The city of Fort Myers on the sunny southwest coast of Florida is an easily accessed tourist destination serviced by the Southwest Florida International Airport. More than 7.5 million people pass through its gates each year, coming from all over the world. Fort Myers is the county seat of Lee County and is linked to Fort Lauderdale and Miami by Interstate 75 and U.S. Highway 41.
Tourists and locals alike find it easy to explore the city and surrounding areas by using Amtrak, Greyhound, and a unique bus transportation system called the Lee Tran, which is especially convenient for everyone and especially disabled persons. It consists of 17 constant routes with a "Park and Ride" option and with round trips to all the local beaches. Also within striking distance are the cities of North Fort Myers, Page Park, Pine Manor, East Dunbar, Tice and Cape Coral.
The explorer Ponce de Leon may have been the first white man to visit the Fort Myers area, when he is thought to have vested the Lee County islands in the 1500s. After Florida became a U.S. Territory in 1821, it remained very wild and even by 1876 there were no more than ten families making a living by farming. Fort Myers Accountants was built on the shores of the Caloosahatchee River and served as the center of operations during the Seminole Indian Wars.
In 1885 Thomas Edison passed through Fort Myers, and was so impressed by the area that he returned to build his laboratory and home on the river bank. Edison became the city's most famous citizen, fostering growth and development.
Be sure to visit the Southwest Florida Museum of History which opened in 1982, having been transformed from the old railroad passenger depot and surroundings lands on Peck and Monroe Streets. In addition, tourists can enjoy a Downtown Walking Tour exploring the historic buildings of Fort Myers Accountants.
Families will enjoy the Imaginaries which features a hurricane simulator and many exciting hands-on and interactive exhibits for children of all ages. For the very littlest folks there is an A visitor to Fort Myers has a choice of two great venues for Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. One is the Broadway Palm Dinner Theater which entertains 150,000 guests each year, staging Off-Broadway productions complete with two banquet facilities. Then there is the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall at Edison College which hosts Broadway performances and is also home to the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra.
Fort Myers is a city booming with activity and growth with opportunities galore for all who come as tourists, or for those who choose to stay.
