edison house tours fort myers fl

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Visitors to Edison and Ford Winter Estates can stroll through more than 20 acres of botanical gardens, the 15,000-square-foot air-conditioned museum, and the Edison botanic research laboratory. The museum contains several galleries that feature some of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford's most prominent inventions. The site is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Guided tours are available at the ticket...

Guided tours are available at the ticket counter on a first-come, first-served basis. Self-guided tours are also available in English, German, French and Spanish through our mobile app. Guests will learn about Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, while strolling the gardens.

ADMISSION INFORMATION Self-guided tours: Members: Free Adults: $25 Teens (13-19): $20 Children (6-12): $15 Children (5 and under): Free Guided tours: Adults: $30 Teens: $25 Children: $18 Visitors are encouraged to purchase tickets online in advance at edisonford.org .

26.634312, -81.879271

2350 McGregor Blvd. Fort Myers , FL 33901 United States

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Florida itinerary: Edison & Ford Winter Estates

Come to Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers, Florida, and stay for the day! There is a lot to see, do and learn! Groups can take a tour of the winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, see the museum and laboratory and walk through more than 20 acres of historic gardens. They can also take a Caloosahatchee River cruise to learn even more about the history of the area and see wildlife up close. The homes and gardens have been restored to the 1929 time period, so visitors can step back in time and imagine what it was like to be one of the famous inventors. There are several types of tours available, including the Historian-Led Tour of the laboratory, museum, gardens and homes; a Self-guided Tour; a Garden Tour, led by horticulturists through the historic gardens and propagating nursery; or they can opt for touring the lab and museum only.

Visitors will see the National Chemical Landmark botanic research laboratory that looks just as it did when Edison was there conducting research; the 15,000-square-foot museum filled with inventions, artifacts, historic photos and video documentaries on the lives of the famous inventors; the winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford; and more than 20 acres of beautiful botanic gardens including trees that Edison planted almost 100 years ago.

There are several types of tours available for groups, including the Historian-Led Tour of the laboratory, museum, gardens and homes; a self-guided tour where visitors can stroll at their own pace while listening to a hand-held audio device; and a Garden Tour, led by horticulturists through the historic gardens and a behind-the-scenes tour of the propagating nursery. For groups that are short on time, a ticket for touring only the museum and lab is also offered.

A sample itinerary includes a guided, Historian-Led Tour, lunch and a river cruise.

10:30 a.m: . Arrive at Edison & Ford Winter Estates 11:00 a.m.: Historian-Led Tour of the winter estate homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, the laboratory, museum and gardens 12:30 p.m.: Pinchers Lunch (a catered or boxed lunch at Edison Ford is also available) 2:00 p.m.: Pure Florida River Cruise on the MV Edison Explorer with historian guide

Visitors will learn a lot about the two amazing inventors. Thomas Edison had at least one patent every year for 60 years. Groups will learn the total number of patents Edison had and why many of those inventions are still important today. Edison tested more than 17,000 plants in his botanic research laboratory. Visitors will learn what he was looking for and why. With the museum, laboratory, homes and gardens, there is something for everyone to enjoy!

ASK Edison & Ford Winter Estates 239-334-7419 EdisonFordWinterEstates.org

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Video: highlights of ford & edison homes in fort myers, fl.

By VISIT FLORIDA staff Not many people know that automotive industry titan Henry Ford once worked for the great inventor Thomas Edison, or that they became good friends — or that they had summer homes next to each other in Fort Myers . Today, the Edison house in Fort Myers and the Ford estate are among the 10 most visited historic homes in the United States. Highlights of Edison and Ford's Fort Myers homes include something for everyone: demonstrations using the equipment in Edison's research lab, behind-the-scenes views of the estate buildings themselves and horticultural tours of the grounds' extensive gardens.

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Thomas Edison & Henry Ford

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Tuesday June 25 , 2024

* Visit Edison's & Ford's Winter Estates in Fort Myers FL ! 

* Admission to the grounds with a   self-guided tour !

* Includes: Homes, Gardens, Museum and Laboratory !

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A Look Inside the Edison and Ford Winter Estates

To escape the brutally cold northern winters, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford had winter homes right next to each other in Fort Myers, Florida. Today this area is known as the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, located on the banks of the Caloosahatchee River. You can view these beautiful historic homes, museum, and laboratory on-site, and to help you with your visit, I’ve put together a short guide that includes visiting tips and what you’ll see.

