“There is only one Fort Myers, and 90 million people are going to find out.”
— Thomas Edison
young visitors were intent on discover-
ing the answers.
Fort Myers
& Nearby Islands
Captivate Everyone Who Visits
T
h o m a s
and laboratory area.
FAMILY TRAVEL
Edison,
The complex along
America’s
the Caloosahatchee
— by Deborah Williams
most famous inventor,
River is a National
first came to Fort Myers in southwest
Register Historic Site and includes their
Florida in 1885 looking for a place to
homes, gardens, Edison’s laboratory and
escape the cold northern winters. At the
the museum.
time, Fort Myers was a very small town
Inside the museum, children’s ex-
with a population of 349 people. His ar-
cited voices draw families to the Smith-
rival heralded a new era in the region’s
sonian Spark!Lab, a new area designed
history.
as the place where visitors — young
Not only was he a creative genius
but he also was a lover of nature and
recognized the area’s beauty and bounty.
Though development has transformed
the area, it is still possible to experi-
ence some of the world that Edison and
his family and friends, including Henry
Ford and Harvey Firestone, enjoyed.
This is the place for families who
delight in miles of protected waters,
world class shelling, top-rated
kayak trails, dolphins,
manatees,
alligators,
exotic birds, and bik-
ing on miles of bike
paths. The emphasis
is on education, con-
servation, and fun with
many programs special-
ly designed to spark the
curiosity and imagination of
children.
Start your visit to the Edison &
Ford Winter Estates by posing for a
photo with the statue of Thomas Edison
under his amazingly huge banyan tree
that highlights the front of the museum
14 WNY Family May 2019
and older — become inventors. The lab
invites everyone to create, collaborate,
explore, test, experiment and invent.
Volunteers are on hand to offer sugges-
tions about the possibilities at the vari-
ous invention stations.
One three-year-old German girl was
obviously delighted watching the results
of her paper creation’s journey through
a wind tunnel and up in the air.
Others were intently cre-
ating their own soon-
be-be flying saucers.
What could be
done with gears,
wheels, and bat-
teries?
Several
Nearby is the Orientation Gallery
with exhibits on Edison’s life and his
most famous project: electric lighting.
Other exhibits revolve around the legacy
of Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Com-
pany. Thomas Edison’s 1916 Model T is
on display. It was given to him by Ford
for his birthday and represents their
close friendship.
Are you a family of campers? You
might be as surprised as I was to learn
about the explorations of Edison, Ford,
Firestone and John Burroughs into the
great outdoors. Their trips throughout
the United States helped popularize the
idea of recreational camping. Some trips
also included wives and children.
Their trips were fancier than today’s
typical camping excursions. Photos
show the men dressed in suits and ties,
and they brought along dozens of staff
including their cook. They traveled with
early purpose-built camping vehicles,
such as the “Chuckwagon” on display
that Ford had constructed to carry food
and water for the campers.
Edison’s favorite invention was
his phonograph that marked the first in-
stance in history that sound could be re-
corded and played back. Volunteers are
on hand to talk about the impact of this
invention that soon became a must-have
in many American homes.
In 1886, the year after Edison
bought the property, he brought his
bride, Mina Miller Edison, here. (Of
course, there is a Western New York
connection to the story: his wife’s father
was the co-founder of the Chautauqua
Institution and Edison was a frequent
visitor and wired the Athenaeum Hotel
for electricity.)
Today, Edison’s house and guest
house, the caretaker’s house, Edison’s