March 22, 2020
Edison and Ford Winter Estates Implements New Safety Measures
FORT MYERS, Fla. (March 22, 2020) — Edison and Ford Winter Estates remains open with reduced hours and extra precautionary measures implemented. Executive officers are communicating with city officials about how to operate the site within the guidelines outlined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Hours of operation and other measures will be updated as needed concerning the Coronavirus.
Starting March 22, the site will be open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Reduced operating hours will allow
Thomas Edison’s winter home at Edison and Ford Winter Estates.
additional time for cleaning staff to thoroughly clean surfaces. To ensure that visitors can keep a safe distance from each other, guided tours are being reduced to a maximum of nine people per group, and six-foot social distancing will be monitored throughout the entire premises. Visitors can stroll independently through 20 acres of open-air botanical gardens at their leisure, while maintaining the recommended distance.
The site recently launched an app with narration that coordinates with the self-guided tour and no longer uses the hand-held audio wands. Visitors can also call into a phone number to hear the narration. This allows people to use their personal phones while taking the self-guided tour.
The Edison and Ford Winter Estates, Inc. is a nonprofit organization and is 99% self funded. The organization relies on ticket sales, donations and memberships to maintain the botanical gardens and historic structures. During the course of a normal year, it provides educational programming and events for the community. The site is a long-time employer in Fort Myers, with 89 employees, and contributes greatly to the local economy.
Executive officers are monitoring the Coronavirus situation closely and are following the recommendations of the CDC. With 20 acres, the site is very spacious and visitation is greatly reduced at this time from what is normally expected for the month of March; therefore, people have plenty of room to spread out and exceed the recommended distance from one another.
For the safety of visitors and staff, many precautionary measures have been implemented. These measures will be evaluated daily and adjusted as needed.
- Starting March 22, admission tickets will be sold online only and will be redeemed at the information booth to limit the exchange of money.
- Guided tours are being limited to groups of nine so that visitors can spread out and meander at their own pace and exceed the recommended distance from others.
- Interactive areas and the Spark!Lab are closed.
- All events and educational programs have been cancelled.
- Cleaning services are being utilized for extra sanitation of door handles, railings, counter tops and other common areas.
While people are spending more time at home, many are finding comfort in their gardens. The site’s nursery, the Garden Shoppe, offers a large assortment of native and exotic plants available for purchase. This area is free to the public as admission tickets are not needed to walk through the Garden Shoppe.
The organization is also a wedding destination site, and is offering couples the opportunity to postpone or reschedule weddings and events.
Guests are encouraged to check the website daily for updated information or to purchase self-guided admission.
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