VIP Tour to Ybor City and St. Petersburg

January 23, 2025

FORT MYERS, Fla. (January 23, 2025) – Edison and Ford Winter Estates offers several private VIP Tours to other tourist destinations throughout the year. The tours are open to both Edison Ford members and the general public. Transportation is included in the ticket cost and offers visitors the opportunity to tour other museums and gardens with a group and share unique behind-the-scenes experiences that they would not be able to participate in on their own.

The next scheduled VIP Tour is to Ybor City and St. Petersburg, where guests will take a walking tour, have lunch at the Columbia Restaurant and take history tours. The VIP Tour will take place on Saturday, February 15. The bus will depart Edison and Ford Winter Estates at 8 a.m. and return at approximately 6:30 p.m.

Today, Ybor City is known as Tampa’s National Historic Landmark District, but in the 1880s it was a melting pot of immigrants from Spain, Cuba, Germany and Italy and home to some of the world’s most famous cigar factories. More than 230 factories were located there, employing 12,000 tabaqueros (cigar makers) and producing more than half a billion cigars a year. The rich history of Ybor encompasses manufacturing, immigration, organized crime and revolution. A local guide will talk about the history, architecture and ambience that makes up the unique community.

Participants will have a catered lunch at the Columbia Restaurant in the heart of Ybor City, which was established in 1905 by Casimiro Hernandez, Sr. Following lunch, the Maria Seville Spanish Dance Company will perform the traditional dance of Spain: The flamenco! The music, the colorful costumes and the passion of the dance are reminiscent of the famous flamenco cafés of Barcelona and Madrid.

The final stop of the day will be in St. Petersburg at the Jungle Prada for a history tour. This National Register of Historic Places is the location of the Narvaez-Tocobaga Indian Mound. David Anderson, who is the grandson of the original property owner of the Anderson/Narvaez archaeological site will talk about the rich history of the area. Anderson is a University of Florida alumnus, a certified horticulture professional and he was previously a historian at Edison and Ford Winter Estates. He will talk about one of the best-preserved Pre-Columbian, Native American sites in the state that was also the landing site of Spanish explorer, Panfilo De Narvaez in 1528. Guests will see the Narvaez-Tocobaga American Indian Mound and hear stories of the native people.

The cost of this tour is $150 for Edison Ford members and $165 for non-members and includes transportation, snacks, tours and lunch. For VIP Tour reservations, contact Sherri Muske at smuske@edisonford.org or 239-335-3677. The deadline to reserve a space for this tour is February 3. Cancellation Policy: There are no refunds 14 days before the tour date unless the vacancy can be filled. Edison and Ford Winter Estates reserves the right to make changes as needed based on availability.