Historic Sites & Museums

Edison & Ford Winter Estates: www.efwefla.org

The Edison & Ford Winter Estates are open daily, year round to accommodate thousands of guests each year (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day). The Estates offer extensive guided tours of the Edison & Ford homes, gardens, and laboratory. Group rates and special tours are available with advanced reservations.

The Estates is daily from 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. The Estates was awarded the National Trust for Historic Preservation Award in 2008 and is an official project of “Save America's Treasures” at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a Florida Historic Landmark and a National Register Historic Site. For additional information call 239-334-7419.

The Southwest Florida Museum of History: www.swflmuseumofhistory.com

The Southwest Florida Museum of History is located at 2300 Peck Street just one block south of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in historic downtown Ft. Myers. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm. It is open to individuals and for group tours.

Housed in the former Atlantic Coastline Railroad depot, the Museum is home to the history of Southwest Florida. Paleo Indians, the Calusa, the Seminoles, Spanish explorers, and early settlers are just a few of the people you will meet as you view our exhibits. An authentic replica of a pioneer "cracker" house, a 1926 La France fire pumper, and a 1929 private Pullman rail car are also part of the tour.

In addition, the museum also houses an extensive artifacts collection detailing early civilization, the Fort, the first settlers, the cattlemen, turn of the century, the military and agriculture, boating and fishing industries in Fort Myers are highlighted as well as a display of 1,200 pieces of depression and carnival glass.

Fort Myers Museums Information: www.fort-myers.world-guides.com

As a region with a rich and interesting history and heritage, it is not surprising that Fort Myers contains some great museums. Full of history and interesting information about the Fort Myers area, the museums are dedicated with real integrity, preserving those aspects of the region's past that have contributed so much to its present identity.

The city boasts the Fort Myers Historical Museum, aiming to provide a good general introduction to the history of the area, and the Williams Academy Black History Museum, presenting a more diverse historical aspect, so visitors are sure to find something of interest at museums in Fort Myers. Here are some of the top museums in the Fort Myers area.