VIP Tour: Everglades City

This is a great tour to learn about the history of the Everglades. Guests will learn about Florida’s first big-game hunters and the sharks that once swam in the waters that covered Southwest Florida. Guests will also get to see the ancient tools and ceremonial masks from the Calusa Indians and how they flourished in the swampy wilderness. Information about the wars in South Florida and the journey of the Seminole people will also be covered, along with how early settlers arrived on the frontier, plus cattlemen, clam diggers, trailblazers and crackers that wrote the history of Collier County. A 90-minute private tour of the museum and walking tour of Everglades City will be presented by the Collier County Museum of the Everglades’ Manager, Thomas Lockyear.

Lunch will be included at a local Everglades restaurant and favorite menu items will be chosen in advance. After lunch, we will take a short bus trip to the Smallwood Store in Chokoloskee. This small historic site was established in 1906, by Ted Smallwood and was the original Trading Post that served this remote and isolated area. This small wooden building was the Indian trading post, post office and general store to the community. The store is still owned and loved by the descendants of the family that founded it. If you like antiques, you will enjoy this tiny piece of history.

Our final experience of the day will be an airboat and swamp buggy tour. The adventure will start out with a 30-minute grassland airboat tour. After that, we will take a swamp buggy tour through the beautiful Cypress Forest. We will ride in the safety of experienced captains who know the area and the history. We will get to experience mother nature in this area of more than 259 acres of grasslands, including wild alligators, manatees, birds and many other animals that call the Everglades home. This will truly be a look back at what the pioneers encountered in this vast swampland. You will not want to miss this tour!

All tours are subject to change and are based on availability. Spaces are limited. Pre-paid, advance registration is required. Join the membership program and take advantage of the discounted price. Please note all tours include a lot of walking, bus stairs and sometimes maneuvering in tight spaces. Please plan accordingly.

For questions or to make a reservation for this or any tour, please contact Sherri Muske at 239-335-3677 or smuske@edisonford.org. 

Tour Cost for members is $135, non-members $150.