Summertime fun at the Mound House
The Mound House and Newton Beach Park is offering programs and tours for visitors of all ages for the summer season. They are also accepting registration for summer camp at www.supersciencefl.com.
The programs and tours are offered on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Regular museum houses are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The programs and tours offered are listed below.
Beach Walk at Newton Beach Park
Explore the natural treasures on Fort Myers Beach through a guided walk along the shore. Participants should meet at Newton Beach Park under the thatched hut (4650 Estero Blvd). Wear sunscreen, appropriate clothing, shoes and hats. Weather permitting. Free. Does not include museum admission.
Calusa Indian Masks
Explore the masks of the Calusa Indians! Create your own unique paper mask and try on several Calusa masks discovered by archaeologists. Perfect for families with children 5 and older. $2. Does not include museum admission.
Cool Calusa Tools
Explore the tools of the Calusa, swing a real conch hammer, handle a shark tooth carving tool, and try your luck with an ancient atlatl “spear thrower” just like the Calusa Indians did 2,000 years ago. Perfect for families with children 5 and older. $2. Does not include museum admission.
Exploring Archaeology, Can You Dig It
Explore what archaeologists uncovered about the Calusa Indians that lived on this 2,000-year-old Indian Shell Mound. Participants will have the opportunity to view artifacts currently not on display, and sort through materials from the Calusa Indian Shell Mound. Get down to the nitty gritty of being an archaeologist by learning some of the techniques and tools that are used. Perfect for families with children 5 and older. $5. Does not include museum admission.
Family Adventures
Explore everything fun at the Mound House! Interpretive staff leads families
through entertaining and educational experiences. Possibilities include painting a mask, trying an atlatl “spear thrower”, making seed bombs, and more! Perfect for families with children 5 and older. $2. Does not include museum admission.
Family Fun Kayak Tour
Have fun with the whole family at the Mound House with a kayak tour designed specifically for families with ages six and up. Look for wildlife including birds, dolphins, and manatees as we cruise through the mangroves in Estero Bay. Ages 6 to 12: $15, ages 13 and up: $25, MH members: $10. Museum Admission included. All paddling equipment provided. Weather permitting. Maximum 12 paddlers. Reservations required: 239-765-0865.
Florida’s Ice Age
Join Rachael Kangas of the Florida Public Archaeology Network for this free special program. Kangas will lecture on Florida’s Ice Age: With a cooler climate and roaming mastodons, Florida used to be much different place 10,000 years ago. Learn about how Florida’s first people survived and thrived in this environment by counting on a paleo diet (before it was all the rage). Free. Does not include museum admission.
Gardens Walking Tour
Discover the unique plants that make up the gardens of the Mound House and how
the Calusa and other Native Americans used them in their daily life. Take a stroll through the gardens and learn how native plants help to conserve water and protect wildlife. $2. Does not include museum admission.
Guided Tour
Join Mound House interpreters to explore the unique history of this historical and archaeological treasure. Tour includes the exploration of the gardens and the story behind the Mound House, from the Calusa to the present day. Adults: $15, ages 6-12: $10, MH members: free. Includes museum admission .
Mangroves by Kayak Tour
This guided kayak tour explores the winding mangrove creeks and hidden backwaters of the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve as only a kayaker can. Join Mound House Environmental Educators as you experience the abundant natural beauty of the ancient realm of the Calusa. Search for birds, fish, manatees and dolphins as you paddle through the Estero and Hell Peckney Bays in a tandem kayak. Mound House kayak tours are conducted in accordance with Florida Society for Ethical Ecotourism guidelines. All paddling and safety equipment provided. Ages 12 and up. Weather permitting. $45 per person, MH Members: $15.
Museum admission included. Private group tours available. Reservations required by calling 239-765-0865. Maximum of 12 paddlers per tour.
Painting Pottery
Decorate you own piece of pottery to take home as a planter! Perfect for ages 5 and up. Cost: $2. Does not include museum admission.
Shell Mound Tour
Interested in archaeology? This tour is for you! Go on a tour with Mound House interpretive staff and immerse yourself inside a 2,000-year-old Calusa Indian Shell Mound. Explore the
Archaeology of the site and what clues archaeologists uncovered about this ancient society.
Adults: $15, Ages 6 to 12: $10, members: free. Includes admission.
For the schedule visit www.moundhouse.org or call 239-765-0865. The Mound House is located at 451 Connecticut Street, Fort Myers Beach 33931.