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Mound House
451 Connecticut St, Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931, United States
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Bo
Review №1

Beautifully landscaped and well-groomed, the Mound House is always a treat. The grounds have resilient walking paths with educational markers. You can even walk out into the bay on a circular dock. It is incredible how the entire property is elevated on the giant mound created by ancient dwellers discarded clam shells, bones, and other discarded materials. The people who work here are very friendly and well informed.

LB
Review №2

This is the second time my mom and I have visited this site/museum. There has been a great deal of effort put into making it a beautiful and educational experience. Anyone who visits Fort Myers Beach should not miss this exhibit! I highly suggest The Mound House tour. Update: we went back AGAIN this year for their beginners kayak tour. What a deal! The guides were wonderful, and estuary was so beautiful, and we got to see all kinds of birds, as well as dolphins, manatee, and even stingrays. Dexter is a phenomenal guide, and weve already decided we will be going back for kayaking experiences here in the future. Dont miss it!

De
Review №3

Great place to find out the history of the early settlers as well as the native Colusa people...

Cy
Review №4

Had a great morning experience. Learned about the Calusa people and shelling.

Wa
Review №5

Today on Ruthanne’s first Kayaking Trip Ever ! : We paddled into the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve. There we saw Lots of wildlife (even saw a dolphin) and our guide was very informative : We got some goodexercise: But the most remarkable thing ‘is that we didn’t tip over’ ! ) Although Synchronizing the paddling with one’s spouse may be a little stressful at times ️ : Overall we both had fun .Plus ! Now we know a-lot bout The ecological benefits of the Red Mangrove

Ro
Review №6

Disappointed, no guide,read and learn on your own, no demonstrations, they had them before. Dont go in the offseason!!

Li
Review №7

Very interesting place. If you do the boat tour to Mound Key, be aware the trail is rough and there are some steep hills. I would recommend closed toed shoes. Mound Key doesnt have too much to see, there are information boards, but no structures. The view on top is pretty and the ride over was great, but if you are expecting structures and artifacts on the key, you may be disappointed. The trail through the mangroves and trees is actually very pleasant. It can be very warm, take water. The guide was very informative about the area, history, birds and plants. The boat crew as well. We were able to see several bird varieties and dolfins.

Tr
Review №8

I so enjoyed learning about the history of the area. We moved to Fort Myers from Ohio. When I visited the Mound House, I so enjoyed seeing the beautiful plants and flowers. I learned about the local fruits and vegetation from walking the grounds and reading the wonderful information provided near each vegetation. As I wondered through the Mound House, I continued to learn about the beginning of human civilization that started call Fort Meyers Beach their home. This included the rich Indian heritage that fostered the ethnocentric residency.

Mo
Review №9

My husband and I had read about Mound House Museum and decided to check it out. We were greeted by staff who explained Mound House and the aboriginal natives who occupied the lands.We were so impressed by the historical facts that we decided to do the kayak tour the following day. We were greeted by staff and explained what to expect. Katie-Beth and Gerri were absolutely wonderful and informative. They both had so much knowledge of the estuary and how the mangroves are so vital to the ecosystem of not just the area but the planet.They took our questions as well as listened to our knowledge of the environment.Mound House Museum and the Kayak Tour is a must for anyone visiting Fort Myers Beach.Mona & MonaOntario, Canada

Jo
Review №10

Was closed due to covid but was still able to walk the property and see some wildlife.

Br
Review №11

Very nice place to spend a couple hours. The archeological dig was interesting and the house had good exhibits in the house. Definitely take a tour while youre there!

Ja
Review №12

Giant iguana everywhere. Dropping from the trees. Very large.

Wa
Review №13

We took the Mound Key Boat tour and had a terrific time. Our guide, Penny, was incredibly knowledgeable about the Calusa and the early settlers on Mound Key and at the Mound House site. We all came away with a thirst for more. It helped that we had a lovely day for a boat ride and the Captains from Express Bay Express tours did a great job of getting us there and back. Add the terrific birding and a little dolphin action and it turned into a perfect day.

e
Review №14

Such a gem...excellent guided kayak tour of the Estero Bay and back at the historical house also see the archeological site underneath (two thousand year old shell mound)...so much history and dedicated staff & volunteers

Iv
Review №15

Even when closed, we can explore the grounds and go out on the docks till sunset.

Mi
Review №16

We spent an enjoyable hour on the Shell House tour with Dexter, a quite capable information dispenser with a quick wit. Tour will give you an appreciation of the amount of development that has occurred and continues in Fort Myers Beach. Thanks to the Town for saving this archeological site.

Vi
Review №17

Interesting well displayed archaeological site. The extra $5 for the guided tour was well worth it.

Va
Review №18

Worth the trip, very educational

ja
Review №19

Fantastic guided kayak tour. Katie Beth was excellent! Highly recommend.

Ur
Review №20

Great place to visit. Oldest house on the island with superb exhibits on Indian and settlers culture.

Ge
Review №21

Good trip! Dexters passion for his topic brings the excursion to life. We saw dolphins too!

Jo
Review №22

Very informative sunset kayaking tour. Amazing sunset surrounded by the beauty of nature ( birds, turtles and even a dolphin)

An
Review №23

The museum is air conditioned and well put together, and the staff and volunteers and friendly and courteous! And it is only 10 dollars per ticket for adults (something cost effective in this fairly pricey part of Florida.) Two thumbs up!

Jo
Review №24

Stopped by on the bike ride with my wife. This is a truly unique and interesting place. Dexter was our guide for the tour and was very knowledgeable. I highly recommend it if you are the least bit curious about he indigenous people of Florida.

Jo
Review №25

This is a little gem of a place Ive lived on Fort Myers Beach since I was a child in second grade in elementary school and for now is just a teenager Florence along with there and we used to mow her lawn and go swimming or pool and little did we know that we were swimming where the actual Mound was thats where the part you walk underneath now was where her pool was he donated it to the city of Fort Myers Beach or the talents shall I say I stand corrected and what an interesting wok and toward that is if youre here visiting that is a must

Mi
Review №26

This is a fantastic way to spend time outside in Fort Myers Beach. The walking trail is well maintained, dog-friendly, and contains great examples of native plants.There’s a beautiful dock on the bay with placards containing historical information and the dock is great for fishing.

Ch
Review №27

The lady named misty was very nice and knowledgeable..What great tour... thanx misty....

Am
Review №28

Really interesting guided tour. Learned a lot.

In
Review №29

We were here 8 years ago. Since then they have done an amazing job and volunteers intridzce you to the interesting history of the Caloosa Indians. And the spot is so beautiful with an amazing view over the backbay.

Ei
Review №30

Beautifully maintained, the volunteers ate very knowledgeable and welcoming. The tours are excellent.

Li
Review №31

So beautiful and so much history. Wonderful volunteers. If youre interested in the history of Florida, you will definitely enjoy Mound House.

ma
Review №32

Interesting bit of history. Wish admission was a bit less.

Ke
Review №33

Nice for history oriented people. Docks are nice for views and breeze. Free parking.

St
Review №34

Worth the trip to see. Very nice view of the pass and very nice walking paths.

Jo
Review №35

Cool place with Rich history of the area. Great estuary views.

Jo
Review №36

Interesting place

Ke
Review №37

Very interesting experience with knowledgeable staff. Lovely cared for garden with informative plant placards. Highly recommended, beautiful setting.

Je
Review №38

Wonderful tour of the history of the mound house. The archaeological dig was great. I can see how much work youve been putting into it in the last couple years. Good job.

Gr
Review №39

We like the trails and plants. Banana trees with bananas. Wild life pier to see fish and birds.

Tr
Review №40

They have fixed this place up very nicely. Are planting a lot of the native plants that were used in the early days.

Em
Review №41

The museum and site were very well organized, I really enjoyed learning about the history of the area. My kids 8 and 12 enjoyed it too!

Ra
Review №42

What a pleasant surprise. I love historically significant places and Mound House did not disappoint. Nestled within Fort Myers Beach area, this archaelogical dig site is a great side trip away from the beaches when you are ready for a break from the sun and sand. Overflow parking is available on Connecticut St. if the main lot is full. Plan to spend 2 hours or more to take in the exhibits, video experiences and the peaceful grounds. We really enjoyed the narrative provided by our tour guide, Dexter.

Ki
Review №43

Visited on a day house was closed. Grounds are beautiful, plants well marked and identified. Plaques tell the history. This is a unique site and water views are gorgeous.

An
Review №44

Interesting. Built from seashells. Worth the visit.

Ki
Review №45

Went on a kayak tour the mangroves. Well lead. Good equipment. Great experienceSmall group, not a gang.

Jo
Review №46

Interesting . Ive lived here since 1979 and Florence long used to own the house and when I was a little kid I used to mow her lawn so I have a long memory of this place before it was even the museum I used to go swimming in her pool when I got done mowing her lawn and I never knew that it was a Indian burial ground I was swimming in

Ar
Review №47

Driving along the beaches we stumbled upon this little musuem. All the staff and volunteers were friendly and knowledgeable. Great history with artifacts of the Calusa Indians. Coolest part was the underground mound area. Worth checking out if you are in the area.

El
Review №48

Very interesting place. Still seems to be very much in development but in a good way. Great little find you can spend one to two hours there is all you need. Staff are friendly and helpful.

Ca
Review №49

Great place. Very interesting.

Sh
Review №50

Beautiful setting and historical site!

Aa
Review №51

Small well done museum and grounds. Spent longer than I expected. Well educated docents.

Ti
Review №52

Cool over look on the water and nice short trail with labeled plants.

He
Review №53

Very well restored home and informative tour. Focus was native American tribe that was living in west Florida when Europeans came to Florida.

er
Review №54

Excellent tour and facility! Great learning opportunity right on FMB

Ch
Review №55

Very interesting place, great friendly staff.

Mi
Review №56

Wonderful place! Great staff, beautiful magnificent location ... Love the apiary!

Sa
Review №57

We so funI love go back

au
Review №58

Love it

Ch
Review №59

Great scenery and historically rich context

Je
Review №60

I was so impressed with my visit to Mound House. I have always wanted to learn more about the Calusa Indians of Southwest Florida and this is the place to do it. Great guided tours of the house and shell mound. There is a growing range of activities and events offered through Mound House. We had a great breakfast presentation with Dexter on our stay in the area on Invasive Reptiles.

Ma
Review №61

Loved it. Very knowledgeable staff, friendly. They even stayed a little later while we finished touring. Excellent. A Must do.

li
Review №62

Indian burial ground Very nice place to visit

Te
Review №63

Dexter gave us a fantastic tour! Will definitely bring people back there. Looking forward to taking the Kayak tour.

Ri
Review №64

KB is awesome! Great tour!

Aj
Review №65

Went with our girlscout troop. Dexter was an awesome guide. I would recommend anyone to kayak there.

To
Review №66

Wonderful historical house & grounds built on a Calusa native shell mound. Superb tour guide for house & grounds tour. Guided kayak tours available seasonally. Main parking just a block away from site. Circular drive allows for guest/handicapped drop off.

Ma
Review №67

Extremely interesting look into the Calusa Natives in SW Florida. Very informative, inexpensive and awesome, eager to help staff and guides! I highly recommend this!

Bi
Review №68

Great historic landmark on Fort Myers Beach with 2 pokestops and a gym for Pokémon go.

