Cape Coral Historical Museum

The Cape Coral Museum of History has been collecting, preserving, and disseminating information about the city’s past through its archives, exhibits, and public programs since 1987. Visitors from all over the world, including those from the United States and Canada, can learn about the history of Cape Coral at the museum, which serves as the city’s official archive. The museum is under the care of the Cape Coral Historical Society and displays artifacts, documents, and photographs from the area’s history.

In June of 1980, the Cape Coral Historical Society became a legal entity. After three years, the city of Cape Coral sold the original Cape Coral Country Club Pro Shop and Snack Bar building to the Cape Coral Museum of History. The museum first welcomed visitors in 1987, and since then it has grown to encompass three separate structures.

The Museum is overseen by a Board of Directors consisting of fifteen individuals, and is run with the help of one full-time employee, one part-time employee, and a group of about fifty dedicated volunteers. On average, the museum is open to the public for 200 days a year, from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm on Wednesday through Friday, and 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on Saturdays.

The Museum’s goal is to create a hub that celebrates and promotes Cape Coral’s history, culture, and distinctive character in order to foster a more united and robust community with deeper social ties. Through their collections, exhibitions, educational initiatives, programs, and research, they invite people of all ages to learn about and experience the rich history of Cape Coral and Southwest Florida.

Gulf American Land Corporation, established in 1957 by brothers Jack and Leonard Rosen, was responsible for developing Cape Coral as a large subdivision of single-family homes. Cape Coral boasts more miles of navigable waterways than any other city in the world, at over 400. It is often referred to as a “Waterfront Wonderland” because it has more canals than Venice, Italy. Cape Coral is the largest city between Tampa and Miami, and the second largest in Florida, with a total land area of nearly 120 square miles. Since its incorporation in 1970, Cape Coral has grown into a thriving city with a current population of around 200,000.

The Rosen building, which dates back to 1962, was originally the pro shop and snack bar for the Cape Coral Country Club. In 1966, it was relocated to Four Freedoms Park, and in 1983, it was relocated once again, this time to Cultural Park. In 1987, the Rosen building played host to the Museum’s inaugural exhibition. The Museum’s reception desk, Museum Store, and administrative offices are all located there now.

Built in 2009, the Kelly Building documents the growth and incorporation of the City of Cape Coral from 1970 through today. The history of the city’s government, the evolution of public services like the Cape Coral Fire Department, Cape Coral Police Department, and Cape Coral Hospital, as well as the evolution of the local educational system, recreational facilities, religious institutions, and commercial sector are all on display.