Events at the Museum of the Everglades

 EDISON & FORD TRAVELING EXHIBIT

Ends November 2,2019

This travelling exhibit on loan from the Edison and Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers explores the fascination with Florida shared by these two amazing inventors. Captivated by the region’s exotic flora, they hoped to discover a domestic source of rubber to meet the growing demand. Edison and Ford made several forays into the Everglades – camping in the wilderness and enjoying the natural beauty that surrounded them. The exhibit features many rare photographs and paints a vivid picture of how these two American entrepreneurs came to love the Sunshine State and make their second home in Southwest Florida.

From Collier Laundry to Collier Museum

October 17 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

The building that is currently the home of Museum of the Everglades began its life as a commercial laundry and dry cleaner. Barron Collier was determined to provide all modern conveniences for the people living and working in what was then the company town of Everglades. The laundry not only washed the swamp mud soiled clothing of the men working on construction of the Tamiami Trail, it handled cleaning the staff uniforms and bed linens for three Collier hotels from as far away as Tampa.

Over the years the building has also served as an insurance agency, a popular local diner, the headquarters of the local Women’s Club and more. Museum Assistant Martha Hutcheson, who served Collier County Museums in this very building for over 15 years, will share the colorful story of how the pink repository on Broadway went from cleaning clothes to preserving history.

Join us at the Museum of the Everglades every month for our Third Thursday lecture series. Presented by museum staff or local authority, these lectures will explore the lesser known and often-overlooked areas of our region’s past.

Every lecture is free, begins at 2 pm and will include an opportunity for questions and discussion.

Fierce People - Southwest Florida's Most Notorious Inhabitants

November 21 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

The Calusa were called “the fierce people” and for good reason. They held off Spanish domination for almost 200 years, but before that, they ruled the entirety of Southwest Florida. We’ll talk about the engineering, trade, and power that made this possible. Presented by Rachel Kangas, Public Archaeology Coordinator for the Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN).

Join us at the Museum of the Everglades every month for our Third Thursday lecture series. Presented by museum staff or local authority, these lectures will explore the lesser known and often-overlooked areas of our region’s past.

Every lecture is free, begins at 2 pm and will include an opportunity for questions and discussion.