Perhaps you are like me and just recently learned about these homes. I saw the estates on Samantha Brown’s television series Places to Love . I grew up watching her shows on the Travel Channel, green with envy for her job. So, I was excited to hear she had a new series on PBS. She recently did a short feature on the Edison and Ford Winter Estates down in Fort Myers, and I was captivated by Thomas Edison’s dark green laboratory.

Lucky for us, we made an impromptu side trip down to Fort Myers from Anna Maria Island so that I could see the laboratory for myself. We only got to visit for the afternoon, but we saw most of the property before it started to rain.

Some people don’t like Thomas Edison, and I understand why. Still, I love diving deep into history, especially seeing timeless homes that beckon to me. Plus, I wanted to learn more about the two men who helped contribute to modern-day America.

Table of Contents

Know Before You Go

Address and parking.

The Edison and Ford Winter Estates are at 2350 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers, Florida 33901 . We plugged this address into our GPS, which took us to the parking lot. Parking is free, and you will see signs indicating where to park. We arrived mid-afternoon and had no trouble finding a parking spot. Find the estates on a map here:

Hours and Tour Information

The museum and historic homes are open daily from 9am to 5:30pm, with the last ticket sold at 4:30pm. You can view the different tour prices here .

We did the guided 60-minute tour, where a historian takes you to the estates and through the gardens. This tour is recommended if you have limited time to visit. The cost is more at $30 per adult, but it gives a good overview of the estates. There are also self-guided tours that cost less than guided tours, but both tours include visiting the museum, laboratory, estates, and gardens.

If you do the self-guided tour ($25 per adult), you can download the Edison Ford App for an audio tour of the estates and gardens. It is convenient and free!

If you want to see rooms in the homes that aren’t generally on the other tours, consider the Inside the Homes Tour. This tour is only offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10am. We missed this tour but still saw certain areas in the homes. They have rooms closed off where you cannot enter them, but you can still view the interiors from the doorways.

Other Visiting Tips

I would plan at least half a day to visit the entire place. We were there for about three hours and still didn’t see everything! However, I read a lot, including all the captions you see under every exhibit or artifact in a museum. If you don’t do this, visiting the Edison and Ford Winter Estates might take less time.

We went in June, and it was so hot and humid. It felt like I was back in Cancun, Mexico – one of the hottest places I’ve been. I try to push through it, but it is hard to concentrate when it is that hot! If we go back, it will be in the cooler winter months. With that said, you may want to avoid late spring, summer, and hurricane season.

What You Will See at the Edison and Ford Winter Estates

The property comprises the museum, Edison’s and Ford’s estates, the gardens, and Thomas Edison’s laboratory. Read below to discover a little bit more about each one.

I love the museum because it has air conditioning! Okay, that is not the only reason, but the A/C is a huge plus.

The museum is packed with TONS of history, along with Thomas Edison’s innovations and Ford’s automobiles. The permanent galleries include:

• Orientation Gallery
• Timeline of Innovation
• Into the Wild
• Music and Movies
• Edison and Rubber
• DC vs. AC (Electrify America)
• Edison’s and Ford’s family and friends

As much as I loved learning about Edison’s inventions, my favorite gallery out of those listed above was Into the Wild . This gallery highlights Edison and Ford’s unique friendship and their lavish excursions into the Florida Everglades.

A Close Friendship

Thomas Edison and Henry Ford had a close friendship, which is probably one of the reasons their homes are right next to each other. I like my friends, of course, but not sure if I would live right next to them (sorry y’all!).

They often went on “camping” trips to Cypress and the Everglades. I put camping in quotes since these were elaborate journeys, not your typical camping trips where you pack a tent, light gear, and a cooler with beer.

No, they were definitely glamping. How so? At one point, they had 80 staff members accompany them, including chefs and secretaries! Astonishingly, they even packed a piano to sing and play music for President Harding, who joined them. Can you imagine going on a camping trip this large into the Florida Everglades? I surely cannot.

Disappointingly, they didn’t allow their wives and children to accompany them initially because they were afraid they would somehow ruin their fun (seriously?) The invitation was later extended to them, and the camping trips became quite a family outing. After nine trips, they called it quits as the trips became too publicized, and Edison started to focus more on his work with rubber in his laboratory.

