Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium

ABOUT THIS PLACE

The Junior Welfare League of Fort Myers, now the Junior League, identified the need in 1967, began planning in 1969 and broke ground in 1976. The city leased them the land for a dollar a year. Three nature trails and boardwalks run out from the buildings through flatwoods and swamp, and night hikes are run on a schedule. A raptor aviary holds rehabilitated birds of prey that cannot be released back to the wild, which is also what the center does for injured large raptors brought in from the region. There is a butterfly house, a natural history museum covering the plants, animals and habitats of southwest Florida, and live teaching animals handled in daily presentations. The planetarium seats ninety under a full dome and runs shows every day of the week, with laser shows in the evening several times a year. The historic Iona House has been restored on the grounds. This is the quieter alternative to the larger attractions, and the trails are usually empty on a weekday morning