Things to Do in Cape Coral

Towering oak trees and a sun-kissed waterfront surround the historical Burroughs Home & Gardens, providing comfortable blankets of shade and cool breezes while exemplifying the reverent collaboration between classic architecture and the natural world. The 1901 Georgian Revival mansion—once the setting for a silent 1920s reality show starring businessman Nelson Burroughs, his wife Adeline, and their glamorous daughters, Mona and Jettie—currently facilitates tours throughout its parlors, dining rooms, and sweeping verandas.

Guides share anecdotes from the family's journals and oral histories and point out examples of such turn-of-the-century luxuries as indoor plumbing, electricity, and steam-powered Nintendo. In keeping with the grounds' esteemed history, the public can also arrange to schedule weddings and social events like those that once hosted members of the Fort Myers elite, including the Edisons, Fords, and Firestones.

As a former collegiate golfer and member of the Nationwide Tour, PGA teaching professional Jon Butler synthesizes his own experiences with the teachings of influential colleagues to form a unique teaching philosophy. Jon believes that each golfer’s swing should be custom fit to their set of physical characteristics to improve their play and lower their score. To achieve this, he uses advanced swing tools and demonstrations to help players find a balanced swing plane, as well as video analysis so golfers can determine whether they’ve eliminated the instinctual pirouette from their follow-through.

Though most instruction takes place on the range at West Bay Beach and Golf Club, Jon can also follow golfers out onto the course to teach course-management skills and strategy in different situations.

Due to her contagious love of yoga, Inga Balciuniene's class space has grown from a room that could only hold four guests into a studio with its own fountain, massage area, and teaching staff. Even so, the certified instructor hasn't stopped reaching out to her community. Her Hatha- and Vinyasa-style lessons cater to any age, body type, and ability, with posture adjustments for students who stretch at different paces. She also entertains children aged 3 and older with lighthearted kids' yoga sessions, which channel creativity to keep youngsters moving instead of convincing them that their mats are lava. Inga also teaches yoga principles to special needs kids and adults, including some with autism. Apart from classes, events such as Yoga and Wine Night—where libations and recipes for healthy eats are passed around—encourage visitors to socialize in the candlelit space.

Inga is far from possessive of the environment she has built, and she readily rents out the studio to other teachers. She currently shares the space with a belly-dance expert and two massage therapists.

Stingrays, dinosaurs, and faux hurricanes can all be found at the Imaginarium Science Center, which soaks spongy young brains in knowledge via hands-on exhibits and 3-D movies about the natural world. Families can observe moray eels and other marine life in the Window to the Sea aquarium, or reach out to gentle stingrays in an open tank. Several daily shows with live animals compete for attention with a dino dig where patrons learn how archeologists excavate fossilized bones using nothing but the power of their minds. Kids can emulate their favorite sports heroes in the Sporty Science Arena simulator, then imitate their favorite TV weather-reporting heroes as they witness a simulated hurricane.

Classical, opera, and popular orchestral compositions make up the repertoire of the Southwest Florida Symphony, which has made quality programming its mission since 1961. Aiming to make music accessible to all, the symphony visits schools, offers scholarships, books youth-friendly concerts, and provides a friendly First-Timer’s Guide for new audience members unfamiliar with the proper way of applauding.