CANCELLED — Vintage Base Ball at Terry Park – Hosted by Edison Ford
Please note: This event has been cancelled.
Edison Ford presents a living history exhibition of vintage base ball in a small tournament format with four teams playing four consecutive games by 1860s rules. Players will wear vintage uniforms, no gloves,
Thomas Edison, at bat, with Philadelphia Athletics’ owner and manager Connie Mack, in Fort Myers, 1927
and use wood bats and lemon peel baseballs. Games will be played at historic Terry Park in Fort Myers – a site with more than 100 years of baseball history. Spectators can complete their spring training journey by experiencing the origins of an American pastime, featuring the Fort Myers Vagabonds, the Central Florida Awkwards, Akron Black Sox, and the Chicago Salmon with commentary from the Boss Lady.
Purchase tickets online or the ticket counter at Edison and Ford Winter Estates. Adults: $5; Kids 18 and under get in free; and FGCU students with ID get in free. Gates open at 9:30, first pitch is at 10:00.
Thomas Edison’s 173rd Birthday Celebration
Join us for a celebration in Thomas Edison’s honor on February 11. Students from the Edison Park 
Creative and Expressive Arts School will sing, dance and play stringed instruments as part of the celebration, and birthday cake will be served. The famous inventor is honored each year for his contributions to society, including one of this most notable inventions, the incandescent light bulb.
The event is sponsored in part by the Edison Pageant of Light, an organization that was founded in 1938 to memorialize Thomas Edison. The birthday party is a free public event with limited seating and does not include admission to the site.
Holiday Hours: December 31-January 1
Holiday Schedule:
- Tuesday, December 31 – Wednesday January 1 – Open 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
- Thursday, January 2 – Friday January 3 – Open 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. (final nights of our annual Holiday Nights event)
We will resume our regular schedule from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. seven days a week on Saturday, January 4. We wish you a very happy and prosperous 2020.
Climb the Historic Banyan Tree
Don’t miss a truly one-of-a-kind experience for ages 6 and up!
This fun and challenging adventure is designed to help climbers learn about themselves, others and the environment. Training and equipment provided by Pathfinder Outdoor Education. Climbers will register for a 45 minute session.
Advance registration is required. Members: $35, non-members: $45 (Does not include a tour or admission to the historic property).
Register by clicking here.
Takes place during Edison Ford Kids’ Garden Adventure, a free event featuring unique botanical art, kid-friendly garden vendors, green science interactives, wellness activities, activities with bees, local animals, food and beverages, and more!
Kids’ Garden Adventure (Free Event)
Explore the gardens of Edison Ford during this one-of-a-kind, one-day family event!
• Win prizes in a garden scavenger hunt
• Create unique botanical art
• Explore kid-friendly garden vendors
• Jump into environmental education activities
• Stretch your imagination with wellness activities
• Get buzzing with bees, local animals, and more!
• Food and beverages will be available
Admission is FREE (does not include a tour or admission to the historic property). Sponsored by:
And while you’re here, don’t miss a chance to climb the historic Banyan tree (additional cost, ages 6 and up)!
National Kid Inventors’ Day
Q: What do television, popsicles, and water skis have in common?
A: They were all invented by kids!
Celebrate National Kid Inventors’ Day with a unique evening of hands-on science activities for the whole family in the Edison and Ford Winter Estates Museum!
Discover robotics, the science of sound, and test your inventive skills in the Smithsonian Spark!Lab. Admission is free; no registration is required. Does not include admission to the homes and gardens.
Holiday Tea with Mina Edison and Clara Ford
Note: This event is sold out.
Join Mrs. Edison and Mrs. Ford for a special Holiday Tea in the Edison Caretaker’s House. Mina and Clara will talk about their favorite holiday traditions and tea, lemonade and cookies will be served. After the tea, visitors may stroll the beautifully decorated grounds of the Edison and Ford families.
Cost: Edison Ford members: $15; non-members: $25 (includes general admission to Edison Ford Holiday Nights, Lab and Museum). Space is limited to 30 guests, so registration is required.
Ford Mustang Show
Show your Mustang at the most beautiful location in Lee County, riverside on the Henry Ford Winter Estate lawn. Edison Ford, is excited to invite you to be a part of the Edison Ford Annual Ford Mustang Exhibition. Registration packets and one boxed lunch are provided for each vehicle owner. Dash plaques will be given to each participant. Admission: Free to Edison Ford members, $25 for non-members.
CLICK HERE for exhibitor registration information.
Black Maria Film Festival Returns
November 8, 6 p.m.
Join Edison Ford, in partnership with Florida SouthWestern (FSW) State College, in welcoming the 38th annual Black Maria 
Film Festival. Films will be screened after sunset on the historic Ford lawn and FSW students will facilitate discussion. Refreshments will be available for purchase. Limited seating is available; visitors are advised to bring a chair.
The Black Maria film festival celebrates “the diversity, invention, and vitality of the short film. The Festival is named after Thomas Edison’s original West Orange film studio dubbed the ‘Black Maria’.”
Members $5, non-members $10. Tickets will be sold at the ticket office on the evening of the event. Proceeds will benefit Hurricane Dorian relief in the Bahamas.
