March 23, 2020
We Are Open: Edison and Ford Winter Estates Offers a Park-Like Setting
FORT MYERS, Fla. (March 23, 2020) — The botanical gardens of the Edison and Ford Winter Estates remain open and offer visitors a chance to stroll through the open-air park-like setting. For the safety of the visitors, the museum and Smithsonian Spark!Lab are not accessible at this time. Admission rates have been reduced to $20 for a guided tour and $15 for the self-guided experience. All events and educational programs have been cancelled or postponed.
Visitors can stroll through the Moonlight Garden at Edison and Ford Winter Estates.
Following the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), extra precautionary measures have been implemented. Hours of operation and other measures will be updated as needed concerning the Coronavirus. The site is closing each day an hour early to allow additional time to thoroughly clean surfaces. Current hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
To ensure that visitors can keep a safe distance from each other, guided tours have been reduced to a maximum of nine people per group, and six-foot social distancing will be monitored throughout the site. With 20 acres, the site is very spacious and visitation is greatly reduced at this time compared to a typical March, allowing more than adequate room for visitors to exceed the recommended distance from one another.
With the recently launched narration app, visitors use their personal phones to listen to the audio that accompanies the self-guided tour. Hand-held audio wands are no longer used. Visitors can also call into a phone number to hear the narration.
While people are spending more time at home, many are finding comfort in their gardens. The outdoor Garden Shoppe offers a large assortment of native and exotic plants available for purchase. This area is free to the public and includes a butterfly demonstration garden. Horticulturists are available to answer questions and give gardening advice.
The Edison and Ford Winter Estates, Inc. is a nonprofit organization and relies on ticket sales, donations and memberships to maintain the botanical gardens and historic structures. The site is a long-time employer in Fort Myers, with 89 employees, and contributes greatly to the local economy. 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 tickets.
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