Park, set along the banks of the Estero River, offers the opportunity to experience the past at the Koreshan settlement as you walk among houses and buildings of the ate 1800s, see food prepared from scratch and cooked in a 19th-century wood-burning stove, follow the preserved bamboo trails cultivated by the Koreshans, and see the gopher tortoises, rare, land-dwelling reptiles that are protected in every state as an endangered species.

J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, on the subtropical barrier island of Sanibel, is part of the largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystem in the United States. It is world famous for spectacular migratory bird populations. The refuge was established in 1945 to safeguard and enhance the wildlife habitat of Sanibel Island, to protect endangered and threatened species, and to provide feeding, nesting, and roosting areas for migratory birds.

Southwest Florida is chock full of fun and enriching activities. There are several publications that offer a comprehensive source to find them. Here are a few: Lee County Parks & Recreation; Destination Magazine.