Had my daughters 5th birthday party here last weekend. It was amazing! So many activities and fun…read morefor all kids of all ages! My daughter wanted a rainbow paint party. I had no idea where to look or what to do. I googled places around and found craftland. It was perfect for us. No age restrictions and local family owned business. They were so amazing they supplied a lot and even did the most perfect decorations. They really went above and beyond. Everyone was ranting about how great they did at craftland. The owners are super sweet and you can tell they truly cared and wanted my daughter to have the best party as well! We weren't just customers to them, they treated us all like family. I could not have asked for more. I highly recommend craftland for any upcoming parties.

We took my daughter and a friend for her 12th birthday, and they had a great time! The owners were…read morevery friendly and accommodating. The girls had a blast in the splatter room and then made some beautiful tumblers. We'll definitely be back.

This is an out of the way botanical (and sculpture) garden that doesn't look like much at the…read morebeginning but gets better as you go along. Admission is paid at a booth as you drive in. They normally accept AHS reciprocal memberships for admission, but because there was a special exhibit (origami) during our visit, we paid a reduced rate vs getting in free. Wrist bands are issued when you pay. Once you've parked there's a booth where you can get a map of the premises. The garden is divided by Riverside Drive. The side where you park is just ok, but much of the real beauty (at least in mid- March during our visit) was on the other side of Riverside. There are lots of sculptural elements, pools, and garden color in that area. There's a koi pond, and we saw a little blue heron there during our visit. We spent about 90 minutes enjoying the scenery. There are apparently plans to enhance these gardens, so stay tuned!

Nice gardens in an area I didn't anticipate seeing something. We were lucky enough to be there…read morefor a metal origami exhibit which was interesting. Nice mixture of trees, plants and statues. The koi pond was nice and you could feed them If you chose. The gift shop was very nice with reasonably priced items. I wish there were more signs on the plants and trees so I knew what I was looking at.

Pottery Express has a vast collection of pots and anything you need to decorate outdoors. Service…read moreis very helpful and the value is great on everything.

Good selection. Easy to drive to. Friendly staff. Very helpful Highly recommend…read moreGood quality products.

We had a fabulous lunch at their Cafe and were surrounded by Bougainville climbed walls and a…read moregorgeous fountain as we laughed and told stories. It was so neat and reminded me of a quant Italian experience. Food was delicious and our waiter adjusted the table umbrella to keep us out of the noon sun.

The center's breath and scope are remarkable. There's much happening there. It's impressive…read more Attended a birthday party and did not care for the octopus salad at the cafe while I didn't take the server's recommendation either (which I usually do. My bad). Pleased they have beer and wine. Parking is adequate. Any 1-star review is unreasonable. It's a community center which does good work.

A unique opportunity to see the work of a large format film photographer. Watch for tours of the…read moredarkroom... it's a peek behind the curtain into the world of hand-printed enlargements from film negatives. This is also no ordinary small darkroom... they produce large format works. A lot of Clyde's work is on display here, and can be purchased in a variety of sizes, with or without frames. All black and white photography, you can see his large format film work and his more recent digital photography. Books and calendars are also available. Sometimes you can catch Clyde here to sign works you purchase. A room of the gallery is dedicated to his wife Niki's hand-painted photography, featuring colorful pastels. I'm a film photographer myself, and just seeing the large format equipment and banquet-table sized developing tray line was an inspiration.

Definitely a hidden gem. Jackie, Paul & Rosie helped us feel at home, nice galley presentation…read morewith guide book describing a bit about the picture, where & how it was taken, photo books to page thru at a nice big table. Parking lot was a bit small, but no one was there when we got there, but it was full when we left! Possibly parking on the street. Aside from all these nice things, the pictures were amazing! We have seen lots of Clyde Butcher pictures, but have never seen the Largest prints we saw here! Very cool. Definitely will visit again!

I always seek out the Indy bookstores when in visiting somewhere new. Copperfish Books did not…read moredisappoint. Wonderful selection of books, friendly staff, convenient downtown location. I felt completely at ease browsing through the store. I was not pressured at all and it was so refreshing to be acknowledged while being allowed to browse at my leisure. There is something for everyone here. From books, to journals, postcards and bookmarks, there's something here that will speak to your bookish soul.

We love this bookstore. It is so friendly and inviting and I love reading everyone's opinions on…read morethe books they have read. They have a great selection and I love the used book section outside where I get a lot of my vacation reads. They are so inexpensive that I can leave them behind in the resort library for others to enjoy. Support local. I know I do! Christmas is coming and everyone on my list gets a book cause we like to hold one and treasure every page!

One saying everyone should live by nowadays is, Think Outside The Box…read more If you are thinking about getting someone an out of the ordinary gift, then stop by at chatterboxes. There you might meet the owners if they are in town from their worldly travels. A perfect opportunity to learn about their art and crafts which consist mainly of European and South African influences. You might even say it would be a perfect opportunity to chat about something outside the box.

The former summer home of 1890's Architect Price was moved to History Park from the riverfront…read morealong Etta Esplanada after 2004's Hurricane Charley. The Punta Gorda Historical Society offers free tours. Inside, period furnishings, not owned by Price but donated and collected by the Historical Society, add to the atmosphere. Price was ahead of his time and recognized that the religious fervor that swept the country was a business opportunity. All the new converts needed a church. So he designed mail order churches that were sold and shipped by the thousands all over the country. Once a shipment arrived, the local parishioners could put up the structure. The Methodists still attend services in a Price design in Punta Gorda. Price's style is recognizable by its faux carillon and pointed arch facade. On the domestic front, Price didn't seem so successful. The docent pointed out the doors that lead to the outside from every room. It was first believed that this was for fire safety, but old timers soon corrected this assumption with the long-lived public knowledge that it was Price's wife who had to have quick and immediater access outside. They said she was an insanely jealous woman who chased down the sound of any woman's voice that might be in the garden with her husband. The Price lovenest was a bit of a takeoff on the cuckoo too. Price didn't build from the ground up, but chose to buy two cottages, then attached them with a center structure. It became a modern split plan with the bedrooms on one side and the kitchen and dining on the other. He also added a porch to the bedroom side of the shingled house.