Cultural Programs:
 

Randell Research Center

The Calusa were once the most powerful people in all of South Florida. For many centuries they built huge shell mounds, engineered canals, and sustained tens of thousands of people from the fish and shellfish found in the rich estuaries west and south of Fort Myers. All that is left of their culture today is a dwindling number of shell mound sites dotting the estuarine landscape between Charlotte Harbor and the Ten Thousand Islands region of the Everglades.

The Randell Research Center (RRC) is a permanent facility dedicated to learning and teaching the archaeology, history, and ecology of Southwest Florida. Situated in the scenic community of Pineland on the western shore of historic Pine Island, the RRC encompasses more than 50 acres at the heart of the Pineland archaeological site, a massive shell mound site extending across more than 200 acres from the mangrove coastline.

On the Calusa Heritage Trail, visitors to the RRC can tour this internationally significant site and learn about Calusa culture and their environment. The Calusa Heritage Trail is open to visitors daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  The site is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Guided tours are offered to the public during peak season (January - April) on Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m.  Groups may also schedule guided tours at other times by calling the RRC at 239-283-2062.  Requested donations for visitors to the Calusa Heritage Trail are $7.00 for adults, $5.00 for seniors, and $4.00 for children.

The RRC book store is now open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday - Friday (call 239-283-2157). In addition, volunteers and students are able to participate in the ongoing research programs of the RRC, and members can follow this progress as they support the RRC.


the                                                        

Mound House
                                                           

A Cultural & Environmental Learning Center

Experience old Florida at the Mound House where Estero Island's oldest standing structure sits atop an ancient Calusa Indian Mound. Through archaeology and history 2,000 years of island life are revealed in a variety of tours and educational programs. Situated on Estero Bay, the site is accessible by boat and motor traffic and visitors are encouraged to picnic on the park grounds and enjoy the beautiful view.

The Mound House mission is to inform and educate Florida residents and visitors about Florida prehistory, the Calusa Indians, early pioneer settlement, and life on Estero Island as it relates to the William Harrison Case House. In addition, our aim is to teach people about the sensitive marine/estuarine environment upon which past cultures and present inhabitants of south Florida have always depended.

Acquired with funds from Florida Communities Trust in 2000, the Mound House has moved forward on providing high quality educational programs to the public while meeting site development needs. Recently completed projects include the construction of a kayak landing area that connects visitors to the Great Calusa Blueway Kayak Trail in Estero Bay and the initiation of the Walk-In Shell Mound Exhibit project where visitors will have the opportunity to walk inside of a Calusa Indian mound. In the next two years, the William H. Case House will be restored to its 1921 grandeur and the Mound House grounds will be landscaped to add to the historical ambience and provide further opportunities to meet the facilities educational mission.

 
 
 
© 2008 Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival - Photographs courtesy of Lee County Visitor & Convention Buearu and Lee County Parks & Recreation Department
The Great Calusa Blueway ‡ Lee County Department of Parks & Recreation ‡ Lee County Offical Website
Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.