The Shell Factory and Nature Park in North Fort Myers - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

This is amazing place. I was surprising for every shell I saw there. I love it

Great 1 day trip & not overwhelming for older or younger family members. No overwhelming animal smells, good walking trails, trampolines for younger kids, zip line for older kid & adults, bar/food place & live music & a very large gift shop. Note the shells are expensive, but there are other things beyond shells that can purchased.

Love it great tourist place it's got great history everyone should go there

We came to The Shell Factory while on vacation from Ontario, Canada, and really enjoyed seeing all the birds, fish, reptiles, camel, goats, etc and feeding some of them the purchased food/carrots. Then we checked out the super large gift shop, acade, and Christmas store. We had a really nice visit and the people were very friendly. Thanks.

This is a family favorite. You can walk all around and see the animals and then play a quick game of miniature golf. Afterwards, head into the shell factory for the largest selection of sea shells . Also check out the sculptures made of shells. Have fun getting your pictures taken in the shark mouth. Learn about Florida's contribution to our veterans history. Refuel with a drink and piece of pizza in the snack shop. Finish off your adventure by purchasing yourself a gift or three.

It looks like it needs a lot of renovation! Dirty, looked abandoned. Only highlight of the day: the kids were able to take a picture with a baby alligator

Always enjoy our visit for lunch or dinner at Tommy's

Only giving any stars because the parrots and zebu are fun to see and interact with. Other than that we had a terrible experience today. The nature park animals are always great to see however, a lot of the exhibits are closed for construction. Which is fine, but we were hunted down twice by 2 different employees that said I needed to “put on a shirt”. I was in modest shorts and a modest bathing suit top. Hello, it’s 90° in humid Florida and the park is hot. They said I needed to wear family friendly clothing, because they have had an issue with some other woman wearing very revealing tops. The second employee said “you need to dress appropriately” and before we could say anything she cut us off and said “I don’t care that she (referring to the ticket attendant) didn’t say anything, she isn’t in charge.” We explained that the issue isn’t about who is in charge, it is about needing to know the dress code BEFORE entering the park. They have no sign stating you need a specific length shirt to enter the park. NOT TO MENTION, the woman who sold us our tickets did not say ANYTHING. And there was a man in the entry booth WITH NO SHIRT ON. But I as a woman can’t wear a bathing suit top that has quite a bit of coverage. We come here every time we visit Florida and have always enjoyed walking around. We will probably be back, but this was not a good experience this time. So be warned, there is no sign saying what you need to wear and you will be allowed to enter but you will be talked to by every employee in the park. We shouldn’t be allowed in and then harassed in the park. And also staff claimed they are “scared of the manager” and frankly the manager needs to be more communicative about what is expected of the patrons. “Family friendly” needs to be further defined as that is incredibly subjective since this is probably the most modest bikini you’d see on a beach (where families also exist).

They had a lot of souvenirs, but seemed higher priced than other stores we visited. They have a Christmas section too. It was okay if in the area.

WOw. I don't even know where to start. If I could leave 0 stars,I would. The attraction itself is NOTHING like how it is shown on the website. Right when we got there we thought were at the wrong place. The place looked like it was made in the 1940s. The nature park was flooded and smelt like cigarettes. The parrot had zero water and looked sad. Not to mention when we walked in to buy the tickets, there was sad,lonely,neglected guniea pig being SOLD for $10. The tickets for the nature park was $51. The inside of the store itself was sm3lly and old. The shells being sold are all plastic and not real. Overall this was a terrible experience. DO.NOT.GO!!!!

I went with my kids for mother's day I expected to see more animals A lot of the lots were empty where animals were supposed to be.

Nothings open and nothings working, the whole place is flooded. Do not go there. Reminded me of a horror movie. There’s no acctractions, unless your attracted to getting malaria.

