Thomas Edison and Henry Ford were close friends. In 1886, Edison built a winter residence in Fort Myers, FL. Henry Ford bought a house that was next door to Edison’s in 1916. The families spent time together fishing, boating, and exploring southwest Florida.  The properties are now called the Edison & Ford Winter Estates.
The estates are open to the public. There are the houses, gardens, a museum, and a laboratory on the grounds. We spent a day visiting them while staying in Fort Myers Beach. The houses and estate grounds are lovely and worth visiting. They are set along 13 acres fronting the Caloosahatchee River in Fort Myers.
Here’s a video slide show I put together of the pictures I took on our visit. You can click on the Full Screen bracket in the lower right hand corner of the video (next to the YouTube logo) to see a full screen version of the video.
The Estates are right near downtown Fort Myers. Â It’s a nice day trip if you’re in the Fort Myers area.
