Museum and Botanic Research Laboratory Re-opening
On July 1, Edison and Ford Winter Estates will open the 15,000-square-foot air-conditioned Museum and historic Botanic Research Laboratory. The botanical gardens and riverside of the property previously opened. The site is open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Museum will feature a returning exhibit, “DC vs. AC: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify America.” The exhibit illuminates the relationship between Edison, Tesla, and Westinghouse and explores their contributions to electricity. The curatorial staff are also giving two existing galleries in the museum a makeover, so there will be several new areas for visitors to view. The children’s Spark!Lab is currently closed.
“The relationship between Edison, Tesla, and Westinghouse has been dramatically explored in books, films, and popular culture,” said Mike Cosden, Executive Vice President. “This exhibit answers a lot of questions about the three men and explores the invention of electricity.”
Guided tours will once again be available and limited to groups of 10 people to ensure everyone can adequately practice social distancing. Self-guided tours are also available, and allow visitors to use an app on their personal phones along with a printed map of the site. Guests will learn about Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, while strolling more than 20 acres in a park-like setting. The gardens offer large shade trees, a scenic river view and plants and trees from around the world.
Specialty tours, including Inside-the-Homes, Automotive and Garden tours are also available. These guided tours offer visitors the chance to see and explore behind-the-scene areas with a knowledgeable site historian. To ensure that people will have room to stand six feet apart, a maximum of 10 tickets will be sold for each tour. Garden tours (with a horticulturist) are available by appointment only. Visitors will be required to reserve tickets in advance.
With the opening of the Museum and Laboratory, regular-priced admission tickets are in effect. Admission tickets for self-guided tours are as follows: adults, $25; teens (13-19), $20; children (6-12), $15; children 5 years old and younger will be admitted free. Guided tours: adults, $30; teens, $25; children, $18. Members get in free. Visitors are encouraged to purchase tickets online.
The outdoor Garden Shoppe and the Museum Store are also open. The Garden Shoppe offers unique and hard-to-find plants, shrubs and trees, herbs, succulents, fruit trees, and Florida natives. Garden staff are available to answer gardening questions. Members receive a 10 percent discount on all garden and gift items (excludes tickets).
The Museum Store is stocked with unique gift items and souvenirs, including books, clothing, kitchenware, kid’s games and science kits, artwork from local artists, and garden art. There are also many Thomas Edison and Henry Ford signature souvenir items, such as replica light bulbs and model Mustang cars.
Following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control, all staff are wearing protective masks, and surfaces are cleaned and sanitized daily. Visitors will be required to wear masks during guided tours; masks are recommended for self-guided tours. All visitors should practice social distancing throughout the site.
Thank You to Our Summer Camp Sponsor: Entech
Each week marks a different session of summer camp at Edison Ford. “Creative Coders” explores multiple platforms as campers take on daily computer challenges.
Entech is a Fort Myers-based custom IT services provider, and a longtime partner of Edison Ford. Because of Entech’s generous support for the “Creative Coders” camp, education staff have been able to purchase and upgrade cutting edge equipment and provide a scholarship for one student in need to attend the camp.
Please join us in thanking Entech for their support of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) education in southwest Florida!
Click here to learn more about Entech.
Ryan & Gabriella
Ryan and Gabriella recently shared their story with us.
Where did you and your fiancé meet?
We met on the first day of orientation for law school at the University of Alabama. But the first time that we saw each other was the previous evening – some students had gathered at a local restaurant before law school officially kicked off. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to speak with Gabriella that evening. So when I arrived at school for orientation, the first thing I did was introduce myself to her. From that point on, we were always with each other.
Who popped the question? How? Where? When?
We were staying at her parents’ home in Fort Myers during our Christmas break. I woke up early to get her flowers, macarons and chocolate-covered strawberries. After waking her up with the flowers and candy, I took her to her favorite downtown restaurant for brunch. That late afternoon, we ventured to Barefoot Beach. We arrived, crossed the boardwalk, and set out along the shore. As the sun began to set, I turned toward Gabriella and took my place on one knee. Presenting the ring to her, I asked her to be my bride. She said yes. We captured the event on the beach with a photoshoot from Set Free Photography. After spending a quiet dinner at the Veranda, an old southern home-turned-restaurant, we returned to Gabriella’s parents’ house. Family and friends greeted and congratulated us. We celebrated until the early hours in the morning.
Thank you to our preferred vendors:
Stacy with SetFree Photography
Kehrin with JetSetWed
Courtney with Isn’t She Lovely Florals
Thank You to This Week’s Camp Sponsor: Fred & Gingy Quinn
Believe it or not, summer camp season has arrived at Edison Ford. This year, we are fortunate to be working with many local organizations who have sponsored sessions of camp. Their generous support makes it possible to invest in new and cutting edge technologies, upgrade computers and other equipment, and importantly, to offer scholarships to local student in need.
This week’s session, entitled “Mad Chemistry,” exposes campers to acids, bases, reactions, and more, as they learn through experimentation.
We would like to thank local philanthropists Fred & Gingy Quinn for partnering with us to sponsor this exciting camp session! With four decades of leadership experience in the chemical industry, Fred Quinn received the 2014 Industry Statesman Award from the American Coatings Association.
