The Bailey Homestead Preserve is worth walking or biking through especially at low tide so you can…read moresee the wildlife. We saw a whole flock of snowy egrets at a very close range. In a different location is the Natives Landscapes & Garden Center off the bike path along Periwinkle Way. I highly recommend the mangrove honey sold at the store there. The seagrape honey is good also.

Nice place to stop and remember your in Florida Just past…read morematzaluna restaurant Beautiful big landscaped estate and well maintained Bailey homestead Nice to drive and walk You can bike through there too and it gets you off periwinkle Read what the website says about the place and you get much more appreciation for its beauty and size and conservation efforts I visit the island often and never went in here before today. I was really missing something meaningful We are going to get a ice cream and come down here more often to enjoy the scenery

Such a beautiful home and great place to bring out of town guests. Programs and events are always…read moreengaging and the people are so welcoming and knowledgeable.

A wonderful piece of preserved history in Downtown Bonita Springs, Florida. The McSwain home is…read moreopen to the public. The gardens are currently being improved and completed. The chickee hut in the back yard is complete and offers a spot for events. This is going to be a great edition to venue space available in downtown for events such as weddings, showers, birthdays, etc.

The Bonita Springs Historical Society stewards the McSwain Home in Downtown Bonita Springs,…read moreFlorida. Events include speaker series, author series, historic walks and garden tours of their Florida friendly garden plants and pollinators gardens.

The Bonita Springs Historical Society is a non profit founded in 1984 by a small group of local…read moreresidents who wished to preserve the landmarks, artifacts, and historical stories of Bonita Springs for future generations. The historical society promotes local history through events, educational programs, teas, socials, and community events. They will even schedule custom group tours and events. Walking historical tours include information about the Calusa Native Americans who once lived in this area, native plants and ecology of Island Park, the 1920s-era Lilas Hotel, the 1921 Bonita Springs Elementary School, and the Castner house bungalow. A $10 donation is suggested for tours. Dates for 2024 tours have not been announced yet. The Bonita Springs Historical Society owns the historic McSwain home built by Joseph and Elizabeth McSwain from Osyka, Missouri in1915. The McSwain's built their wood family home on a dirt road called Heitman Avenue, which later became part of the Tamiami Trail. At the time the house was built Bonita Springs didn't even exist, the area was called Survey because it was a camp of government surveyors in the 1870s. At the time the house was built it was so far out in the wilderness that this section of road between Naples and Ft. Myers was not even able to be traveled by car for the next two years. The city was renamed Bonita Springs in the early 20th century, to attract residents who became interested in the area by a boom in citrus grove planting. In the 1970's, the home was purchased by Hudon and artist Ann Humphries. In 2011 the couple bequeathed the home to the historical society who had to restore the house from the ground up. Hurricane Irma did further damage before restoration was complete. By 2019 the historical society was fully able to open the restored home and use it as an event center to raise funds for the historical society and as a meeting place for local organizations. Historic walking tours are also able to view the home. The societies efforts to safeguard the town's architectural heritage contribute significantly to the community's sense of identity and character. Bonita Springs offers several yearly heritage events, including the city-sponsored Celebrate Bonita festival and the Bonita Springs Historical Society annual history walking tour. In addition, the historical society provides a pamphlet for a self-guided tour of the city's historic sites and conducts outreach to the local elementary school, offering private history tours and presentations. From its early days as a settlement to its growth as a vibrant community, the historical society preserves the challenges and triumphs that have shaped Bonita Springs over the years. The society's commitment to preserving and sharing the heritage of Bonita Springs is evident in every aspect of their well-curated exhibits and engaging programs.

If you're interested in seeing some really cool, beautiful artworks made my local SWFL artists,…read morethis is the place! Exhibits change monthly, when you visit you may see artists working, art classes or a gallery talk (free). The new location at Cypress Square shopping center on McGregor Blvd is close to great dining and shops: Prawnbrokers, Blu Sushi, Bellini's, A Swedish Affair gift shop, great nail salons and more. A beautiful place to stroll for girls night or a date . The gallery is operated by the artist members, who are a fun bunch, supportive and of varying levels of experienced, from beginners to regional, national and global level masters.

Wonderful variety of art pieces and friendly people who volunteer to be greeters and sales people…read more Many types of classes from beginner level to master level A good place to enjoy art or purchase a treasured piece or a gift

This senior center is a beautiful, new facility. Visit in person the first time during the day to…read morecomplete the membership application and pay your annual dues. Once done, you can sign up for classes, events, and luncheons each month using an online account. Membership is for individuals 65 years old and older. Classes and events are free once your annual membership is paid. Sign up early because spaces in classes and events fill up quickly. They have exercise classes, art classes, games, movies, luncheons, and a lot more.

Excellent facility and staff. Warm and welcoming place for seniors to gather and meet other…read moreseniors. There are many activities and classes to attend as well as social events.

Thriving sport fishing community in Cape Coral nudged up against the lazy town of Matlacha with…read morefinger canals leading into the Gulf of Mexico. Been coming to this sleepy town every month and the terrain is constantly changing with the enlarging of the Sirenia Vista Park where you can dock your boat and the ultra busy Joe Stonis Park for a day of tennis or jogging. Most of the waterfront lots have skyrocketed the last few years well over the $250k mark where custom homes are being built everyday.

There is so much to look at, you can easily spend hours just walking around inside. We didn't leave…read moreempty handed.

Now that we have a new space in Westchester, we've been leveling it up little by little and thought…read morewe can bring a few art pieces back home. Gannon's, in Ft. Myers has a lot of that. Every booth here has something different with one-of-a-kind art and sculpture pieces. Prices are all mixed- but for the most part, be ready to spend a bag if you want the real standout pieces. If Gannon's your vibe, this is the spot for you.

This is a really cool place to go when you need a fun activity for visitors or kids! It's a little…read morepricey for admission, but it includes access to lots of animals, walking trails, a small butterfly enclosure, an aviary, and a planetarium. The animals they had were fun to see and there were quite a lot of them! The outside area is very nice as well, and I'd probably go on the trail if it wasn't so hot out. I unfortunately didn't have time to wait for the planetarium show, but it's cool that it is a part of the experience. I enjoyed walking around and would recommend it.

In desperate need of renovation and possibly new management…read more Planetarium was very unsatisfactory. The seats do not recline to a comfortable angle. We both walked out in desperate need of a chiropractor adjustment. The feature was like watching an old reel to reel home movie complete with rough imagery and popping sounds in the audio. I'm going to venture out here and say they need new equipment because the feature we paid to see was supposed to be a visual marvel. The presentation left us uninspired and not impressed. Exhibits. The tanks were dirty, the exhibits were run down old and outdated. If the ppl there are volunteers some need to be asked not to return, if they're employees they need to be fired. When we asked questions they acted annoyed that we were even there. The animals. I'm hoping they'll be able to improve. I know they're probably still trying to recover from the storms but they need to do more, faster. I shouldn't feel pity for the animals having to spend their life in captivity and wondering are they truly better off. We visited a wild bird sanctuary in Key Largo which was wonderful. We were so impressed we wanted to and did make a separate donation to help keep their doors open. They operate on donations for entry, not an entry fee. Fort Myers, you have a good foundation but you need to step up your game. What started out as new in 1970 is in desperate need of repair. Inspire us!! Also, I'm not tourist. We will go back and continue to pay for entry but I'd like to see some improvements being made between visits.