The photos are fun to look at in this gallery; you can clearly see they had a good time.

Thomas Edison had over 1000 Patents!

Thomas Edison had so many patents, and you will see some of them and other inventions that Thomas Edison produced in the Music and Movies gallery of the museum.

Do you know that Thomas Edison influenced the movie film industry? In fact, the first movie studio was established by Edison in 1893. Called the “Black Maria,” it was located not in California but in West Orange, New Jersey. You can see a small-scale model of it at the museum.

Edison also had nine patents in the movie film industry, including a movie projector and a kinetoscope. You might recall seeing flipbooks that have a drawing on each page. When you flip through the book quickly, the images appear in motion. Those flipbooks act like a kinetoscope.

Edison had a projecting kinetoscope that displayed images on a wall. Like a modern-day motion picture, the kinetoscope consisted of multiple images captured within a short time frame, which gave the appearance of subjects in motion, similar to our flipbooks.

He also produced a home kinetoscope in 1913, so people could enjoy a short movie in the comfort of their homes, where they could select a film from a catalog. Think of it as a precursor to modern-day streaming.

Right next to the kinetoscopes in the museum, you’ll see Edison’s phonographs. If you have a record player, you have a phonograph. Not only could the phonograph play music, but it could also record sound and play it back.

The most unique (and creepy) phonograph on display at the museum is Edison’s Talking Doll. The doll spoke prerecorded nursery rhymes. It also had real human hair on top of its head. These were not popular, and it is pretty obvious why.

Don’t miss the remarkable phonograph with the biting marks. Edison had substantial hearing loss in his later years, and the only way he could listen to the sound was to bite down and feel the vibrations!

See Henry Ford’s 1914 Model T

The Orientation Gallery is the first museum gallery you step into after purchasing your tickets. You will see four classic cars, including Henry Ford’s 1914 Model T, and wow, it’s a beauty. I love classic cars.

Ford’s assembly line cut down production time, making cars affordable to more people. The Model T was one of these economical cars, costing around $550 (a little over $14,000 today). Most cars in 1914 were painted black. I am guessing people confused their vehicles with others frequently!

Also, in this gallery, you’ll see Henry Ford’s 1916 Model T. This car was given as a birthday gift to Thomas Edison. Pretty nice birthday gift if you ask me!

Thomas Edison’s Botanical Laboratory

Don’t miss the laboratory during your Edison and Ford Winter Estates visit. It is located right outside the museum, and you will see signs indicating the direction.

The laboratory is my favorite thing to see on the entire property. It’s almost as if you stepped back in time to see how the lab operated, and the remarkable thing is that most of the items are original.

Established in 1928 by Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Harvey Firestone (Firestone tires), the lab served as a research and testing center to grow rubber in the United States.

All three were concerned about how much rubber the United States purchased from foreign countries. Edison was definitely not one to quit, and after years of testing, he finally succeeded in producing rubber at a quicker pace by crossbreeding the goldenrod plant.

Another surprising and really cool feature about the lab is that it has a darkroom! Similar to what you find in a dark room today, their research process was documented by pictures to maintain thorough notes. Many of these photos developed in the darkroom are now displayed in the museum.

Edison and Ford Winter Estates

You’ll have to cross the street to visit the estates. Luckily, the walk from the museum to the estates is not too far. And don’t worry; there is a crosswalk, but be careful.

The estates sit right next to the Caloosahatchee River. You’ll see a beautiful pathway lined with tall royal palms. Edison’s main house and guest home are situated along this pathway. If you continue down, you will see Henry Ford’s estate.

There is also Edison’s caretaker house, a swimming pool, Edison’s study, and the caretaker cottage for Ford. You won’t have to walk too far to see all these as they are near each other.

The houses are not what I imagined. I suppose I’m used to the lavish Châteauesque (think Biltmore House in North Carolina) or Victorian-style architecture popular during this timeframe. 

Instead, the exterior of Edison’s and Ford’s homes is relatively modern. Edison’s main wooden house and guest home have many windows and large, spacious porches. Henry Ford’s estate is craftsman style – very cozy and inviting. You can peer inside certain rooms in the homes, but you cannot walk into them.

Seminole Lodge

Edison’s winter home is known as the Seminole Lodge. The main house was completed in 1886, just in time to return to Florida with Mina, whom Edison married that same year. Today, you can see the family’s bedrooms, the den, a library, and a study.

