Fun place to spend the afternoon, and a good place for kids ages 4-12 or so. The museum is underwhelming, but the butterfly enclosure is cool, and you can get up close and personal with some very large birds. The planetarium is awesome -- I touched a piece of Mars!

Fun place to take kids for a couple hours. The nature center museum part is small and dated… both the building and the exhibits. The outdoor exhibits are nice. The shining star and strength of this place is the planetarium where shows are included with the ticket. Our show guide was very knowledgeable about the stars and clearly passionate about it. The facility is better kept than the main buildings. Memberships are very reasonable and include worthwhile benefits. Worth a visit.

This place is amazing! Non profit... Surrounded by nature, just off the beaten path... Came for the PINK FLOYD LAZER SHOW...and IT ROCKED! The Wall.... Crystal clear sounds Deep bass Bright vivid colors Absolutely amazing !!! I'm coming back to volunteer !!

My friends threw me a baby shower at the Calusa Nature Center's Pine Pavilion. The location was perfect. The weather was beautiful, and we were sheltered under a roof from the sun. There was a projector and screen that we were able to use for games. There were string lights to set the mood, and there was plenty of seating for all our guests, and no one felt cramped. It felt like a party in the woods, and was completely beautiful. The location is versatile, and can be decorated a number of ways for any event. I highly recommend using Calusa nature center as a venue for your future events.

Large nature area with plenty of activities - from walking through the trails to yoga to a holiday light show (beginning December 9th), to a small aviary center and to a beautiful planetarium…it’s a great place for adults and kids alike. No pets allowed. No bikes. Free parking. Pay for entrance to planetarium and activities.

Very cool place! Definitely great for kids, but had fun as adults as well. On Saturday the schedule offers a Planetarium movie, followed by a live animal show, with another Planetarium movie that follows shortly afterwards. This was perfect for us, it allowed us to walk the grounds (not the trails) and see the butterfly garden and aviary as well. Touching the animals was my highlight, Spark Plug the snake was softer than expected!!

The experience I just had at the calusa nature center, was down right traumatizing, to say the least. I am a homeschooling single mother who decided to take her daughter for a day of learning at the center. Due to medical conditions, we are both exempt from wearing masks, which was said to be respected in their policy. Upon arriving I expressed our situation to the woman at the front desk. She immediately began pressing me on political views, and laughing manically when I told her 'I believe everything will soon be okay in the world', giving out the notion that I was insane for believing so, in front of my 6 year old daughter..she proceeded to insinuate that she didn't believe I 'sounded like I have asthma', which is immensely unprofessional + completely illegal when it comes to medical rights in this country. When I told her I felt uncomfortable with her actions + that we were just going to leave, but that I first wanted her name to carry out legal measures, she immediately starting manically laughing + screaming that she was now afraid of me! entirely flipping the script..she proceeded to frantically jump up + down, grabbing her neck and face like a lunatic, screaming to the other side of the building that she is scared of me and that I am a pyscho. To the extreme point where her employees had to calm her down and pull her aside. This experience was terrifying to not only myself, but more importantly my impressionable 6 year old daughter who was so excited to spend a day at the center learning about Nature. To bring up political views + insinuate that I was lying about medical conditions is something that should be taking extremely seriously by any establishment. As a being of that nature has no buisness handling visitors during this extremely trying time in the world, where with diversity, some people truly have underlying health issues, it is down right sinister to bully them out of an experience. This woman had blond long curly hair, and I belive her name is susan...though I'm not sure as they unprofessionally wouldn't disclose her information, it is vital for mothers like me to be informed of her atrocious pyschotic episode, to prevent this awful experience to ever repeat to innocent beings who are merely trying to enjoy their day. Through the entire episode I remained cool calm + collected, although internally terrifed, as it was highly apparent she is suffering with extreme psychosis. Be warned, this establishment does not value your medical rights + are liable to bully you out of pressure + ridicule. My 6 year old child left with tears in her eyes, as all she wanted to do was learn about animals for her day, in turn the lesson ended up being that, unfortunately, some humans too, have tendencies to act like rabid animals.

