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THE BUTTERFLY ESTATES
CENTER FOR THE ARTS OF BONITA SPRINGS
SIDNEY & BERNE DAVIS ART CENTER
J.N.'DING' DARLING NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
FLORIDA REPERTORY THEATRE
GULF COAST SYMPHONY
HOLOCAUST MUSEUM OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
NAPLES MUSEUM OF ART
NAPLES PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
THE NAPLES PLAYERS
PHILHARMONIC CENTER FOR THE ARTS
RINGLING MUSEUM OF ART
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA & CHORUS
TRUE TOURS
Art of the Olympians
1300 Hendry Street
Fort Myers river district
332-5055
www.artoftheolympians.org
Tue-Sat 10am-4pm
Art of the Olympians / Al Oerter Center for Excellence (AOTO) is a museum, art gallery and educational center. Located directly on the waterfront in the historic River District in Downtown Ft. Myers, it is a popular destination for art lovers, sports enthusiasts and people of all ages. With two distinct galleries visitors will find official Olympic equipment, films and memorabilia in the Olympic sports gallery and original works of art by Olympian artists from around the world displayed in the Olympian Art Gallery. AOTO is a member of the North American Reciprocal Museums (NARM) program and admission is free to participating members.
1300 Hendry Street
Fort Myers river district
332-5055
www.artoftheolympians.org
Tue-Sat 10am-4pm
Art of the Olympians / Al Oerter Center for Excellence (AOTO) is a museum, art gallery and educational center. Located directly on the waterfront in the historic River District in Downtown Ft. Myers, it is a popular destination for art lovers, sports enthusiasts and people of all ages. With two distinct galleries visitors will find official Olympic equipment, films and memorabilia in the Olympic sports gallery and original works of art by Olympian artists from around the world displayed in the Olympian Art Gallery. AOTO is a member of the North American Reciprocal Museums (NARM) program and admission is free to participating members.
4820 Bayshore Drive
Naples
643-7275
www.naplesgarden.org
daily 9am-5pm
Naples Botanical Garden is a 170-acre world-class garden paradise that features the plants and cultures of the tropics and subtropics between the latitudes of 26 degrees North and 26 degrees South including Brazil, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia and Florida. A hands-on interactive Children’s Garden along with 90 acres of beautifully restored natural habitats, walking trails and a Butterfly Garden offer educational entertainment and enjoyment for people of all ages. Founded in 1993, the Garden re-opened to the public in November 2009 after an extensive expansion.
1815 Fowler Street
Fort Myers river district
690-2359
www.thebutterflyestates.com
daily 9am-5pm
extended hours in Dec
for Holiday Dreams light display
The Butterfly Estates incorporates a hands-on, natural park atmosphere promoting education and conservation. This inviting setting is a botanical garden and butterfly conservatory, as well as a family environmental experience. This eco-friendly attraction also boasts two restaurants. Flutterby’s Café offers unique sandwiches, paninis, soups and salad bar with a daily hot special. At Caterpillars you can indulge yourself in fresh Estate-made fudge, pastries, ice cream and handmade pizzas with regular or 100% whole wheat crusts.
Naples Museum of Art
5833 Pelican Bay Boulevard
Naples
597-1900
www.thephil.org
Tue-Sat 10am-4pm & Sun 12-4pm
The region’s only full-scale art museum features 15 galleries showcasing a variety of painting, sculpture and drawing by artists from around the world. Among the permanent holdings are Louise Nevelson’s sculpture installation titled ‘Dawn’s Forest’, a major collection of paintings and drawings by American masters from 1900-1955, and one of the largest collections of 20th-century Mexican art in the Southern United States. The Museum features a glass-dome conservatory, chandeliers by glass sculptor Dale Chihuly and entrance doors by metal artist Albert Paley. The museum has organized and presented a number of important exhibitions.
Orchestra
5833 Pelican Bay Boulevard
Naples
597-1900
www.thephil.org
box office: Mon-Sat 10am-4pm
The premier performing arts complex in Southwest Florida is home to the nationally renowned Naples Philharmonic Orchestra, which performs more than 150 concerts each season, including classical, pops, ballet, chamber and family programs. The orchestra accompanies Edward Villella’s Miami City Ballet each season for George Balanchine’s ‘The Nutcracker™‘ and the ballet’s repertoire series. In recent years, the orchestra has also been invited to accompany internationally renowned artists including Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, Kiri Te Kanawa, Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Les Ballets de Monte Carlo.
of Bonita Springs
26100 Old 41 Road
Bonita Springs
495-8989
www.artcenterbonita.org.org
Mon-Fri 9am-5pm & Sat 9am -3pm
The Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs is committed to enrich the culture of our diverse community by providing opportunities for artistic expression, education & appreciation in a supportive and nurturing environment. Workshops & classes include instruction in: Glass, Painting, Dance, Drawing, Sculpture, Metal, Acting & Photography. Events at the center include Member Exhibitions, National Traveling Exhibitions, Affairs of the Arts, Bus Tours and Art Appreciation Lectures. Center member artists also display their art at the Promenade at Bonita Bay Thu-Sat 10a-3p daily and at Art Walk, last Thu of month 5-8p. The Center also hosts live music, theater & dance performances at the Promenade at Bonita Bay Thu 7p.