Edison acquired the guest house in 1906. It has a kitchen, dining room, sitting room, guest bedrooms, and rooms for the staff. President Hoover was one of the famous guests that stayed at Seminole Lodge.

I love that most of the furniture is original – even the wicker furniture on the porch once belonged to the Edison family. The furniture is well-preserved, and some of the pieces look modern.

The Mangoes

Walking a little further down from Seminole Lodge but not too far, you’ll reach the Mangoes – Henry Ford’s winter home. The name of the house fits the area. You’ll notice large orange mangoes if you look up at some of the trees.

Henry Ford and his family purchased this home next to Edison in 1916. The funny thing is that you might expect Henry Ford to have an oversized garage for his cars. But no. The garage was relatively small; you can buy ice cream there today. 

The Gardens

The Edison and Ford Winter Estates have 20 acres of beautiful gardens where you can stroll by different varieties of plants. There are many unique plants, and you might be surprised to discover something you have never seen. We saw bamboo, tropical fruit trees, cycads, and so many palm trees.   

The most stunning tree is the gigantic banyan tree near the museum entrance and the parking lot. You can’t miss it. 

If you want a further breakdown of what is in bloom each month, visit their website. You can even purchase a plant on-site in their garden center near the museum and gift shop entrance. I was very tempted to buy a gorgeous tropical plant but was unsure about taking it in the car for the road trip home.

A Note on My Images

This post contains a mixture of film and digital images. For the film, I used Portra 400 in my Canon E0S-1N. I also had my Instax Square SQ1 to take a few instant shots of the homes. Instax Square is best for taking pictures of landscapes and architecture. 

In retrospect, I wish I had taken more pictures with film during our visit. Unfortunately, I had to put away my film camera for some time since it started to rain while we were touring the estates. The rain didn’t stop me from getting digital images, though.

I am slightly surprised the exposures came out well for Edison’s Botanical Laboratory. The lab has low light, and a tall barrier prevents you from walking fully inside. You can view the lab; you just can’t walk between the tables and machinery. 

The top of the lab’s barrier was at level with my head. I had to stand on my tiptoes to get the shots that I took, and it was hard not to move. My camera was on the smallest aperture value to get enough shutter speed to take the images. Still blurry in some areas of the photos, but I like how they look. And they are now my favorites from the whole set!

Have you been to the Edison and Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers? Please share your experience below !

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2 thoughts on “a look inside the edison and ford winter estates”.

do they have any transportation around for the handicap??

Thank you for your comment. The Estates are ADA accessible and more information can be found here on their site: https://www.edisonfordwinterestates.org/visit/accessibility/

Jessica Travel by Grain

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Edison & Ford Winter Estates

Top choice in Fort Myers

Florida's snowbirds can be easy to mock, but not this pair. Thomas Edison built his winter home in 1885 and lived in Florida seasonally until his death in 1931. Edison's friend Henry Ford built his adjacent bungalow in 1916. Together, and sometimes side by side in Edison's lab , these two inventors, businessmen and neighbors changed our world. The museum does an excellent job of presenting the overwhelming scope of their achievements.

Edison, Ford and Harvey Firestone were dedicated 'tin-can tourists' who enjoyed driving and camping across America together, and exhibits chronicle their journeys and how these fed their refinements of the automobile. Indeed, the main purpose of Edison's Fort Myers lab was to develop a domestic source of rubber (primarily using goldenrod plants) for auto manufacturing, although he then went on to file 1093 patents for things like the light bulb, the phonograph, waffle irons and sprocketed celluloid film.

The rich botanical gardens and genteel homes very nearly glow, and are decked out with historical goodies and period furniture. Don't forgo the self-guided audio tour of the estates (adults/children $25/15). Guided tours are also available from 10am to 4pm on the hour

2350 McGregor Blvd

Get In Touch

239-334-7419

https://www.edisonfordwinterestates.org

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Tour of the Edison & Ford Winter Estates

Did you know that Thomas Edison and Henry Ford spent their winters in Fort Myers, FL ? I didn’t before my parents moved there a year ago, and since then, I’ve taken a tour of the Edison & Ford Winter Estates three times already! It’s fascinating to see the historical houses and labs, and the gardens are so beautiful 🙂

I didn’t realize Fort Myers had such an interesting history, but I’ve loved visiting the Burroughs Home and Edison and Ford’s estate. For a little background, Thomas Edison built his winter estate (Seminole Lodge) and lab in 1885, and Henry Ford bought the home next door (The Mangoes) in 1914. They would move down to Fort Myers in the winter with their families, and their houses and gardens look the same from when they lived there- down to the wicker furniture and pool! Edison brought over a thousand new plants to the area for his experiments (like rubber trees), and you can actually buy some of the plants and flowers for your own gardens.