This was a great experience for the whole family. We picked it on a whim because we were already in town and the attraction we had targeted was closed. This turned out to be very fortunate for us because we found a gem here. The staff was all knowledgeable and eager to share. The attractions we're all well labeled and the mix of animals was wonderful. We spent roughly 4 hours with 3 children and they all had different favorites because of the diverse options. Overall I would highly recommend this for anyone with kids 4+. Reasonably priced way to trucks those kids into learning a little bit.

Learned so much! The planetarium was a great way to spend the afternoon. One of five places in the US that you can touch a rock from Mars. Other highlights include a meteorite display and the planetarium shows. Be sure to ask questions. Dr. Preston is a wealth of information.

I visited Calusa Nature Center many times as a kid. However, today was the first time I visited the center in almost 20 years. I was excited to see that they've expanded and are now caring for injured animals and other captive raised animals. They had a wide variety of exhibits on nature and local history, including the Calusa Indians. We loved the raptor aviary and the reptiles. Our son enjoyed the planetarium and the show From Earth to the Universe. We really need to support local treasures like the Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium!

I recently visited the Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium and I was blown away by the beautiful nature and educational opportunities available. From the moment I arrived, I was greeted by friendly staff who were eager to share their knowledge about the center and the surrounding area. The nature trails were stunning and well maintained, providing a peaceful escape into nature. I also enjoyed the variety of exhibits and interactive experiences available, especially the butterfly exhibit and the planetarium show. What really stood out to me was the dedication to conservation and education that the Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium embodies. It was clear that the staff and volunteers truly care about the environment and are passionate about sharing their knowledge with visitors. I learned so much about local wildlife and ways to protect our planet during my visit. Overall, I had a wonderful experience at the Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an educational and enjoyable day out. It's a great place for families, nature lovers, and anyone interested in learning more about the world around them. I can't wait to visit again and continue to explore all that this amazing center has to offer.

Such a fabulous peaceful walk. There is a small dirt trail that is the closest thing to natural Florida you can find. This path is uneven and has roots and other obstacles though, so it is for a person who is a regular walker. The path with the crushed shells is flat, level, and for anyone. The museum has interesting displays. The butterfly screened in area was FANTASTIC! Really worth visiting. Conveniently located, plenty of parking. I became a member, to support it.

Was great for a rainy day, lots of neat exhibits. Planetarium show was pretty good. Kiddos had a blast and pitched in for the new habitat for their tegu.

Neat place; stopped by for the first time in January 2024. We walked the entire nature trail. Nice to see an area that is not bulldozed and developed. Lots of animals to see also. Highly recommend especially if you have kids.

Amazing and fun place to bring the family. My two boys got to pet a snake and alligator and had a blast exploring everthying they offer. Staff was awesome and very welcoming, Max went over an above and made our visit that much more special. Thanks again.

The Nature Centers staffs sweet and knowledgeable. You can tell the animals are loved and taken care of. The Planateruim staffs amazing. They took the time to answer all of the kids questions. The only thing I could say against the whole place is that the the show in the Planateruim was fantastic, yet hard for our 7year old to understand. Todd did a wonderful job helping with the kids questions. The show went from 2:15- 3:20. The animal show went from around 1:15- 2:45 but was interupted by a horrible storm.

We spent a fair bit of time here in the planetarium and listening to a presentation by Snake Dude. I have now heard several presentations by the lady in charge of the planetarium. I enjoy listening to her very much. Snake Dude was very knowledgeable and quite passionate about his reptilian buds. It seems like everything had started to bloom. It was beautiful when walking through the trails. The only downside to the trip is that I lost one of my good hats. I have owned it for more than a decade. I called them but never heard back from them. It does not seem reasonable to me to penalize them a star or two for my own irresponsibility.

More of a nature center for kids, the planetarium is very cool. The bigger trail was flooded due to the summer rains and the boardwalk has been decommissioned since 2017 due to the hurricane. Very friendly staff.

We have been here several times and it's always a blast. The animals are well cared for and the staff is friendly and knowledgeable. We did the haunted trail this year and they all did such a great job-- the kiddos got a good scare!

Well worth bringing the family to, lots of lights, pretty cool thing they’ve got going on here.

Loved the lazer light show in the planetarium with holiday music playing! Went on the lighted nature trail! 👣There is a spot to take family holiday pictures!

Theater not working. Trails flooded.

This is a very interesting place to visit. Cost is $10 Adults, $9 Sr Citizens, $5 Children & that includes the Planetarium Show. Our group of 3 really enjoyed it.

Love that they rescue animals. Lots of animals to touch and learn about. The planetarium is neat too. Haven't been to one since I was a kid.

The Treasure of SWFL! When you want to learn about environmental education, see some amazing native wildlife or experience a full-dome planetarium show, this is the place to go. The membership includes being able to come back again and again AND stroll through the woods during the Holiday Lights event in December.

Fun for the kids for quick peaceful enjoyment. Animals, trail, the planetarium is great. Very affordable, donate if you want, to keep the fort myers center going ! All good things. Fun shows when the animals come out for live demonstrations.

Decided to attend last night thinking that this place changed ! But unfortunately it did not !!! It’s not worth 7.00 per person just to see a few tiny lights ! My front yard is decorated better !! It’s a waste of time . They did not make an effort !!!The only thing that we enjoyed was the bonfire pit !! Another place just for tourist !!! To scam them out of their money !!! And we aren’t that !!!

Great place to take the family & enjoy the day. My best friend, her son,my boys & myself enjoyed ourselves per usual. For those who are new to the area or haven't been here.There are tables to have lunch & yes you'll have to bring your own lunch but it's worth having that quality time. The trails are good to walk & cute animals to see not to mention a nice staff.

Mesmerica was entertaining and sometimes impressive but not the high tech show I expected. Having said that, the theater is in dyer shape, smells mildewy, screen is a patchwork and outdated, terrible resolution and the seats are not comfortable at all. My 6 foot tall husband left the theater with neck pain. TIP: don't pay extra to buy VIP seats, we purchased the 'cheap' seats and ended up sitting right next to the VIP seats...

What a little treasure for Ft. Meyers! We loved the animal exhibits with their write-ups and a handy picture to help find the critters in their tank. The Planetarium had short shows with a fantastic description of the date's night sky in Ft. Meyers. It was raining so we didn't get to see the outdoor portion. With kids or without, visit this place!

Such a cool place! I was looking for something to do for an hour or so while in town visting and wasn’t expecting to stay close to 4 hours! My 5 year old and I loved the Animal Talk and chance to touch a snake and alligator! It was so reasonably priced and a Great place for both adults and kids alike. Definitely will be coming back next time we visit.

I love this place. It's like another world from what is outside with the traffic and chain stores. Lots of trails, a museum, live animals, planetarium, gift shop, picnic tables. Nice, helpful staff. Varied programming (they have a play on now) and even occasional road trips. Not just for kids! Ten dollar entry and thirty-five dollar individual membership.

Our family of 7 has a family membership at the nature center and we LOVE it! If your Family is big on nature and animals this is your spot. I love how chill it is. Holiday lights were amazing! Don’t have enough good things to say. Membership is well worth it!

A hidden gem in Ft Myers absolutely wonderful experience. Todd who ran the planetarium was absolutely incredible and the nature museum was a lot of fun for us and the kids.

Great little nature center. I feel like it's expanded since the last time I was here. My 4 year old loved it.

What a very nice place! Great displays and watch out for the diamondback rattler (in a cage). Good displays that give helpful information. The birds were great and the huge alligators we're incredible. We'll be back again!

The poor owl outside didn't have any water . That was the Debbie downer there Not to many things to do . But it is educational.

First the woman at the desk was fabulous. She was very kind and educated in the park. Now for the park, We were a bit disappointed. Beautiful eagles, hawks, owls snakes and baby gator. Yes that's it as far as live animals. Thank goodness we purchased tickets on Groupon. But the trails were so soothing and tranquil 🥰👍 therapeutic If you make it on time to see the 3 shows it might be worth the regular price. But as of right now, if you would like to check it out, definitely purchase it on Groupon

We recently visited Calusa Nature Center on a weekend afternoon. Unfortunately, we arrived too late to check out the Planetarium but the nature center was great. The lady at the front desk was very nice and, with there being no one else in the center at the moment, gave us a quick tour of the animals they care for. The weather turned before we could explore much outside but it gives us a reason to visit again. If you're in the area and looking for something to do, especially if you have young children, Calusa Nature Center is a great place to check out. We will definitely be returning in the future.

We went for their sensory independence day event. Was nice, but somewhat boring for the whole family. And we had 2 families with us. Then after that planetarium show, we went across to the nature museum... We started walking around and was told we had to pay to look around. We were all disappointed and left. Wasn't really worth paying to see what we saw.

The haunted trail here was ok at best, but definitely not worth the $20-$25. They list online that it lasts 30 min but they pushed us through and we were literally only on the trail for 10 minutes. My opinion is it's way too short and did not have very much decor I guess is what I'm looking for. I definitely suggest going online and buying your tickets ahead of time to save the $5 if you do go. Personally though I'd save my money lesson learned this time.

Great to see rescue animals being well taken care of. We saw an eagle up close. Staff was knowledgeable and very friendly!

This is a great place to be able to get a glimpse into what our surroundings are like. They also have one of the greatest Montessori schools in the back. I've been coming here since a kid and will continue to come as long as they're open!

(Translated by Google) A very good place to walk and enjoy with the family a variety of activities and events scheduled every day ... it is a simple but interesting place, you can see crocodiles, birds and a variety of reptiles. I recommend it and support the conservation of these areas, the cost is very cheap so there is no excuse not to take a look at this park. (Original) Un muy buen lugar para caminar y disfrutar con la familia de una variedad de actividades y eventos programados todos los días...es un lugar sencillo pero interesante, puedes mirar cocodrilos, aves y una variedad de reptiles. Lo recomiendo y apoyen a la conservación de estas áreas, el costo es muy barato así que no hay pretexto para no dar un vistazo a este parque..👍💚🧡

Nothing like the website described.. my son was so disappointed on his birthday..

Terrible experience at the front desk with a woman staff member with blonde curly hair (Susan?). She was extremely unprofessional laughing maniacally and demonically, bringing politics up when we were unable to wear a mask at their outdoor uncrowded event. She followed us around when we went to bathroom pleading and begging us to leave. All other staff members were very nice and professional.

This place was super fun for my 6, 10, and 11 year old and myself!

Sooooo cool for all ages!!! Highly recommend.

Great walk to see the lights! However, at 64 I tripped a time or three on roots in the pathway. The laser show was fabulous!!

Christmas lights and Christmas spirit!!! A wonderful surprise from my daughter!!!

Holiday Lights were very nice walk! Enjoyed

Great time.

Holiday lights and nature walk are wonderful! What a Lee County gem!!

Lights and the fire it was nice

Staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. More here than we thought! We will visit again

Their planetarium is super cute! We got to watch "Santa conquers the aliens" and "the year 2889" and it was awesome. The man running the event would give us facts about the movie and also told us about the exhibits too :) really nice event :)

What a wonderful time had at the center. The facilities, staff and offerings were awesome and unique. I highly recommend to all, especially families and nature lovers. My daughter and I watched Halloween films at the planetarium and just loved the experience! What a unique setting to watch 50s pulp films. The executive director was so welcoming and made us feel at home. Bravo Calusa Nature Center!! I hope to visit soon again!!

Calusa Nature Center is a gem!! They are always educational and exciting. Every time we go it is a new experience. The people who take care of the animals love to answer questions and are so knowledgeable about them. You can't beat the price and it includes the planetarium shows and animal talks. The laser light shows are $10 and well worth the price. Get the glasses for a dollar extra it is so much better.

