The Edison and Ford families left an incredible legacy in the small town of Fort Myers, Florida, where the two celebrated innovators spent their winters.  

World-renowned inventor, Thomas Edison, and his friend and business partner, Ezra Gilliland, traveled to Florida in the winter of 1885 looking for a place to relax and warm weather. They found both in abundance in the frontier town (population 349) of Fort Myers. Edison purchased a 13-acre piece of land on the Caloosahatchee River for $2,750. Soon after, Edison sketched a plan for his winter retreat, including houses, a laboratory, and extensive gardens.

If you haven't been there yet, this is your chance.  The Edison Ford Estates have donated two tickets and a guidebook to our auction.  Visitors to the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers can tour the winter estate homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, the Edison Botanic Research Lab, and the Edison Ford Museum on more than 20 acres of historical gardens. 

The award-winning Moonlight Garden is one of the beautiful sites of the historic landscape, and the Edison Ford Museum has hundreds of inventions, artifacts and special exhibits.