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Nature, history and art on Sanibel/Captiva
 One
of the most delightful discoveries awaiting you on your visit to Sanibel and
Captiva islands is the number of things you can do “beyond the beach.” The
Florida islands are dotted with numerous natural, historical and artistic
attractions.
Bailey-Matthews
Shell Museum
3075 Sanibel-Captiva Road
(239) 395-2233, (888) 679-6450
Named for two pioneer island families, The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum
showcases why Sanibel has earned its reputation as one of the world’s top
shelling destinations. The most comprehensive museum in the nation devoted
exclusively to shells, it features exhibits illustrating shells from
geographical, historical, scientific and artistic perspectives. Open daily
(except major holidays) from 10:00am to 5:00pm.
BIG ARTSBarrier Island Group for the Arts
900 Dunlop Road
(239) 395-0900
BIG ARTS was established in 1979 as a community organization to promote the
arts on Sanibel. It is the island’s hub of cultural activity, and features
more than 150 workshops and 25 concerts annually, as well as award-winning
films, lectures, discussion groups, language workshops, a summer children’s
camp and juried fine arts fair. The BIG ARTS Center includes a 414-seat
performing arts hall with dance studio, five classrooms, two art galleries,
and a sculpture garden.
Chapel by the Sea
11580 Chapin Lane, Captiva
(239) 472-1646
Originally built in 1901 as a schoolhouse that doubled as a church on
Sundays, this charming chapel now serves as a seaside meditation site, an
interdenominational church (November through April) and popular wedding
spot. Trimmed in lattice fencing, the cemetery next door guards the graves
of many early settlers who came to Captiva in the late 19th
century to homestead and farm.
C.R.O.W.
Clinic for Rehabilitation of Wildlife
3883 Sanibel-Captiva Road
(239) 472-3644
Dedicated to restoring the health of
Florida island’s wildlife, this well-respected facility for
injured and orphaned birds and animals treats more than 3,000 patients each
year. C.R.O.W. offers an educational presentation, appropriate for ages 5
and up, year-round Monday through Friday at 11:00am. The program is also
available Sundays at 1:00pm from Thanksgiving through Easter.
J. N. "Ding"
Darling National Wildlife Refuge
One Wildlife Drive (off Sanibel-Captiva Road)
(239) 472-1100
This 6,300-acre Florida wildlife refuge, named for Pulitzer Prize-winning
cartoonist and pioneer environmentalist Jay Norwood Darling, is -– at latest
count -- home to 238 species of birds, more than 50 types of reptiles, and
32 different kinds of mammals. The refuge features wonderful birdwatching
spots, bike and walking paths, winding canoe trails and a four-mile scenic
drive, all of which are lush with seagrape, wax and salt myrtles, red
mangrove, cabbage and sabal palms, and other native plants. A booklet
available from the refuge Education Center highlights points of interest,
including an observation tower where naturalists will obtain the best view
of flora and fauna. The drive is open Saturday through Thursday from 7:30am
to a half-hour before sunset. Closed Friday. Low tide, when birds feed, is
the ideal time to visit. he Education Center is open daily. Hours are
9:00am to 5:00 pm from November through April, and 9:00am to 4:00pm May
through October. Interpretative tram tours of the sanctuary are scheduled
through Tarpon Bay Explorers; reservations required at 239-472-8900.
Old Town Sanibel
Old Town encircles the east end of the island near
the Sanibel Lighthouse. Historically, it was the center of much of the
island’s activity; today, it is a place to stroll quaint village shops, inns
and restaurants. The Sanibel Historical Society has produced a walking and
biking tour to “yesteryear” that is approximately 2 ½ miles long. You can
pick up a map at the Chamber Visitor Center or at the Sanibel Historical
Village.
Sanibel-Captiva
Conservation Center
3333 Sanibel-Captiva Road at Mile Marker 1
(239) 472-2329
The Conservation Foundation’s Nature Center encompasses 260 of the 1,800
total acres owned and managed as a preserve for
Florida wildlife, and offers a unique insight into the island’s ecosystems.
Visitors can walk 4 ½ miles of trails, climb an observation tower, and
experience a butterfly exhibit. Inside the Nature Center, a marine-life
touch tank, an alligator jawbone, a mangrove diorama, and other exhibits
showcase island habitat. The foundation also operates a nature shop,
bookstore and native plant nursery, and conducts estuarine research. Guided
trail tours, shoreline discovery walks and many other programs are
available. Hours of operation vary with the season: October through May,
weekdays, 8:30am to 4:00pm; June through September, weekdays, 8:30am
to 3:00pm; and Saturdays from 10:00am to 3:00pm, December through April.
Sanibel Historical
Village and Museum
950 Dunlop Road
(239) 472-4648
This collection of late 19th- and early 20th-century
buildings brings early Sanibel back to life in a beautifully serene
setting. Dedicated to the pioneer families of Sanibel and Captiva, the
Village includes “Uncle” Clarence Rutland’s home, Bailey’s General Store,
“Morning Glories” (a Sears/Roebuck catalog home), Miss Charlotta’s Tea Room,
the 1926 Post Office, the Burnap Cottage, and the latest addition – the
island’s original schoolhouse -- transplanted in late 2004 from its former
Periwinkle Way location where it served as a theater for years. All of the
buildings are furnished with items from the early 1900s. A
handicapped-accessible boardwalk and shell paths take visitors past a
pioneer garden, antique Model T truck, and a replica of a packinghouse with
farm equipment. The Village relates the history of the islands beginning
with the days of the Calusa Indians up to the mid-1900s. The Historical
Village and Museum is open November through mid-August, Wednesday through
Saturday, from 10:00am to 4:00pm, although summer hours may vary. Closed
mid-August through October.
Sanibel Lighthouse
Perhaps the most photographed structure on
Sanibel, the Sanibel Lighthouse was first lit in August 1884. In 1972, the
U.S. Coast Guard announced it would extinguish the light, but then abandoned
the plan when faced with public outcry. The
Florida Coast Guard continues to maintain the lighthouse, which is not open
to visitors, but the City of Sanibel now manages the surrounding property,
including the keeper’s quarters, fishing pier and beach access.
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