Punta Gorda's 1928 Train Depot (1009 Taylor; 941-639-1887), includes an antique mall and a museum of the area's black history. The Punta Gorda Woman's Club downtown (941-639-1887) is full of memories of its days as a public library and a World War II USO. The Punta Gorda History Park (501 Shreve St.; 941-639-1887), has a Cuban cigar workers' house plus the city's original land sales office. And the Florida Adventure Museum (260 W. Retta Esplanade, 941-639- 3777) offers local history with military and nature exhibits.

You'll find lighthouses in Boca Grande (the 1927 Rear Range Lighthouse and the 1890 Port Boca Grande Lighthouse) on Gasparilla Island (941-964-0375) and in Lee County on Sanibel Island (941-472-6477), where the iron pile lighthouse has been a landmark since 1884. It's located at the east end of Periwinkle Way on the south end of the island. And don't miss the Sanibel Historic Village & Museum (950 Dunlop; 941-472- 4648), with exhibits tracing the island's history from the days of the Calusa Indians.

Fort Myers, originally a Seminole War period fort site, was a small fishing village in the 1880s when it was discovered by Thomas Edison and his friends. The Edison Winter Home, one of the first prefab houses in the U.S., along with the home of his famous next-door neighbor, Henry Ford, are open for tours offered by The Edison/Ford Winter Estates (2350 McGregor Blvd.; 941-334-3614). One of Florida's signature subtropical streets, McGregor Boulevard is lined for miles with stately royal palms, some planted by Edison himself, and many historic homes. The Edison Festival of Light held each February (941-334-2999) celebrates the Edison heritage, as does the Annual Holiday House on the grounds, where more than one-million lights sparkle each December.

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