Rain or shine, Fort Myers has action-packed indoor fun for everyone during your vacation. Arcades, indoor sports, chic geeking, spas, and casinos offer something exciting to do every day and some worth revisiting. You will need to plan ahead for some of these depending on where you will stay and when you want to visit, but others are available without reservations to enjoy spur of the moment. Did somebody say vacation getaway? Here are five fabulous things to do indoors in Southwest Florida.
1. Bowling – The Beach Bowl & Pelican’s Arcade
Amenities: Bowling, pool, air hockey, pinball, arcade, cafe/snack bar, beer, wine, full bar
Open Bowling Hours:
Wednesday – Friday evenings
All day Saturday-Sunday
Wednesday and Friday 1:00 p.m., Senior Matinees
Arcade Hours:
November-May
Monday-Saturday, 9:00 a.m. – close
Sunday noon – close
June-October
Monday-Tuesday, 5:00 p.m. – close
Wednesdays, Friday-Sunday – noon – close
Closed Thursdays
Location: 17651 San Carlos Boulevard, Fort Myers Beach, Florida, 33931
Telephone: 239-466-3033
Costs: Priced separately
2. Planetarium – The Calusa Nature Center Planetarium
Explore the stars and everything between – that we know of, that is. Home of the Southwest Florida Astronomical Society, the Calusa Nature Center Planetarium is the only planetarium open to the public in southwest Florida.
Amenities: Museum, butterfly and bird aviaries, gift shop, picnic and meeting areas, three nature trails set on 105 acres
Days and Times: Daily unless otherwise noted, exact shows vary depending on the month and season, so call for availability. Here’s an overview of the show times and types of presentations.
Monday – Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Noon – Triple-header with SW Florida Skies, NASA’s Future of Space Exploration and LCROSS Lunar Mission Impact Results
1 p.m. – Live Animal Demonstration in the Museum building
1:30 p.m. – Cosmic Castaways and Southwest Florida Skies
2:30 p.m. – Mystery Tours: All About the Stars, Winter Stargazing or Potluck – Winter Stargazing is perfect for working on that scouting badge or preparing for an upcoming stargazing adventure.
First Thursdays, 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. – Southwest Florida Astronomical Society Monthly Meeting held in the Planetarium, free to the public. Features an astronomical program followed by brief business meeting.
Fridays, 11 a.m – weather permitting, Live Solar Observing using the Coronado Solar Telescope
Location: 3450 Ortiz avenue, Fort Myers, Florida, 33905
Telephone: 239-275-3435
Costs: Adults, $10.00; Children (3-12), $5.00, Free for age 2 and younger. Discounts offered for Seniors, Military, College Students, AAA members. Group rates available.
3. Ice Skating – Skatium
Amenities: Ice skating arena, skate rentals, fitness center, gymnasium, ice and in-line hockey leagues, freestyle skating, parties, hockey pro shop, skating lessons, snack bar, arcade room
Days and Times: Call for availability.
Location: 2250 Broadway, Fort Myers, Florida, 33901
Telephone: 239-321-7510, FAX: 239-344-4451
Costs: Call for pricing and discounts.
4. Roller Skating – Palace Roller Rink
Amenities: Area’s largest maple wood floor, free WiFi, dancing, shuffle skating, video games music, snack bar, lessons
Days and Times: Public sessions vary, call for days and times
Location: 1490 Brown Road, North Fort Myers, Florida, 33903
http://www.palacerollerrink.com/
Telephone: 239-656-2000
Costs: All sessions $6.00
5. IMAX Theater- Regal Gulf Coast Stadium 16 & IMAX
Movie buffs can snack and theater-hop all day long in this theater complex!
Amenities: Mobile, kiosk and print at home tickets, wheelchair accessible, listening devices, party room, recliners, snacks, pizza, wings, drinks. Closed captioning and descriptive video devices available on request for the hearing and vision impaired, respectively. Close to shopping, restaurants and banks.
Days and Times: Sunday – Saturday, showtimes vary
Location: 10028 Gulf Center Drive, Fort Myers, Florida, 33913
https://intern.textbroker.com/client/orderadministration/getOrder/item_id:14879921
Telephone: 844-462-7342, extension 1755
Costs: Vary with shows and times. Discounts for groups, AARP and others.
Get into something comfortable, grab this checklist and head for these fun spots to cool off from the heat or escape the rain. Check them off for a bucket list of indoor fun not to be missed during your special southwest Florida vacation!