It's not expensive, it has several activities and it's fun

Lots of shells in all sorts of colors and sizes. There are also lots of other nice and funny souvenirs and an arcade for children. If you are nearby you should definitely stop and take an hour.

We did a sloth meeting and feeding for $60 each and the sloth tried to attack my mother. It was scary. Though they move slow, it got very close and tried to get her with its large toe nails/claws. I would not recommend it. The lady assistant was not trained at all and had no idea what to do.

Cages for almost all if the animals are way too small, especially in the reptile area. It's honestly disgusting how crammed together the reptiles are in practically shoeboxes

$14 dollars just to come in and see the animals. I think that’s kinda of pricey. You guys are charging almost the same price as theNaples zoo.. No way! Very disappointing! 👎

The food came quickly and it was good. Unfortunately the people were smoking in front of the restaurant also at the restaurant. That place it is claimed to be a family place with nature and park. But if you don’t want your kids smoking avoid that area.

I went to the parking lot flea market. A bunch of old tools for men. Jewelry for women and tons of junk(treasures) for everybody. It was a fun experience.

Update 2024: OK, after Ian, this place has seen better days. Went on a rainy day, and there were buckets everywhere inside, along with a very, very musty smell. No one seems to want to work there, just kind of a sad visit. At least repair the sign, jeez... Original Review: A classic tourist trap, I love it! The store is likely exactly as it was the last time you were there, even if it was 40 years ago! Kids loved just looking around, plenty of cheap souvenirs everywhere. You have to go at least once.

It was adventurous and magical. We even saw peacocks!

I think that their prices should be different for tourists and stop telling people that you have over 140 animal and when you get the tickets, you only see goats and pigs. Not cool at all.

Lots of great products. Place needs to be fixed from Hurricane Ian damage. Buckets catching the water where the roof leaks.

Do not mistake the 3 star for an entirely bad rating Place is still very obviously recovering from Ian like so many other places. It was not exactly the hopping tourist trap I expected (almost did not think it to be open), we did find a pretty large selection of things inside ranging from standard tourist fair and shells to an impressive Christmas selection. Be warned, while it was pushing 100 outside to be fair, it was still a bit warm inside so do not expect ice cold ac as a break from the heat

The Shell Factory has been a family tradition to visit for soo many years! This was my first time back in about 15 years. Was a bit disappointed. Most all the attractions were closed down due to various reasons. Still got the yummy fudge and some cool souvenirs! Brought my granddaughter here to keep the tradition going! Just needs a little updating. Would be nice if the website mentioned attractions were down before making your plans to come. Just a thought. We drove 2 hours to get here.

My best friend Mika and I enjoy walking throughout the stores. Pet friendly

Has definitely seen better days. I'm a big fan of road side tourist attractions. And this definitely fits the bill but ooph. It's struggling. The signage out front pretty much tells you all you need to know about the place. Old. Destroyed. And ready to fall over. The gift shop is very basic. There is a lot of over priced items. Mostly shells and trinkets with names on it. (If you have a common enough name for that type of stuff) Most of the building does not have air conditioning and in several places the roof leaks. It's well over due for a face lift and a fresh coat of paint. I wasn't brave enough to purchase any food from the icecream or pizza shop. The sanitation appeared to be questionable. We did decide to eat at the southern grill on the other side of the lot. That building seemed in better repair, but only marginally. The prices were comparative to other restaurants and the food was good. The waitress was very kind. The nature trail was ok but over priced. We spent just shy of $100 for admission to the trail for a family of 5 and 2 cups of food for us all to share to feed the animals. Again, no A/C in the reptile house where bathrooms are located. There is a small "fun park" with a few rides. You can pay per ride which is nice. The rides are very old but functional enough that no one was injured while we were there. Over all i give it a C+. Nice place to stop if you're just looking for a pitstop to stretch your legs. I would never choose it as a destination spot and i will probably never go back.

Rude staff. Yelled at us for looking at turtles because we were at the entrance. Every staff member we encountered was very disrespectful. The place is also very run down and super expensive for the quality you are getting. Dont waste your money on this.

Very disappointed in this place. Old and outdated. Not updated or maintained at all. Water all over and no drainage. They take you across water puddles in golf cart instead of fixing drainage. Bridge has holes and weak railings. Dangerous. Save your time and money and don’t go here.

My daughter and I came here on father's day to visit a highly recommended attraction while we were in town. I was not impressed. It looked and felt like an old road side attraction that was left to die. I met 1 staff member who wasn't rude and stand offish. The nature park was cute, but has seen better days. The pond was flooded due to the recent weather, so much of the other attractions were closed when we were there. We ate at the restaurant, Tommy's I think, but our server was not very nice until it was time to leave. She did not seem interested in conversing with us, but did with every other table. The gift shop called out to us and we discovered the arcade. Most of the games were out of order, but the roller coaster simulator was the best. Very understaffed, I think I saw 5 staff members in total in the whole shop. The 3 we interacted with were not very friendly and were very short and clipped responses. We decided to not invest any more time or money and just left. I'm not sure if all of this was because of the stress of the day and the flood or if this is their normal attitude, but I did not enjoy our visit. I wouldn't actively tell people not to go, because everyone has different experiences, I just would not personally return.

Would love to see a little investment some upgrades still great

This place was amazing. But god, this relic needs help. It’s a shell of its former self still struggling since the hurricane. The place is beaten and tattered. The employees have so much pride for the place and it’s hard to see the place I enjoyed as a kid be a leaky, beat up mess. The shell factory is part of swfl history and it deserves more. Worth a visit to support our heritage.

This is a throwback of a place and it is absolutely amazing! One of a kind for sure and you'd be hard up to find any place in the country that is like this. The shopping is awesome! The outdoor bar and restaurant had great service and even better food. Go feed the turtles and play some corn hole and have some lunch!

Huge store. Looks like it's struggling and doesn't stay open very late

Nice place. My youngest son loves visiting this place every year when we come down to visit

Great time! Beautiful area. Store has several unique items, including a Christmas area and coral for sale.

Love the location and great selection! although over priced. Last 2 times I've been there w/friends, I was followed around while browsing by employees. It was obvious & weird-would have stayed longer if I felt more welcomed

The shell factory speaks for itself. Great for the family. I enjoy the flea market sales and gatherings.

If you need a shell this place has it. Way better prices than the beach also

So much to see & do here. Love this place!

What a wonderful place. Everyone was awesome, caring knowledgeable, just the best people and facility. They are taking great care of our Crimson.

We didn't go through the park today We enjoyed the restaurant for the fact of the server named Taylor. We have been to the nature center, Unfortunately I have to say it needs a lot of work so does the shell factory itself but it's still a wonderful place. Great entertainment great food and fabulous service at the restaurant.

It's so outdated it's no longer Pleasant

I love The Shell Factory in Cape Coral FL. Good food, good entertainment, fun for the kids and adults with the rids and the animal attractions.

Could use renovations, but I was able to purchase the shells I needed to make Sailors Valentine's.

Was really cool to walk through and see all the animals and reptiles.

There is zip lining, a carousel, nature park, billards, ice cream shop, photo booth, 2 restaurants, bar, pizza, rock shop, and of course sea shells! We missed the farmers' market and flea market. Wonderful place to take the kids.

I I highly recommend if you're in the area to stop by and see this place this is one of a kind place from a day gone by I recently got into doing the swap meets and I can tell you I am completely addicted to it these people have treated me as if I'm part of the family I absolutely love the place and will always be coming back

Cute little stores with a little zoo outback and a carousel and some other stuff. I'm a fan of the fleamarket that's in the old driveins parking lot.

