As well as the house, this great inventor also had a laboratory built away from the house so that he could continue with his experiments.

In the late 19th century three inventors owned winter homes in Fort Myers. As well as Thomas Alva Edison, they were Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone.

It was in the laboratory here that Edison successfully produced something which linked the three gentlemen. Rubber developed from the plant Golden Rod. There is a tire made of the result on display in the museum.

The Garden

There are 500 types of trees, plants and flowers, but Edison didn't have them there simply for their beauty. They were for experimental purposes. But what could you expect of a gentleman who held 1,093 patents?

The flowers include great cascades of purple and crimson bougainvillea, elegant hibiscus in reds, apricots and pinks, creamy magnolia, the pincushion tree (its flowers look like cushions stuck with pins), the red catkins of the chenille plant and a lipstick plant. The most ancient plant is a short feathery palm with a large seed pod at its heart - the type of plant that existed when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

One of the strangest trees is the African Sausage tree. The huge seed pods contain something which is the equivalent of aspirin. The other weird tree is HUGE - a Banyan with a circumference of its aerial roots of about 390 feet.

Near the river is a swimming pool which, when it was built in 1910, was regarded as very modern. It is of Edison Portland Cement, is seven feet deep and, set as it is among the trees and palms, very tropical.

The House

The two-storey house is beautiful. The Edisons extended it and it is now two identical adjacent wooden homes with red roofs and green shutters. One is the original house and the other is the guest house. As they were built in the pre-air-conditioning era, they are of the old Florida style with wide patios - or open-air rooms - all around the first floor, set with elegant cane-work lounging furniture.

The rooms open into each other and onto the patio so that with the doors open the cooling breezes waft through.

To look into these rooms with their cool decor and early twentieth century furnishings is a delight. But of particular interest are the light bulbs in the brass chandeliers. Edison called them Electroliers and they came originally from his home atMenlo Parkin New Jersey. The bulbs are the early carbon filament ones, some of which are 110 volts and have been burning for a very long time. Most of them are equal to about a modern day 35 watt bulb. How old are they? No one knows exactly but Edison invented them in 1879.

Laboratory and Museum

No visit would be complete without going into the laboratory and the museum.

The chemical laboratory has been preserved as Edison left it. Benches and benches of test tubes, bottles, retorts and other apparatus looking as if they are awaiting his return.

One the wall to the left of the office door is a spray of the Golden Rod from which Edison made rubber.

To maintain the integrity of the house and garden, all tours are with guides and the tour ends at the laboratory. Adjacent to it is the Museum where people are free to wander at will.

It is amazing to see just some of the things which Edison invented: sewing machines, children's furniture, talking dolls, printers, electric irons, fans, toasters, the alkaline battery (used for miner's lamps, telephones and radios, and the railroad), movie cameras and projectors. And many more, including a wonderful exhibit of his phonograph - rows of them with gorgeously painted and decorated horns.

Open Hours: 9.00 a.m. - 5.30 p.m. (last tour 4.30 p.m.)

Admission/tour charges: Adults - $20.00; children (6-12) - $11.00

Directions: From I-75 to Fort Myers, take exit 136, continue west onf Colonial Blvd (SR884), turn RIGHT on McGregor Blvd. The entrance is approximately 3 miles on the right.

If you enjoy visiting museums, take time to visit the Ringling Museums in Sarasota; to see more of Edison's work visit Flagler College in St. Augustine or visit the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota.