Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium

AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL! The nature center is falling apart. I came her 20 years ago and again last week. Nothing has changed, except they haven’t done any maintenance and now the place is ramshackle. To top it off, the employees or volunteers here are from the bottom of the barrel, if you know what I mean. They look like they’re fresh out of rehab and can’t answer simple questions. «What does the opossum eat?» Dirt. Dirt. Really? Idiots. My kids (5 and 8) didn’t like the place either. The animals were all kept in cages overflowing with rotting food and feces. Just disgusting.

Note: In July and August, it rains so much in the afternoon that they close at 3 pm. Also, this year their website says they will be closed for repairs and maintenance Aug 15^th — Oct 2^nd. The bird habitat needs a new roof and the buildings also need roof work, plus it looks like they are redoing one of the classrooms and trying to flood-​proof some of the trails. Today most of the trails were closed because of flooding and downed limbs after all the rain our area has had in the last 24 hours, but the exhibits and planetarium were all open. They even have new vending machines with better drink choices in the main building :-)

Came here on Memorial Day and was pretty surprised I hadn’t discovered it sooner because of all the different animals. Parking is free but there is a $ 10 admission for each adult which I thought was a little high but for a good cause as all the animals there were injured and can’t be released back into the wild. The place is pretty out dated so I think they could be doing better if they made some updates to, well, everything. The animals cages seemed old and not in the best condition but the animals look pretty healthy so I can’t complain there. There are two large alligators in the front of the visitors section which I thought was cool. There’s a humongous bald eagle, also. The grey fox looked very worried, pacing back and forth constantly and making noises with a toy in its mouth so that was a little interesting. The planetarium show was boring for me. Probably cooler for a young child but it put me to sleep. The video also seemed outdated, like from the 80’s or something. We didn’t walk the trail as it was too hot so I don’t have a two cents on that. With some improvements this nature center could be a place people would look forward to returning to but it’s worth checking out at least once.

Love this place… a little rough around the edges… needs a good handy man to volunteer… but still a wonderful place to enjoy nature!!!

This place is Horrible. Totally outdated and run down. DO NOT come here if you are an animal lover. The raccoon cage had a tarp covering the exterior but could still see the poor animal frantically pacing back and forth near the door. There was also a very large bald eagle in a low ceiling cage under part of the building that had no direct sunlight or much air flow. This poor bird was panting and it wasn’t even extremely hot. Broke my heart.

My 3-​year-​old was not a big fan of this place. The reptile show was great. Really informative. And the guy who was putting it on really knew what he was talking about and interacted well with the crowd. Though the Burmese Python was a bit scary for my son.
He did enjoy seeing the animals and reptiles in the displays/​aquariums. Especially the baby alligators.
I was disappointed in the trails. They are filled with/​made of shells. Not great for a stroller. That was probably the part my son would have enjoyed most. But we had to skip it.
I appreciate the efforts to educate the public and to take in injured animals. So I’m happy, for those reasons, to have paid $ 15 for admission ($ 10 for adults, $ 5 for kids). But unfortunately I felt like, for the experience I had, it wasn’t worth the money.
For older kids, it might be more fun.

This place is good to visit once or twice. Definitely a place to relive stress. It’s great for kids too and the staff is nice. Nothing here will blow you away if you’ve lived in Florida your whole life. But the work they do is admirable and deserves recognition.

