A family vacation can be the most wonderful experience of your life as you get to enjoy spending time with those you love most without interruption, but it can also be the most difficult experience as you try to find activities that are appealing to all ages. Museums are wonderful when you are an adult with an active interest in history, but for children they can be almost as boring as school and the theme parks your kids love can be exhausting and overwhelming for adults seeking peace and quiet. Your Fort Myers family vacation, however, promises to be one that everyone will enjoy as you spend your days exploring family friendly adventures such as the ones you will have at the IMAG History & Science Center and your nights relaxing in the comfortable surrounds of our Luxury Vacation Rentals Florida sanctuaries.
Located at 2000 Cranford Avenue, Closed Tuesdays
Proving that education can be wildly entertaining, the IMAG History & Science Center has been educating and entertaining families for many years and we hope that it continues to do so for many more to come. Open from 12 Noon until 5 PM on Sundays and from 10 AM until 5 PM every other day, tickets cost $19.50 for adults, $15.00 for kids 3 -18 (and college students with ID) and is free for children 2 and under, making a visit here a budget friendly option as well. Offering over 60 hands on exhibits, its 3200 gallon aquarium is a joyful sight to see and if you are traveling with younger children, the Mini Museums early childhood area never fails to amaze the tiniest of travelers.
Exhibits That Amaze at the IMAG History & Science Center
Focusing on science and nature, their featured exhibits include a really cool hurricane simulator that lets you experience the gale force winds of a hurricane in a safe environment and an interactive Google Earth Wall that will take you wherever you want to visit. Curious about the turtles of the Galapagos Islands? The wall-sized map will take you there, showing in exquisite detail everything you ever wanted to know about the endangered turtles. Their Hands on Hall offers an Imagination Playground that kiddos where kiddos can create castles, towers, and so much more with its engineer lab helping young scientist to create even more. Outdoor exhibits allow visitors to try their hand at a fossil hunt and explore nature as they casually meander along paths that take them through some of Florida’s most stunning natural landscape.
The Wilder Side of IMAG
The humans visiting and working at this science center aren’t the only living beings found here, in addition to that giant sized aquarium we mentioned earlier. The living lab animal exhibit features a peek into our Florida ecosystem, offering ambassador animals that visitors can enjoy up close and personal experiences with during some of the live shows that take place throughout the day. The aquarium houses tropical fish and an aquarium sized replica of the USS Mohawk, an American ship that today lies under the sea not far from the science center. Stingray Bay Touch Tank offers the chance to feed the slippery creatures that live there and the Lionfish tank provides a glimpse of the undersea creatures that are more invasive and harmful to the ecology of our state, including lionfish (of course) and an epaulette shark.
But Where’s the History?
You didn’t misread the name of this worthy museum, history is a part of its title, coming about when the science center merged with the Southwest Florida History Museum in 2017. Diving into the history of Southwest Florida’s part in World War II, the history of Fort Myers, and a deep dive into the paleo area of our favorite place on earth, IMAG Fort Meyers makes history interesting and fun and even provides a Virtual Reality experience that takes users back into colonial days here in town. Feeling the pangs of hunger? The Snack House is a café that is a replica of an original Fort Myers café that was one of our towns most popular local restaurants from 1949 to 1993, but don’t worry, the food served at the snack house is NOT from the original restaurant.
Schools and Scouts Love IMAG History & Science Museum
As a traveler your children won’t be partaking in the school or scouting activities, but the center is proud of its contributions to the community and we think if those important organizations approve of what is being shown here, then we too can feel safe letting our children run mild through the halls. Offering spring break and summer camps, there is always some kind of fun and learning going on at IMAG History & Science Museum.
A Full Day
After a full day spent learning and playing at the science center and history museum, you and your family will be more than ready to come home and relax in our luxurious spaces. Contact us and reserve your favorite Luxury Vacation Rentals haven today!
