Gators, manatees and Thomas Edison: 5 bucket list things to do in Lee County

Friends or relatives are coming to visit you in Lee County. Where do you take them?

Well, there are the beaches, of course – everybody knows that. And you should definitely add those to your agenda.

But besides our soft, white sand and stunning beach sunsets, there are many other cool things to choose from in the Fort Myers/Bonita Springs area. To help you decide, here's a bucket list of must-see spots in Lee County.

The Shell Factory in North Fort Myers

Halo the alpaca is one of about 350 animals at Shell Factory Nature Park.
Halo the alpaca is one of about 350 animals at Shell Factory Nature Park.

This Old Florida-style attraction packs a lot into its sprawling 18 acres: A zip line, a nature park, a staggeringly huge gift store, bumper and paddle boats, a restaurant, miniature golf, a petting farm, a videogame arcade and a whole lot more.

The Shell Factory Nature Park features about 350 exotic animals, including iguanas, porcupines, peacocks, alligators, lemurs, alpacas and goats.

? The Shell Factory & Nature Park, 16554 N. Cleveland Ave., North Fort Myers. 995-2141 or shellfactory.com

Read more: You're never bored at the Shell Factory in N. Fort Myers

'Ding' Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island

A great blue heron dancing in the morning light at Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge. Taken with a Canon Rebel T6i at f/5.6 and 1/1600 sec.
A great blue heron dancing in the morning light at Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge. Taken with a Canon Rebel T6i at f/5.6 and 1/1600 sec.

The Sanibel Island refuge is a haven for wildlife photographers and nature lovers. Especially its popular Wildlife Drive.

That four-mile, one-way road takes motorists, cyclists and hikers through parts of the 6,300-acre preserve. "Ding" Darling is home to more than 200 species of birds, alligators and other animals.

? J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, 1 Wildlife Dr, Sanibel Island. 472-1100 or fws.gov/refuge/jn-ding-darling

After Hurricane Ian: Sanibel Island's ‘Ding’ Darling announces reopening of Wildlife Drive

Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers

Chief Curator Brent Newman (left) shows off Thomas Edison's old laboratory at The Edison & Ford Winter Estates.
Chief Curator Brent Newman (left) shows off Thomas Edison's old laboratory at The Edison & Ford Winter Estates.

Renowned inventor Thomas Edison and car manufacturer Henry Ford used to live right next to each other on Fort Myers' McGregor Boulevard. Now the friends' riverfront, Craftsman-style homes are a popular tourist attraction.

The Edison & Ford Winter Estates property includes a museum and Edison's former laboratory filled with his original test tubes, beakers and machines. That's where he and his workers tested more than 17,000 plant species while searching for a natural source of latex to produce rubber.

? Edison & Ford Winter Estates, 2350 McGregor Blvd., downtown Fort Myers. 334-7419 or edisonfordwinterestates.org

Wonder Gardens in Bonita Springs

Bonita Springs' Wonder Gardens is home to many wild animals, including the ever-popular American alligator. And you even get to feed them.
Bonita Springs' Wonder Gardens is home to many wild animals, including the ever-popular American alligator. And you even get to feed them.

Southwest Florida's oldest roadside attraction has gone through many changes since opening in 1936 as the Everglades Reptile Gardens. Now it's a botanical garden that's home to more than 300 rescued, rehabilitated and non-releasable animals.

That menagerie includes alligators, flamingoes, parrots, turtles, tortoises and Chinese golden pheasants. The attraction also features hundreds of native and exotic plants: Fruit and nut trees, palms, orchids, water lilies, ferns and even Ylang-Ylang trees (the scent used for Chanel No. 5 perfume).

CORRECTION: The Wonder Gardens welcome center, gift shop and administrative offices have all reopened since being damaged during Hurricane Ian. A previous version of this story included outdated information.

? The Wonder Gardens, 27180 Old 41 Road, Bonita Springs. 992-2591 or wondergardens.org

Read our 2017 story: 20 things that make Everglades Wonder Gardens special

Manatee Park in east Lee County

A manatee makes its way up the Orange River in Fort Myers in search of warmer waters on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023. Colder temps are on the way and the sea cows gather at Manatee Park off of State Road 80. Warm waters from the Florida Power and Light Power plant flows into the Orange River.
A manatee makes its way up the Orange River in Fort Myers in search of warmer waters on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023. Colder temps are on the way and the sea cows gather at Manatee Park off of State Road 80. Warm waters from the Florida Power and Light Power plant flows into the Orange River.

Why go to this 17-acre park? The answer's right there in the name: You go to see the beloved Florida manatee. When the temperature drops below about 68 degrees, those "sea cows" like to hang out in the warm waters of the Orange River and a Florida Power & Light Plant discharge canal.

The manatees come and go as they please, so call or check the park website to make sure they're present before you go. The best viewing times are November through March, particularly on cool mornings and winter days.

Manatee Park also features a butterfly garden, a playground, a gift shop, picnic shelters and a fishing pier on the Orange River (saltwater license required).