Calusa Nature Center is very much like a hidden trove of interesting things to look at, but doesn’t jump out as being four or five star worthy.
The place is relatively cheap to get in to ($ 10) but parking looks more scarce than needed. Once in museum, we were greeted by a fellow at the desk who very briefly gave us an introduction — a map where trails link up and what is going on in the building. The interaction lasted all of 3 minutes.
The housings for some of the inside (caged) animals looked very old and put together as if one mis step and they’ll fall apart. However, the animals didn’t look abused or hurt. A couple of the pens had notes not to touch the animal as it bites (Stanley the rat) or is afraid of quick movements (the screech owls). There was more space to walk around than there was information about each animal. Only thing telling you what it was, was a print out of its Latin name and origins. However, being able to see a spiky tailed iguana was pretty cool.
Outside and down a flight of stairs, there was a lean-​to that held a bald eagle. Again, this holding pen was strong enough to cage the animal, but looked extremely weathered. Ground level held a make shift labyrinth for a turtle. I don’t know what else was with it, but the maze was big enough to hold other ankle high animals.
The walking trails looked like they expanded quite the bit (on the map) but once attempting to get in on foot, it was not clearly marked and my company and I didn’t go so far. Signs seemed to be missing from key points and we didn’t know whether the semi beaten path was walkable or even safe. The land is spread out enough that I’m sure, given the opportunity, one could get lost if not prepared. So we turned around and headed back to the Center.
We passed some randomly placed aviary pens — another eagle, some vultures, hawks. A couple of country animals — raccoon, bunnies, a skunk. I didn’t want to get too close to the skunk as it was pacing in its cage. I didn’t know if it had be desprayed. There was a cage with a grey fox, but I didn’t see it, as there also was a dog carrying case in the pen that was full of stuffed toys. Maybe the fox was in that carrying case?
Walking back into the Center for the reptile show, one of the redeeming qualities (not that being able to be outside on the land wasn’t cool — it just needed to be properly signed), the guy leading the show was very enthusiastic about the Albino Burmese Python named Bananas. 30 minutes went by really quick because the gentleman was keeping everyone’s attention and the pace going. The information he gave about the snake was worth the price of admission.
After the show, there was a solar system «show» in the Planetarium. As neat as that sounds, I’ve honestly seen better planetariums in high schools. It smelled musty — like they haven’t cleaned the carpets for as long as they’ve been airing the same information. The show itself was very dated and wasn’t really interesting. It was devoid of human interaction and quite possibly one of the most mundane things I’ve seen. Minus star for that (Astronomy enthusiast here).
All in all, I’m sure there was something I missed. Since the reptile show was really the only time a worker seemed happy to do their job and talk to people, it would be nice if the place offered a little more interaction — a tour or more information besides a map. But would I go back to try the trails or see another reptile show? Sure, but for the trails — wear long pants. For everything else there — maybe.

This center appears to be in need of an influx of money. The building was very dark and the habitats for the animals quite thrown together. The trails weren’t well marked and many of the signs were difficult to read or covered with mold. If you just want a walk in nature, it’s okay. But there are many other better places to do so in the Fort Myers area. We didn’t stay for the planetarium show.

wonderful reality check! amazing staff providing shelter… pretty close to the natural habitats the injured or rescued animals in southwest florida.
and tell em’ snap jack and maybe you can hold spaz.

Great Nature Center! Just make sure to wear some bug spray before you go!

My family and I make it a point to visit the Calusa Nature Center every time we visit our family in Florida. The staff at the nature center are friendly and informative, giving you time and space to enjoy the center at your own pace.
The wildlife are situated near the main building and planetarium, while the trails extend out away from the center, providing a peaceful and enjoyable walk.
The planetarium is air conditioned and well maintained, providing comfort for one’s visual journey through the stars.
Each year we visit, we find that the layout inside the main building has changed.
The Calusa Nature Center provides a home to a collection of beautiful animals and relaxing walks through nature. We love coming here and discovering what new changes made it into the center since we last visited.
Great for a family with children.

My family enjoyed this place. The staff was «hello» friendly, but didn’t really interact with us much. Some of the exhibits were worn and could use some maintenance. The trails were enjoyable, but not much in the way of wildlife. Unfortunately, we were not able to see the planetarium show.

This place is awful. I don’t even feel it’s fair to call this place a nature reserve. The planetarium’s programs are outdated and boring. The nature walks have nothing to offer other than dead tree-​scapes. It was an eerie place devoid of any animal life, including other humans. The animals that they do have are in cramped pens, distressed, and having to sleep on torn up sleeping bags and pillows. Seriously. I hope this place gets shut down.

The Nature center is really cool. They take care of injured animals, and they’ve got some really cool trails. They have one really long trail, that’s half raised, above the swampy area, and half that’s more dirt path. It’s really cool, and very beautiful.
They’ve got a museum area with lizards and reptiles. Also, there’s the planetarium, which is pretty awesome. I always love planetariums, because it’s so cool to just stare at the night sky.