You’ll find them all at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates
If you’re looking for a family friendly place to spend a day, or want to show out-of-town guests a side of Florida other than an amusement park, the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers is worth the trip.
On the 20 acres of this attraction, you’ll find historic buildings, botanical gardens, the Edison Botanic Research Lab and the Edison Ford Museum.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
You can meander around the property on your own, take self-guided audio tours or join a tour led by a historian.
You can peek into buildings and see where Thomas Edison and Henry Ford spent their winters and can imagine the two of them, joined by Harvey Firestone, of Firestone tire fame, discussing the need to find a new source of rubber.
In fact, the trio was so concerned about America’s dependence on foreign sources for rubber that they formed the Edison Botanic Research Corporation in 1927.
Under Edison’s leadership, the corporation sought a source of rubber that could be grown and produced quickly in the U.S., in the event of a shortage in the foreign supply.
The banyan tree was among the more than 17,000 plant samples that were tested for Edison’s research.
One of those banyan trees still standing on the property today was planted in 1927. It is understood to be one of the largest banyan trees in the continental United State.
For those who are more drawn to nature than to inventions, the spacious grounds feature orchids, bougainvillea and other flowering plants, as well as towering bamboos and palms. The estate straddles the Caloosahatchee River.
Of special note is a Moonlight Garden designed in 1928 by renowned landscape architect Ellen Biddle Shipman. The garden features fragrant white flowers and a small pool, intended to reflect the night sky’s moonlight.
The Edison Ford Museum includes galleries that interpret the lives and inventions of Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and their families. It is chock full of photographs, inventions, special exhibits and artifacts from the inventors’ days at their winter retreat in Fort Myers.
The Edison & Ford Winter Estates
When: Open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Thanksgiving and Christmas. The last guided tour starts at 4 p.m. There are self-guided audio tours and maps available in several languages.
What: A 20-acre attraction including the historic winter estates of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, botanical gardens, labs and the Edison Ford Museum.
Where: 2350 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers, Florida 33901
How much: $20 for adults and $11 for children ages 6 to 11, includes audio tour and admission to the museum and lab.
More info: EdisonFordWinterEstates.org
Published April 29, 2015