Its a nice place to visit. I took my 19 month old baby girl who loves animals and creatures. Something we share. We walked the trails. It was a nice morning and chance to bond.

Fantastic place, great guides. My teens and I did the guided nature walk, even though the path was flooded from last week's storm the guide was able to keep our attention and teach us many many fun facts about the swamp land ecosystem. Wonderful place, if you really pay attention and get engaged with each exhibit you can spend a whole day here. Bring a lunch as no concessions are available. Can't wait to go back and see the planetarium presentation also. :)

Had a great time yesterday it was seeing all the animals & different types of birds ae really didn't get to see everything at the park but I still enjoyed it my favorite part was when we went to go see the Planetarium! It was really neat to see & learn some new things about Space! 🙂🌌🌌🌌🌌🌠🌗🌖🌗⭐⭐⭐

The nature center is a hidden gem in Fort Myers. So nice to have this much nature in the middle of a city. The trails are great and easy. The nature center is fun to bring kids to and see all the turtles and snakes they care for. My favorite exhibit is outside with the alligators and bald eagle. We need more places like this in the city! I’d highly recommend bringing your young children here for a fun afternoon!

Fantastic. Absolutely love this place. Can't recommended it highly enough! Recently attended for their Halloween Led Zeppelin laser show and it was wonderful. I will be back very soon for more planetarium shows!

We loved our experience at the Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium. The staff were friendly, knowledgeable, and had safe COVID protocols in place. The Planetarium show was informative and entertaining. I would highly recommend this for families with young children or nature enthusiasts.

My family loves it here. Over the years my kids grew up visiting the animals, going on nature hikes and enjoying shows at the planetarium. From special Halloween and Christmas events to birthday parties and picnics we’ve appreciated the center for years and hope it sticks around for years to come! Please donate to help a local educational cause!

We had a great time at the fall festival hosted here!

The Calusa Nature canter amd planetarium is a wonderful place to learn about nature and space. You will love this place. Fun for the whole family young and old.

Love this place, went to the planetarium show at 2 with my daughter. Was a blast and very socially distant spaces.

Nature museum was super awesome to explore. The planetarium as cool as well with a newly updated sound system. They should get the chairs that lean back for the planetarium but other than that it was definitely a fun adventure and the planetarium guy was super fun, knowledgeable, patient, and easy to understand.

To be filled in

Am I the only one who thinks this place is a cult....?... literally weirdest experience of my life.

No way to go there! Masks mandatory!! No medical exceptions

We attended the Boos and Brews event as vendors and we were blown away by the hospitality and professionalism. Kaitlin and her team of volunteers made us feel at home. The event was well organized and a lot of fun. The actual center itself is meticulously clean, fun and educational!

Great place to enjoy animals and nature!

The staff was so kind and informative! They took so much time sharing with us. You can tell they love what they do.

Laser Light Show was great. Pink Floyd. I haven't wasted an hour that fast in years. Good price. A nice evening starter.

My wife Rebecca Gammey Theis and I saw two different Laser shows. One was to the music of Pink Floyd and the other was to the music of the Beatles. Both were awesome shows. The Refractive glasses are worth it at a $1 upcharge. Trust me.

Expected a lot more. I know Covid is going on, but thought we would be able to see other animals. Also, masks are required, but the man at the front desk had his mask completely down and others weren’t wearing theirs. Mostly reptiles with two owls.

Excellent stop. The planetarium is a must see.

Quiet, peaceful, trails

If I could give this event a zero I would. As a family of seven we bought tickets to see the star of Bethlehem show at the planetarium Paid over 100 dollars for all of us. This presentation was BORING and a complete waste of time and money. The guy running the show was unorganized and jumped from one thing back to another. The whole show was completely pointless. We watched about ten people walk out halfway through and they had the right idea. If we did not mind being rude we would have done the same. We thought that our tickets also included the lights show at the end. That would have made it at least tolerable but they wanted another ten dollars a person to do that. So we left very dissatisfied. To anyone out there who is thinking about going, save your money and do something else. You will thank me later!