Ci
Review №69

Great history spot..Calusa Indians

Lo
Review №70

Nice location to just sit and chill

Lu
Review №71

Beautiful grounds. Hidden gem. Nice place for history and native plant info. Will visit here again!

Gr
Review №72

It was a place very informative a great way to see how development destroys the history

Pa
Review №73

Great family place to visit

Pa
Review №74

Beautiful, interesting and historically valuable. Ceel was quite knowledgeable and told us the background of what we saw. The history of the land is fascinating! The recreation of the archaeological dig was also very interesting.

Su
Review №75

Fascinating story of part of history of Ft. Myers Beach. Worth the visit.

Ja
Review №76

Great faculty to learn about nature history and people

Ja
Review №77

A diamond in the along Fort Myers Beach. It is a must visit.

Au
Review №78

What a fantastic experience! This hidden treasure takes you underground into a real Caloosa Indian Shell Mound. The museum with artifacts is great too. We were able to participate in an atlatl spear throwing demonstration there too. Very little parking but totally worth the extra walk. Its beautiful and an amazing slice of history right here in SWFL.

Ma
Review №79

Very cool place for history buffs.

Vi
Review №80

Great history to be learned about Fort Myers

Ch
Review №81

Interesting history and location

Lo
Review №82

Really cool place

Ho
Review №83

Very fun, interesting and beautiful. Everything in the gift shop is a little expensive, but thats only to be expected I suppose.

Sa
Review №84

Beautifully maintained

Da
Review №85

History of Calusa indians and their ingenious use of shells and recycling. Beautiful grounds and interesting museum. Worth a visit in Fort Myers Beach.

Ha
Review №86

Beautiful Grounds, Excellent View of the Bay, the Observation Dock is Stunning.

Ma
Review №87

Really cool place to learn some history about our area.

Pa
Review №88

If you like history and archaeology youll like this Museum. The staff is very nice and helpful and the was

Cl
Review №89

Beautiful place for walks or launching your kayak!

Da
Review №90

Nice ... well marked greenery

mi
Review №91

My husband and I toured Mound House 8/25/15 approximately 11am. It is a very beautiful place with an equally interesting story. However, the tour was marred for us when the tour guide (Harriet???) described a beautiful plant that is poisonous (coontie plant?), and how some sort of bread was made from it. She further stated that the natives probably tried it on slaves and offered me (my husband and I were the only African Americans in attendance) with a grin on her face. POOR TASTE!!!!

Ge
Review №92

Lotsa history!

Pe
Review №93

What an amazing place! Something for everyone and an unexpected enrichment of Florida culture.

ro
Review №94

The mound house is amazing beautiful grounds Native American history and a friendly staff

Su
Review №95

Learned alot about Shell Mound area and the Calusa Indians. Very informative and a variety of museum exhibits and excavation pieces.

Ke
Review №96

A very interesting place. Our new friend Susan was a delight and a wealth of information.

Kr
Review №97

Very interesting history. Im thankful it is being preserved.

Je
Review №98

I love visiting well organized historic places, and it is. Also the staff was very knowledgeable and willingly answered questions.

Rh
Review №99

Great place for families. Beautiful boardwalk on back bay for fishing.

Ch
Review №100

Very nice inside veiw of a Calusa mound. Cool little meusum on the history of the Mound from prehistoric times to the present.

Information
100 Photos
100 Comments
4.6 Rating
  • Address:451 Connecticut St, Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931, United States
  • Site:http://www.moundhouse.org/
  • Phone:+1 239-765-0865
Categories
  • Museum
  • Archaeological museum
  • Botanical garden
  • Historical landmark
  • History museum
  • Park
  • Tourist attraction
Working hours
  • Monday:Closed
  • Tuesday:9am–4pm
  • Wednesday:Closed
  • Thursday:9am–4pm
  • Friday:Closed
  • Saturday:9am–4pm
  • Sunday:Closed
Amenities
  • Good for kids:Yes
  • Toilets:Yes
  • Restaurant:No
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