Fort Myers Travel Guide — Best Time, Things to Do & Where to Stay

Why Fort Myers

Fort Myers is a major travel destination and the seat of Lee County in Southwest Florida, acting as a gateway to the broader region. Located along the Caloosahatchee River, the city anchors a large metropolitan area alongside the neighboring city of Cape Coral and ranks among the twenty-five most populous municipalities in the state.

The surrounding area was historically located near the capital of the Calusa people prior to eras of Spanish, British, and American governance. The city derives its name from a United States Army post built in 1850 on the site of the former Fort Harvie. Named in honor of Colonel Abraham Charles Myers, the fort later served as a Union base during the American Civil War to support local Union sympathizers, harbor escaped slaves, and intercept Confederate cattle drives. It was also the site of the southernmost land battle of the war in February 1865.

Permanent civilian growth began in 1866 when Captain Manuel A. Gonzalez opened a local trading post. Incorporated as a town in 1885, Fort Myers developed rapidly after waterways were dredged to connect Lake Okeechobee with the Caloosahatchee River, opening the region to steamboat traffic. The arrival of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1904 further expanded transit connections, while later real estate expansion in the 1920s established classic residential neighborhoods such as Dean Park, Edison Park, and Seminole Park.

Fort Myers is widely known for its connections to prominent historical figures. Inventor Thomas Edison constructed his winter home, Seminole Lodge, along the river in 1886, where he conducted extensive botanical research. Industrialist Henry Ford later bought the neighboring estate, known as The Mangoes, in 1916. Today, the combined Edison and Ford Winter Estates display preserved residences, botanical gardens, and historical laboratory facilities. Edison's imports of royal palm trees along McGregor Boulevard also earned Fort Myers its nickname as the City of Palms.

Visitors to the city can explore several additional cultural and recreational attractions. The downtown district features the historic 1908 Arcade Theater, which currently hosts the Florida Repertory Theatre, alongside the riverfront Centennial Park. Other popular sites in the area include the IMAG History & Science Center and the Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium.