Edison and Ford's Winter Estates
Location submitted by: sdonley on 02/01/2024
DBA Approved: Y
PANICd#: 2169
| The winter home of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford in Fort Myers Florida. |
2350 McGregor Blvd
Fort Myers , FL 33901
Open to the public: Yes
https://www.edisonfordwinterestates...
Lat: 26.634797
Lon: -81.880542
Database Summary:
Demographic Rank: 0
History: 1
Stories: 1
Claims: 5
Evidence: 0
Resources: 5
Retrievals: 1155
Vistor Rating: 5.0
Votes: 1
| Rate this Location <- Get Location Badge Code |
History information is some background and history about the location. This is meant to be a basic summary. Below the history records you will find sources in which you can click on to find out more information. There may be multiple history records per location.
The present site dates from 1885, when Edison first visited Southwest Florida and purchased the property to build a vacation home. He had traveled down to St. Augustine, Florida, during the winter of 1885 at the behest of his doctor, who thought that the warmer climate would help cure an illness that Edison was suffering from. After recuperating in St. Augustine, he ended up traveling first across the state to Cedar Key, and from Cedar Key to Fort Myers. His home, completed in 1886 and later dubbed "Seminole Lodge," served as a winter retreat and place of relaxation until Edison's death in 1931.
Edison's good friend, Henry Ford, purchased the adjoining property, "The Mangoes," from Robert Smith of New York in 1916. Ford's craftsman-style bungalow was built in 1911 by Smith. In 1947, Mrs. Mina Edison deeded the Edison property to the City of Fort Myers in memory of her husband for the enjoyment of the public. It was opened for public tours soon after.
In 1988, the adjacent Henry Ford winter estate was purchased and opened for public tours in 1990. In 2003, the governance of the site was transferred from the city to a new non-profit corporation, Thomas Edison & Henry Ford Winter Estates, Inc. (dba Edison & Ford Winter Estates, Inc.), whose mission is to protect, preserve, and interpret the site. The new corporation completed a $14 million restoration project in the following years. A separate fundraising arm, Edison-Ford Winter Estates Foundation, Inc., was created to assist the restoration project with no function in governance.
Added by: sdonley on 03/27/2025 DB#:713
Source(s):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edison_and_Ford_Wint...
Stories are just that. Stories and personal accounts that have been reported about the location.
One popular myth from my town is about the Edison and Ford Winter Estates being haunted by the ghosts of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. The estates used to be the winter homes of these two famous inventors, and after their deaths, there have been reports of strange occurrences and paranormal activity. According to the legend, the ghost of Thomas Edison is said to wander his estate, tinkering with machines and conducting experiments. Visitors have reported hearing strange noises and seeing unexplained lights, and some claim to have seen Edison’s ghostly apparition.
Similarly, the ghost of Henry Ford is said to haunt his estate’s gardens and greenhouse. Some visitors have reported hearing the sound of footsteps and seeing the ghostly figure of a man walking among the plants. I was always too afraid to visit, and the houses were pretty far from my home, but it was still a super scary story I heard about in like middle school.
Added by: sdonley on 03/27/2025 DB#:1680
Source(s):
https://folklore.usc.edu/the-ghosts-of-eddison-and...
Here are the paranormal claims for this location. These have been found through Internet research, reports from members, or reports from personal interviews. To add a claim, your account must have contributor access or higher.
| Claim# | Claim |
| 3681 | The apparition of Thomas Edison has been seen walking the grounds and tinkering in his laboratory.
Added: 03/27/2025 By: sdonley |
| 3682 | Strange noises have been reported.
Added: 03/27/2025 By: sdonley |
| 3683 | Unexplained lights have been seen.
Added: 03/27/2025 By: sdonley |
| 3684 | The apparition of Henry Ford has been seen in the estate's gardens and greenhouse.
Added: 03/27/2025 By: sdonley |
| 3685 | Strange footsteps have been heard. Added: 03/27/2025 By: sdonley |
Paranormal evidence is based on claims that have been reported for this location. There can be several types of evidence; however, we have grouped them based on media type for better organization. Here you will find evidence that are logs, audio, video, or photographic.
To add evidence for a claim, you must submit it to PANICd.com for approval to be entered into the database.
No Evidence Reported Yet!
This is a collection of Internet resources for this location. This section will house links to other websites that contain information related to history, claims, investigations, or even the location's website.
| Step Back in Time at the Edison Ford Winter Estates | Step into a DeLorean and travel back in time to visit the Winter Estates of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, two of the greatest inventors of all time, in Fort Myers, Florida. These two great men spent a lot of time in Southwest Florida. |
| Added: 06/16/2022 By: sdonley | |
| Your Inside Tips to the Edison Ford Winter Estates | Did you know that two of America’s greatest inventors and innovators, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, both had winter estates in Fort Myers, Florida? These estates are now living museums open to the public. |
| Added: 06/16/2022 By: sdonley | |
| Edison and Ford Winter Estates | The Edison and Ford Winter Estates contain a historical museum and 21 acre (8.5 hectares) botanical garden on the adjacent sites of the winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford beside the Caloosahatchee River in Southwestern Florida. |
| Added: 06/16/2022 By: sdonley | |
| Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers | Be sure to stop by the Museum Store or Garden Shop and bring home something from your visit. Daily Activities and Presentations Schedule 10 a.m. Phonograph Demonstration 10:30 a.m. Inside-the-Lab Tour ($5 additional charge) 11 a.m. Ask the Expert 1:30 a.m. |
| Added: 06/16/2022 By: sdonley | |
| Fort Myers Museums, Attractions, Things To Do | Edison Ford Winter Estates | HOLIDAY NIGHTS Don’t miss thousands of lights, hundreds of historic decorations, and one unique holiday experience! Tickets are on sale now. |
| Added: 06/16/2022 By: sdonley | |
Please leave a comment about this location. Your comment can pertain to anything you find on our site about the location including: location demographics, history, claims, evidence, resources, or other comments.
If you have additional information about this location, please be sure to contribute.
Leave a comment