Continuous change has been our goal for the eighteen acre facility. We brought in Subway, a national franchise, a U.S. Post Office Contract Station, the North Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce and Vision One Real Estate, the fastest growing North Fort Myers Realtor. An expansion to the Game Room and Video Arcade has created an atmosphere of family bonding, with over fifty electronic games and rides. The most recent addition, daily Hermit Crab Races has been a huge hit!
What makes us really different? Well that would be the eclectic nature of our free exhibits and interesting displays. The largest collection in North American of taxidermy animals, on free public display is located at the Shell Factory. The estimated value is over six million dollars. An amazing sea shell replica of All Saints Church is the signature piece of our new Shell Museum.
Our restaurant and special event facilities can seat over five hundred guests. The largest, Capt’n Fishbones Seafood and Steaks is well known through the community for its delicious food and its “all day, every day happy hour”. The facilities host over 150 events and private functions each year including those for political notables such as; Governor Rick Scott, Senator Marco Rubio, Senator John McCain, Senator Bob Dole, State Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto, Representative Matt Caldwell, Commissioners Tammy Hall and Frank Mann,Sheriff Mike Scott and many others. We will handle your very special event with the same care and attention to detail as those who have trusted us in the past.
When we say “family friendly” we mean it, including the four-legged members of the family. Our entire retail store (68,000 square feet) is dog friendly. We have two outdoor eateries; Dogbones Café and the Swamp that serve dog treats and have water bowls available. This past fall we completed “Doggy Heaven” our new canine sports park. The free run area is open dawn to dusk and is free to the public. The private area is run by organizations that teach agility, host Weiner Dog Races and train dogs to compete in water sports. We recently hosted the National Dock Dog World Qualifiers at the Doggy Heaven swim facility. Every Sunday at 12:30 p.m., we host doggy church for our favorite pets and their families.
Our Fun Park is designed for the young and young at heart. Get wet and wild on the bumper boats, pitch a few water balloons at water wars and see if you are ready for the “masters” with a round of miniature golf.
The Nature Park with its botanical trails has expanded yearly and now has thousands of plants and close to four hundred animals, reptiles, birds and fish. Wandering through the botanical trails visitors encounter animal habitats from an armadillo to a zebra, the ecological laboratory, petting farm, touch center, alligator slough, aviaries and they may even encounter a zookeeper with an interesting description or anecdote about one of the amazing creatures that call the Nature Park home. As a work in progress the Nature Park is always expanding, improving, and acquiring new inhabitants, new for the Spring of 2012 to enhance the botanical trails is a tropical rain forest. Our Nature Park Environmental Education Foundation has raised capital sufficient to fund field trips for over four thousand school children who otherwise would have been unable to visit the attraction.
This entire project has been a labor of love and has become our second home, to which we invite you and your family. Plan your next full day of “family fun” at the Shell Factory and Nature Park.
Tom and Pam Cronin
Hakuna Matata
“No worries for the rest of your days!”