Was a nice collection of shells as well as a pretty cool collection of Christmas ornaments and villages. Was impressed with the collection and recommend anyone that enjoys shells and holiday decor to visit

The restaurant is very good, with singer, however the store suffered from Hurricane Ian, still in need of repairs.

Showed it's age and the hurricane damage doesn't help. Nice staff & huge selection of items to purchase but it needs a complete makeover

Food in service was good. Music was very loud

A huge place with many people doing different things. Some are at the restaurant listening to music, some shopping and some trying the ice cream or fudge! This has a 365 day long Xmas store at one end, and creatures all over, from fossils and shells to tshirts. A place for all budgets! My take, having been there four years ago, is that the physical structure took a hurricane beating, and some parts are still being repaired. The Post Office is gone as well.

We had a Great day at the flea market.. Great place & prices in this economic disaster. bidenOMICS 👴👎

It's a great place to find all kinds of Shells, or if you are looking for souvenirs. There is a variety of handmade goods. We also visited the Christmas shop, it is nice. There is a nature walk you can go on, we didn't go.

We come here a lot with the kids. The animals are the best part! Prices are a little high for food, ice cream, zip line, bumper boats and merry go round. The shell factory the old lady with the glasses white hair who works in the food part mostly/sometimes cashier is SUPER rude and disrespectful which a lot of the workers arnt that well with customer service here. I would have bought a few things but changed my mind because of her nastiness. Could use more friendly workers forsure! Would make it so much better then I might actually want to go in and buy stuff. Better customer service lower prices on a few things or I would give this place 5 stars!

The nature walk is pretty good, lots of animals to look at, some interactive spots too. However, I give three stars because…the price for the entrance is outrageous, plus, if you wish to feed the animals, it’s $10 a buckets. A little crazy if you ask me. Second, there are some spots of the walk that are under construction, closed off and/or empty. Some signs are not at all visible, there are cages with animals with no description provided. All in all it was a positive memory, but for that price I would have expected a little less disorder.

This place is pretty old and run down. We spend an hour here but probably won't go back.

Lots to do Bring the kids Excellent restaurant My grandkids had great time

Interesting factory of shells. Great if you are "artsy, crafty" or want to decorate your space with shells. Interesting nature Park attached that is $US16 per adult.

Took kids here on a whim one day & they had a blast!

Nature park was amazing. But I will say the service at the restaurant was horrible its the second time in a month that I brought family there and it was the worst possible service trying to get someone to even take our order.

The rides are good and stuff but they have a bar that you can get food at but this lady sings super loud and it takes forever to get food

Needs to be demolished it's old

Great place to visit. There's a huge selection of shells, coral and many other items. Employees were very kind. Inside was clean and I would definitely go back to visit.

Force you to pay for 2 days rather than 1. The bathroom facilities white doors covered in grime. Camel etched a figure 8 into the ground. The turtles in reptile house, one had no space to sun bathe. 3 stacked on each other to try to dry. This is very important for their health. The sikie rooster is aggressive. The petting zoo is closed off have to reach over fence. The animals severely over fed so it's not fun to even buy them food.

I really like this place!! So affordable for gifts, for yourself and others😁!!! ALL THE SHELLS ARE AMAZING!!

Nice experience, good food, drinks, and a good place to dance, dance..

Overpriced!! Tourist trap! The seashell stores on Sanibel are less$$. Nothing is marked so unless you know what the shell is, you are out of luck bc none of the employees know either.

Wish I could give it a five but it's at best a tourist trap. The main building has a musty odor. The nature park is run down and doesn't have many animals it was just very disappointing. On a good note the pulled pork sandwich at the restaurant was great.

The girls had a blast and it was educational

Came after some months without visiting just this week...and It's gone downhill drastically, bridge is falling apart animal's seem to be in dire need of cleaning and care,( saw dead fish and fifty turtles everywhere) just not the gem it used to be....hopefully they start fixing it back up because this place used to be a fav for a lil day trip with the family!

