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Museums & Attractions on Sanibel Island and Captiva Island
One of the most delightful discoveries awaiting you on your visit to Sanibel and Captiva Islands is the number of things you can do “beyond the beach!” Our Florida islands are dotted with numerous natural, historical and artistic attractions, all guaranteed to provide a day of family fun and education.
Bailey-Matthews
Shell Museum
3075 Sanibel-Captiva Road
(239) 395-2233, (888) 679-6450
Named for two pioneer island
families, The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum showcases
why Sanibel has earned its reputation as one of the
world’s top shelling destinations. The most
comprehensive museum in the nation devoted
exclusively to shells, it features exhibits
illustrating shells from geographical, historical,
scientific and artistic perspectives. Open daily
(except major holidays) from 10:00am to 5:00pm.
Museum members and children 4 & under are admitted
free, children 5-16 are $4, adults 17 and older are
$7. Group rates and tour information available.
BIG ARTSBarrier Island Group for the Arts
900 Dunlop Road
(239) 395-0900
BIG ARTS celebrates its 30th season with an extraordinary line-up of performances and educational programs. Whether your interest is in dance, the visual arts, classical, jazz or popular music, children’s summer camp, lectures, award-winning film or theater, or in attending a class or workshop -- BIG ARTS has something for everyone!
Chapel by the Sea
11580 Chapin Lane, Captiva
(239) 472-1646
Originally built in 1901 as a
schoolhouse that doubled as a church on Sundays,
this charming chapel now serves as a seaside
meditation site, an interdenominational church
(November through April) and popular wedding spot.
Trimmed in lattice fencing, the cemetery next door
guards the graves of many early settlers who came to
Captiva in the late 19th century to
homestead and farm.
C.R.O.W.
Clinic for Rehabilitation of
Wildlife
3883 Sanibel-Captiva Road
(239) 472-3644
Dedicated to restoring the health
of Florida island’s
wildlife, this well-respected facility for injured
and orphaned birds and animals treats more than
3,000 patients each year.
J. N.
"Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge
One
Wildlife Drive (off Sanibel-Captiva Road)
(239)
472-1100
This
6,300-acre Florida wildlife refuge, named for
Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist and pioneer
environmentalist Jay Norwood Darling, is – at latest
count -- home to 238 species of birds, more than 50
types of reptiles, and 32 different kinds of
mammals. The refuge features wonderful bird
watching spots, bike and walking paths, winding
canoe trails and a four-mile scenic drive, all of
which are lush with seagrape, wax and salt
myrtles, red mangrove, cabbage and sabal palms, and
other native plants. A booklet available from the
refuge Education Center highlights points of
interest, including an observation tower where
naturalists will obtain the best view of flora and
fauna. The drive is open Saturday through Thursday
from 7:30am to a half-hour before sunset. Closed
Friday. Low tide, when birds feed, is the ideal
time to visit. The Education Center is open daily.
Hours are 9:00am to 5:00 pm from November through
April, and 9:00am to 4:00pm May through October.
Fees are $5 per car, or $1 per cyclist or
pedestrian; ages 15 and younger bike and walk free.
Interpretative tram tours of the sanctuary are
scheduled through Tarpon Bay Explorers; reservations
required at 239-472-8900.
Old Town Sanibel
Old Town encircles the east end
of the island near the Sanibel Lighthouse.
Historically, it was the center of much of the
island’s activity; today, it is a place to stroll
quaint village shops, inns and restaurants. The
Sanibel Historical Society has produced a walking
and biking tour to “yesteryear” that is
approximately 2 ½ miles long. You can pick up a
map at the Chamber
Visitor Center or
at the Sanibel
Historical Museum and Village.
Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Center
3333 Sanibel-Captiva Road at Mile
Marker 1
(239) 472-2329
The Conservation Foundation’s Nature Center encompasses 260 of the over 1,800 total acres owned and managed as a preserve for Florida wildlife, and offers a unique insight into the island’s ecosystems. Visitors can walk 4 ½ miles of trails, climb an observation tower, and experience a butterfly exhibit. Inside the Nature Center, a marine-life touch tank, an alligator jawbone, a mangrove diorama, and other exhibits showcase island habitat. The foundation also operates a nature shop, bookstore and native plant nursery, and conducts estuarine research. Guided trail tours, shoreline discovery walks and many other programs are available. Price is $3 for adults; members and children 17 and under are admitted free. Additional charges may apply to other programs. Hours of operation vary with the season: October through May, weekdays, 8:30am to 4:00pm; June through September, weekdays, 8:30am to 3:00pm; and Saturdays from 10:00am to 3:00pm, December through April.
Sanibel Historical Museum and Village
950 Dunlop Road
(239) 472-4648
This collection of late 19th-
and early 20th-century buildings brings
early Sanibel back to life in a beautifully serene
setting. Dedicated to the pioneer families of
Sanibel and Captiva, the Village includes “Uncle”
Clarence Rutland’s home, Bailey’s General Store,
“Morning Glories” (a Sears/Roebuck catalog home),
Miss Charlotta’s Tea Room, the 1926 Post Office, the
Burnap Cottage, and the latest addition – the
island’s original schoolhouse -- transplanted in
late 2004 from its former Periwinkle Way location
where it served as a theater for years. All of the
buildings are furnished with items from the early
1900s. A handicapped-accessible boardwalk and shell
paths take visitors past a pioneer garden, antique
Model T truck, and a replica of a packinghouse with
farm equipment. The Village relates the history of
the islands beginning with the days of the Calusa
Indians up to the mid-1900s. The Historical Village
and Museum is open November through mid-August,
Wednesday through Saturday, from 10:00am to 4:00pm,
although summer hours may vary. Closed mid-August
through October. Donations of $5 per adult are
welcomed. School children and younger are free.
Sanibel Lighthouse
(Point Ybel Light)
Perhaps the most photographed
structure on Sanibel, the Sanibel Lighthouse was
first lit in August 1884. In 1972, the U.S. Coast
Guard announced it would extinguish the light, but
then abandoned the plan when faced with public
outcry. The Florida Coast
Guard continues to maintain the lighthouse, which is
not open to visitors, but the City of Sanibel now
manages the surrounding property, including the
keeper’s quarters, fishing pier and beach
access.
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