You can walk around the grounds with a handheld audio tour that has information about different spots, or you can sign up for tours with a historian (those are a little more expensive).

They turned the groundskeeper’s cottage into an art gallery!

Edison and Ford would bring their families down to Florida with them, and Edison’s wife Mina did a lot of work with decorating and landscaping. Back in the day, “moonlight gardens” were all the rage, so Mina designed one for their home. They’re made with white flowers and Chinese lanterns so you can enjoy sitting in a garden at night. 

The pool is one of the neatest things at the estate! It was surprisingly shallow, so I’m not sure how they were able to jump off that high dive into the pool. 

The estate sits along the Caloosahatchee River. Since Fort Myers wasn’t a very populated area in the 1800s, the river was used for transporting supplies. But it would get so shallow near the shore at low tide that they built a long pier (where those posts are today) so the boats didn’t have to come near the shore and risk getting stuck.

You aren’t able to walk inside the house, but the entire house is surrounded by windows and doors to help with the airflow so you can easily see in. In each room, you can see a different looking light fixture called an electrolier, which was designed by Edison. 

This is the same wicker furniture that Edison used!

Right next to Edison’s house is Ford’s. They have a collection of some of his original cars and trucks, and it’s amazing to see how different they look today! Edison and Ford would go camping with their friends, and they would use Ford’s trucks to drive and carry their supplies through swampland and dirt paths. The trucks don’t look that sturdy, but apparently they were! 

Like I said, I’ve been to the Edison & Ford Winter Estates three times now, and I’ve visited both before and after Hurricane Irma. These photos are of the same giant fig tree, and it’s amazing that it survived the hurricane, but you can see a huge difference in the branches from the first two pictures compared to the second two.

There are beautiful flowers and plants and plants all over the estate! Every time I go back, there’s something else in bloom- even in January! It’s a really great place just to leisurely stroll around on a nice day. 

There’s a funny story behind this statue! A real estate developer named James Newton was building a neighborhood across the street from the Edison estate. He commissioned this statue to be made at the front of the entrance and had it covered up when it was first installed, but Mina Edison peeked under the covering. She was appalled that the statue didn’t have clothing and asked James Newton to put some clothes on the statue since Mina would have to look at it every day, and he complied and actually became best friends with the Edisons! He wrote a book about his group of famous friends called  Uncommon Friends: Life with Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, Alexis Carrel & Charles Lindberg , and now the Uncommon Friends Foundation manages the Burroughs Home !

There’s a museum with even more information about Edison and Ford, and you can see Edison’s lab and darkroom! (Can you guess which one I was most excited about? 😉 ) During one of my visits, there was a presentation about Ford’s impact on WWII, which was really interesting! I had no idea he made planes and built a factory just to help out with war supplies.

I learn a TON of history every time I visit the Edison & Ford Winter Estates! It’s a great place to see a part of history you normally wouldn’t or to just walk around and admire the flowers and view from the river 🙂

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18 Comments on Tour of the Edison & Ford Winter Estates

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Wow!! It’s the first time I’m hearing about these estates! They’re so amazing and I love your photos <3

Thank you! 🙂

How fascinating! Thanks for sharing so many photos, I love stepping inside historic houses.

Seeing historic houses is one of my favorite things to do when I travel!

Beautiful photos and what interesting historical facts – I had no clue about this place! Thanks for sharing 🙂

Wow what a beautiful place. Really enjoyed discovering the property through your eyes. Great read and thanks for sharing!

Wow I’m absolutely in love with the moonlight garden!! I enjoyed the story about uncommon friends and found it pretty funny 😛 Ah it’s so warm and lovely here. I can’t wait for Philly to warm up! -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey’s

The moonlight garden was one of my favorite spots! Hopefully it will warm up in Philly soon!