701 5th Avenue South
Naples
box office: 263-7990
information: 434-7340
www.naplesplayers.org
The Naples Players, creators of exciting live theatre, are celebrating their 59th year of award-winning productions. An eight-play winter season and two-show summer season are presented each year in Sugden Community Theatre. In addition, there are seven youth theatre productions yearly as well as classes in all aspects of theatre for adults and children. Performances Wednesday-Saturday at 8 pm, Sunday at 2 pm. Box Office open Mon-Fri 10am-4pm & Sat 10am-1pm, and 2 hours before shows.
Davis Art Center
2301 First Street
Fort Myers river district
333-1933
www.sbdac.com
Mon-Fri 10a-5p
Founded in 1997 by Jim Griffith as Florida Arts, Inc., a non-profit organization, the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center holds the annual Florida Arts Festival and numerous other exhibitions, gala events, and performances. The Art Center’s mission is to nurture innovation and excellence in the visual and performing arts through these events and community outreach programs.
for the Arts
5833 Pelican Bay Boulevard
Naples
597-1900
www.thephil.org
box office: Mon-Sat 10am-4pm
The Philharmonic Center for the Arts in Naples is the premier performing arts complex in Southwest Florida, and is home to the nationally renowned Naples Philharmonic Orchestra. Also on the Philharmonic Center campus is the three-story, 30,000-square-foot Naples Museum of Art, the region’s only full-scale art museum.
National Wildlife Refuge
1 Wildlife Drive
Sanibel
472-1100
www.fws.gov/dingdarling
daily sunrise to sunset
More than 6,000 acres of pristine wetlands and wildlife are protected by the federal government, thanks to efforts of Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist & politically active conservationist, J.N. ‘Ding’ Darling. A 4-mile drive takes you through the refuge, once a satellite of the original Everglades National Wildlife Refuge. To really experience ‘Ding,’ get out of the car. At the very least follow the easy trails into mangrove, bird, and alligator territory. Look for roseate spoonbills, yellow-crowned night herons, white pelicans, and dozens of other birds. Narrated tram & guided canoe tours available. Education center has wildlife displays, realistic habitat vignettes, bird sculptures, and a birders’ room. Naturalist programs throughout the week in season.
Ringling Museum of Art
5401 Bay Shore Road
Sarasota
941-359-5700
www.ringling.org
Daily 10am-5pm, Thu 10am-8pm
The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art is the legacy of circus entrepreneur and collector of art John Ringling and his wife, Mable. The 66-acre estate includes the Museum of Art, the Venetian-Gothic Cà d’Zan mansion, the 18th-century Historic Asolo Theater, and the Circus Museum.
Arcade Theatre
Bay St., btwn Jackson & Hendry
Fort Myers river district
332-4488
www.floridarep.org
box office: Mon-Fri 10am-5pm
and hour before show
Florida Repertory Theatre is a fully professional regional theatre serving all of Southwest Florida. Performing at the Historic Arcade Theatre in the heart of the Fort Myers River District, Florida Rep produces a wide variety of Pulitzer Prize and Tony-winning comedies, dramas, and musicals. Now celebrating 14 years of Award-winning theatre, Florida Rep was recently hailed as "One of America's Top Repertory Companies!"
Symphony Orchestra
& Chorus
12651 McGregor Boulevard
Fort Myers
418-0996
www.swflso.org
box office: Mon-Thu - 10am-4pm
daily 10am-5pm, Thu 10am-8pm
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is the legacy of circus entrepreneur and collector of art John Ringling and his wife, Mable. The 66-acre estate includes the Museum of Art, the Venetian-Gothic Cà d’Zan mansion, the 18th-century Historic Asolo Theater, and the Circus Museum.
1500 Colonial Boulevard
Fort Myers
277-1700
www.gulfcoastsymphony.org
The Gulf Coast Symphony is Southwest Florida's premier community orchestra and one of the most dynamic community orchestras in the United States. Our mission is to bring our community together through music. From October to June, we perform four Symphonic Sensations pops concerts at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, featuring Broadway stars and world class performers to near sell out audiences, three highly educational and engaging Classical Access concerts at Sanibel's Big Arts and at Anderson Theater in Ft. Myers, a Youth Concert series, featuring music, themes and activities to generate children’s interest and enthusiasm in live symphonic performances & two free Symphony at Sunset outdoor concerts in Cape Coral and Bonita Springs.
945-0405
www.truetours.net
True Tours is a historical walking tour company in the Downtown Fort Myers River District. Walking tours are approximately 60 minutes and will entertain you with stories of local history and architectural elements of the historical buildings. Historical walking tours every Friday 10:30am, haunted history tours every Wednesday after dark, Art Walk walking tours first Friday of month 5pm. Historical walking tours can include lunch or dinner for groups of 10 or more. Reservations Required.
& Education Center
of Southwest Florida
4760 Tamiami Trail North
Naples
263-9200
www.hmswfl.org
May-Dec Tue-Sun 1-4pm
Jan-Apr Tue-Sun 12:30-5pm
Originated as a local middle school project on the Holocaust, it has became a not-for-profit corporation in 2001. Collection includes over 1,000 unique items (many donated by local Survivors and Liberators) and a World War II-era railway boxcar exhibit. Our Education Outreach programs annually reach an average of 15,000 students, grades K-12. Last year over 5,000 visitors came to the Museum from all over the world. Docent-led and self-guided audio tours available. AAA and student (ages 12-18) discounts available. Please call or check website for special 10th Anniversary year exhibits and events.