? Manatee Park, 10901 State Road 80 (Palm Beach Boulevard), Fort Myers. 690-5030 or leegov.com/parks/parks/manateepark

Manatee sightings: 6 places to spot sea cows in Southwest Florida

MORE PLACES TO GO

Want more? Lee County's a big place, so here are a few more great places to visit:

Broadway Palm in Fort Myers

A scene from Broadway Palm's 'Elf the Musical'
A scene from Broadway Palm's 'Elf the Musical'

One of the few dinner theaters left in Florida. It's home to musicals, comedies and occasional concerts. broadwaypalm.com

Broadway Palm's new season: 'Mary Poppins,' Agatha Christie and more

Gator Mike’s Family Fun Park in Cape Coral

Cape Coral's Gator Mike's Family Fun Park opened Dinosaur Falls Mini Golf, an Orlando-style tourist attraction, on Dec. 29, 2022. It features 19 holes of golf; nine moving, roaring animatronic dinosaurs; three waterfalls; and a 30-foot "volcano" spewing fireballs into the sky.
Cape Coral's Gator Mike's Family Fun Park opened Dinosaur Falls Mini Golf, an Orlando-style tourist attraction, on Dec. 29, 2022. It features 19 holes of golf; nine moving, roaring animatronic dinosaurs; three waterfalls; and a 30-foot "volcano" spewing fireballs into the sky.

New owner Chris Scuderi has been steadily renovating and upgrading Gator Mike’s since he bought the place in 2019, including zip lines, an aerial park, a rock-climbing wall and the new Dinosaur Falls Mini Golf. The golf course features animatronic dinos and a two-story-tall "volcano" that rumbles, smokes and blasts fireballs into the Cape Coral sky. Plus, coming sometime next year, the city's first Mellow Mushroom pizza restaurant is expected to open in the lot next door.

? Gator Mike’s Family Fun Park, 35 N.E. Pine Island Road/State Road 78, Cape Coral. 574-4386 or gatormikes.com

More about Dinosaur Falls: Dinos roar, volcano erupts at Cape Coral's new mini gold attraction

Koreshan State Park in Estero

A riverside park preserving the former settlement of a late 19th Century religious sect. They believed, among other things, that the Earth and the rest of the universe was contained within a giant, hollow sphere. floridastateparks.org/park/Koreshan

Pillow talk to tragedy: How an Estero messiah filled David Koresh's head with apocalyptic visions

Murder Mystery Dinner Train in Fort Myers

Fort Myers' Murder Mystery Dinner Train
Fort Myers' Murder Mystery Dinner Train

Take a short train trip, enjoy a five-course meal and try to solve a murder. Actors go from dining car to dining car performing scenes. A character dies, and then you get to figure out whodunnit. semgulf.com

Florida Repertory Theater in downtown Fort Myers

Florida Rep's neon, Art Deco sign advertises its historic Arcade Theatre, which first opened in 1914 as a vaudeville house and then became a movie theater in the 1920s.
Florida Rep's neon, Art Deco sign advertises its historic Arcade Theatre, which first opened in 1914 as a vaudeville house and then became a movie theater in the 1920s.

Fort Myers' only Actors' Equity theater company performs plays and musicals in the historic Arcade Theatre, a former vaudeville house and movie theater. They also put on more intimate shows in the smaller Artstage Studio Theatre. floridarep.org

Florida Rep's new season: Hank Williams, a Christmas mash-up and more

IMAG History & Science Center in Fort Myers

The Science on a Sphere show at IMAG History & Science Center in Fort Myers
The Science on a Sphere show at IMAG History & Science Center in Fort Myers

This popular kids destination combines hands-on science and Fort Myers history in one building. It offers more than 60 interactive attractions and exhibits, including a 3,200-gallon aquarium filled with tropical fish; a Fort Myers history museum; and the Science on a Sphere exhibit ― a giant, globe-shaped movie screen used to show everything from historical hurricanes to the planet Mars. theimag.org

Read more: IMAG's Science on a Sphere exhibit shows hurricanes in real time, Mars, the Moon and more

Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in downtown Fort Myers

Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in downtown Fort Myers
Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in downtown Fort Myers

The former Fort Myers courthouse and post office is now a home to art exhibits, concerts, fashion shows, indie movies and more. With its distinctive ionic columns, the neoclassical-style building is a popular stop for selfies and wedding photos. Then there are the twin sculptures out front — tall bronze cylinders that light up at night and project Latin and Creek words onto the sidewalk, street and building. sbdac.com

Davis Art Center: 10 things to know about the Fort Myers landmark

Charles Runnells is an arts and entertainment reporter for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News. To reach him, call 239-335-0368 (for tickets to shows, call the venue) or email him at [email protected]. Follow or message him on social media: Facebook (facebook.com/charles.runnells.7), X (formerly Twitter) (@charlesrunnells), Threads (@crunnells1) and Instagram (@crunnells1).

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Edison Estates, Shell Factory: Must-see things to do in Fort Myers area