The nature park is where the animals and Dinosaurs live.

What a unique place! I have never been anywhere like it. This is certainly a trip to the past as West Florida tourist attractions were back in the day. But, don't expect super fancy. Have the right expectations and it is a great value for the price. Lots of damage from hurricane Ian and they are still recovering. Support this unique attraction and go and enjoy it.

Lol this place is great. So random. Love it!! 🌴☀️🌺❤️🌺☀️🌴

Food was okay. 3 of 4 orders were wrong.

So fun, great gifts! Friendly staff. Highly recommend!

Quaint old place. Lots of different shells , shark teeth and coral to buy. Nature park is kind of run down not worth the money.

A great throw back to the days of tourism past. At the time of my visit, the place still has a lot of needed post-hirricane repairs. Here's to hoping they can get things back up to full speed. It really is a fun stop and we all bought souvenirs.

Selling a cup of "food pellets" for 10$ to feed the animals where just the top layer are pellets and the rest is food powder is a scam. Entry to the park is quite expensive, too.

Sadly, this place is really just an oversized giftshop with fake shells. In huge disrepair and not worth the visit.

A lot great stuff for unique shopping

We took our great nephews there during the week. We had a wonderful time. They thoroughly enjoyed the zip line and the guys running it was so funny and nice. Everyone there including the ticket lady was wonderful. Shout out to the man tending the animals….the one nephew asked him the names of all the goats, rabbits, etc. He had a lot of patience 😃

My first time here, what a great place. A must visit , kinda hidden but worth the find. Music, vood food and excellant service.

We went for the Gumbofest. I should have turned around when I saw the sign for the place. Overpriced dump.

Everything was great except for the restaurant outside,was terrible 😕!! Never go there again!! Shell factory yes!

Bring bread for the turtles and fish. Has nature center,mini golf ,farmers market on particular days. Plenty of parking military museum museum of shells huge gift shop inside has a Xmas center that's year round, mini golf a bar and restaurant, a long with some rides and zip lining.

Wow, looks nothing like the pictures on the website! We live about an hour away in Englewood and decided to take a drive down just to pass the time. It happened to be the Gumbo festival which drew quite the crowd. We paid the fee to enter the animal sanctuary, which for two of us was $25.00 for one adult and one senior. There were lots of birds to see and some other animals and reptiles. The buildings were in serious need of updating to say the least. The website shows a mini golf course, and bumper boats . We never saw any sign of either. No desire to return in the future. May be ok if you have small children but that's about it. Glad the animals have a place to eat and hopefully get care as needed.

The flea market is great and plenty of great bargains.

We went to the nature park it was great time

Old and expensive. Two ice cream cones $20! Ridiculous

Nothing here worth stopping for, unless you want souvenir junk!

Very old place, Place that needs maintenance, starting with adding the missing letters from its sign!

Cute place. Needs some updating. The store is huge.

Still building from hurricane but this is one of my favorite tourist traps! Go!

Large retail gift shop with food, games, amusements, zoo, arcade. Lots of souvenirs and local animals to see.

Not really the best experience. A lot of weird and overpriced stuff with a lot of garbage. A lot of the souvenirs and things were falling apart and some of them were incredibly overpriced. The stuffed animals were twice as expensive as anywhere else and the Christmas and Halloween village sets were a good 3x more expensive costing no less than $20 for a small tree and as much as $295 for licensed Disney villages. There was a lot of leaks and dirty spots all over the building and they had chains on some of the doors for some reason. The place had bad smells all over and wasn't the most appealing to be in. The bathrooms were disgusting with stains and smears and graffiti all over. None of the toilets flushed and they were out of soap. I honestly probably won't be coming back here again because of how expensive it is and how lackluster of an experience it was.

Great Place to eat and fun for the Family. Only thing missing, time to replace and Get a New Sign. It's going on two years.

Lots of shells for my hermit crabs. And the ice cream was great.