Top things to do near Southwest Florida Airport
Walk into the eye of a hurricane
The IMAG History and Science Center (formerly Imaginarium Science Center) is home to 60 interactive exhibits that take the idea of making learning fun to its extremes. Come here with the whole family to dig for dinosaur bones, learn what a cloud feels like to touch, read the news or become a weather forecaster in front of a green screen and be blown away (literally) as you brave the ‘Hurricane Experience’.
Go on safari
The Everglades Day Safari offers a fascinating guided day-trip around the Everglades and has received rave reviews online. During your trip in these famed sub-tropical wetlands, you’ll go on a journey through their different ecosystems.
Take a nature walk under a canopy of towering bald cypress trees, embark on a picturesque boat cruise into the Ten Thousand Islands mangrove forest and drive through the pine woodlands to get up close and personal with diverse wildlife, with numerous species of rare birds of many different colours fluttering around for keen-eyed birdwatchers to spot.
See seashells from seashores across the world
Due to its unique location, the coastline on the south west of Florida boasts some of the finest seashells on Earth. If you enjoy collecting shells, you have any interest in marine biology or you just appreciate the beauty of nature, be sure to visit Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum. This museum displays shells collected from beaches on the islands surrounding Fort Myers and across the world.
One of the exhibits also showcases the roles seashells have played in architecture, art and culture throughout human history. The ‘Children’s Learning Lab’ features life-size models of Florida’s indigenous people to illustrate how they made use of the abundant natural resources in ancient times.
Visit the homes of legends in American industrial history
The winter home of the inventor of the first practical lightbulb, The Thomas Edison Winter Estate, and the permanent residence of the Ford Motor Company founder, Henry Ford Estate, sit side-by-side in Fort Myers.
Seminole Lodge was the Edisons’ winter residence for almost half a century and is widely considered to be among the finest examples of 19th-century architecture in a South-Floridian style. Meanwhile, Ford’s mansion was built in 1916 and still features much of its original furniture and fittings.
These legends of American industry were very close friends; in fact, the two men’s estates are separated by what is now known as a ‘friendship gate’. Come here to see nine beautifully-preserved historical buildings and 20 acres (8.1 hectares) of botanical gardens.
Edison’s garden comprises more than 1,000 plant varieties from all over the world. These include a 400-foot (122-meter) high banyan tree and a number of African Sausage Trees. And while Mina Edison grew roses and orchids for their sheer beauty, the bamboo trees were actually grown for use in her famous husband’s lightbulb filaments.
Turn your vacation into a whodunit
For a fun evening away from RSW, you can step aboard the All Murder Mystery Dinner Train in Fort Myers just 20 minutes' drive from the airport and play a part in solving a murder mystery after dinner.
Choose from a nice list of menu options for a five-course meal, with main courses including ‘Dublin’s Own Jameson Prime Rib’, ‘Killer Chicken Cordon Bleu’ and ‘Super Sleuth Salmon’. After dinner, you’ll watch the show and collect clues for your chance to be crowned the super sleuth of your dining carriage.
Become a beach bum
Southwest Florida is home to a number of expansive, golden beaches, many of which tend to get very busy. But if you want to sunbathe or splash around in your own private paradise, you can do so at Bowman's Beach in Sanibel Island.
Located in a quiet park off Sanibel-Captiva Road, Bowman's Beach’s seclusion offers plenty of opportunities to collect seashells. At the point between low and high tide, the beach is covered in beautiful seashells of all shapes and sizes and if you venture into the warm, blue sea for a swim, you might well encounter local marine life including dolphins, manatees and sea turtles.
