Edison & Ford Winter Estates

Edison and Ford Winter Estates is a 20-acre historic site along the Caloosahatchee River in Fort Myers, Florida — the former winter retreats of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. Edison first arrived in 1886, building Seminole Lodge on the river's edge; Ford later purchased the adjacent property, naming his home The Mangoes. The two estates operated side by side for decades, separated only by a gate the families called the Friendship Gate. Open to the public since 1947, the site today encompasses historic homes, the 1928 Edison Botanical Research Laboratory, a museum, and botanical gardens featuring more than 1,700 plant species. For private events, the Estates offer several outdoor spaces suited to weddings, corporate gatherings, receptions, and ceremonies. The Ford Lawn, the largest of these, accommodates 400 or more guests with direct views of the Caloosahatchee River and access to Ford's historic automobiles and winter home. Smaller gatherings find their setting in the Moonlight Garden — a fragrant, bougainvillea-draped outdoor room — or beneath the canopy of the Coconut Grove at the River Pavilion. An events coordinator is included with all wedding packages, and parking is complimentary for guests.