North Fort Myers attraction ready to show off new improvements on Sunday.

BY Laura Ruane.lruane@news-press.com

The Shell Factory has restyled its nature park, adding new animals and a splash of green, which owners hope will extend to company revenues.
They’ll show off the new improvements at a chili cook-off there on Sunday.

“We’re not Busch Gardens, but we have a lot to offer families,” said Tom Cronin Sr., managing general partner of the 67-year-old retail and amusement center in North Fort Myers.

Since purchasing the attraction in 1997, Cronin has tried a lot of new features, some of which haven’t stuck. His goal is to please tourists who come here by the busload in the winter, but also to woo repeat visits from the local families, who comprise about half the year-round market share. Read the rest of this entry »