What beautiful estates! I love visiting this type of house, especially when the furniture is left intact and it feels like stepping in a time machine. The moonlight garden is beautiful – I’d love to spend my days landscaping too haha. Your pictures are lovely, thanks for sharing your knowledge about the estates and your experience of them 🙂

Julia x Last Post: The Best Gap Jumper! | http://juliaspeaksbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/fashion-jumper-that-makes-me-happy.html

Thank you! I love visited places like this, too!

What beautiful photos!???? It’s such an amazing feeling when you get to witness the impacts that History has on today!!????️‍♀️???? Great post Darling as per usual. xoxo http://www.beautynbrushes.co.uk

Thank you! It’s always really cool to see history up close!

I live in Fort Myers, not far from the Edison Estates, and have to say that I’ve never been there…always working! So I really appreciated seeing the photos. Thank you! One of these days I’m going to be a tourist and go there myself. 🙂

You should definitely go when you get the chance! It’s an amazing place to visit! 🙂

I love the before and after photos but I hate what it looks like after. Fortunately Everything grows quickly in Florida. Great blog!

Thank you! Yeah it does look really sad after the hurricane, but at least it survived!

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Edison And Ford Holiday Nights 2023

This event ended on December 31, 2023 5:30 pm

Don’t Miss The 48th Annual Edison And Ford Holiday Nights!

Thousands of lights, hundreds of historic decorations, and one unique holiday experience await you nightly! Holiday Nights will run from November 24, 2023 through December 31, 2023, except for Christmas Eve and Christmas night. This year’s theme is “Holidays on Wheels” and will incorporate many different types of wheels, especially car wheels because of the connection to Henry Ford, and also wagon wheels, bicycle tires, ships steering wheels, and train wheelsets.

In addition, lights with new technology are being installed this year. Throughout the property, many of the displays will have more lights than ever before. The palms will have animated “magic lights” that will change colors, and for the first time, the historic pond near the river pavilion will be lighted and there will be lights on the waterfall that are animated and choreographed to music.

Guided Holiday Tradition Tours will be offered at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. every night or visitors can meander at their own pace on a self-guided tour. Inside-the-Homes tours will be offered on November 29, and December 6, 13, and 20 at 6:30 p.m. for a special up-close looks at the homes’ decorated interiors.

Ticket Prices

• Holiday Nights tickets for adults are $20, teens (13-19) $10, children (6-12) are $2, and $10 for Edison Ford members. Get tickets online
• Guided Holiday Tradition Tours are $30 for adults, teens are $25, children $18, and $15 for Edison Ford members.
• Inside-the-Homes Holiday Tours are $50 per person.

Guided tours are not available for advance purchase, and must be purchased in the ticket office on a first-come first-served basis after 4:30pm on the day of the tour. Guided tour admission includes general admission to Holiday Nights to allow visitors to explore on their own at the conclusion of the tour.

Lee County residents with identification will receive $5 off regular-priced Holiday Nights admission on Monday nights.

Special Events Schedule

Tree lighting.

On Friday, November 24 at 6 p.m., this year’s event will kick-off with a tree lighting ceremony. Guests will have an opportunity to participate in the countdown with Dave Elias from NBC-2 when the Christmas tree on the Ford property is lit with thousands of animated lights choreographed to holiday music. Female vocalists, the American Sirens, will perform shortly after the tree lighting.

Children’s Events

The family-oriented event includes the Children’s Tree Trail, which features 50 trees decorated with handmade ornaments from Lee County school children. On Sunday evenings from 6-8 p.m., Santa and Mrs. Claus will be visiting, and on December 3 and 10, children can get their face painted (additional charge for face painting). Then, on December 16 and 23, there will be a teddy bear booth, where children can make a bear (additional charge).

There will be music on several nights, including strolling carolers, a pianist, and tenor saxophone and trumpet players. In addition, the Fort Myers Symphonic Mastersingers will perform on December 13. An antique circus car (a Calliope) with a built-in pipe organ will be played at 6 p.m. on December 12. Curators will be on hand to answer questions about the car, which is a modified 1914 Model T Ford.

Market Mondays

Guests can shop for gift items during Market Mondays, when multiple craft and holiday vendors will have booths around the Banyan tree from 4-9 p.m. on December 4, 11, and 18.

This event runs from November 24, 2023 5:30 pm to December 31, 2023 5:30 pm .

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(p) 239.334.7419 • Open Daily 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. • Last ticket sold at 4:30p.m.