IMAG History & Science Center

Museum · Fort Myers

IMAG History & Science Center

Museum · Fort Myers

1

2000 Cranford Ave, Fort Myers, FL 33916

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IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by Photo courtesy of IMAG History & Science Center
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null
IMAG History & Science Center by null

Highlights

The interactive IMAG museum in Fort Myers is a fun, hands-on science experience for families with 60+ exhibits, including a crowd-favorite touch tank with stingrays.  

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2000 Cranford Ave, Fort Myers, FL 33916 Get directions

theimag.org
@imaghistorysciencecenter

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2000 Cranford Ave, Fort Myers, FL 33916 Get directions

+1 239 243 0043
theimag.org
@imaghistorysciencecenter

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Last updated

Jul 22, 2025

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@afar

"There's plenty of rainy-day fun to be had at this Fort Myers science center,where kids can enjoy 3D movies, pet stingrays and horseshoe crabs in a touch tank, andget up close to ball pythons, bearded dragons, prairie dogs, and more.In all, there are more than 60 exhibits—most of them interactive—to explore here, with the new virtual reality attraction being particularly popular."

Fort Myers and Sanibel for Families
View Postcard for IMAG History & Science Center

Phil Vania

Google
Lots of hands-on exhibits for the kids and adults to learn. Live rays, turtles, tortoise and other exotic creatures. A live science experiments with hot and cold things was fun for all. We visited on a half price community day so it was worth it.

Miley Rodriguez

Google
We were really looking forward to visiting IMAG in Ft. Myers, and while the staff was super nice, I have to be honest—over half of the activities for kids were broken. I’m not exaggerating. I don’t mind paying to take my toddler somewhere new, but $80 for two hours of barely anything to do just isn't worth it. It's frustrating to see so many exhibits out of order, especially when you're charging full price. The only highlight of our visit was getting to pet Lucas. IMAG has a lot of potential, but they really need to maintain and fix the exhibits before charging families these prices.

Kathryn Hutter

Google
We had a fantastic experience. The staff was nice and knowledgeable. They have a lot of experiences and learning activities for children. We went just adults and had a great time. Without watching the shows, I’d recommend setting aside 1.5 hours to take everything in. Not a huge place but cool display collections and animals.

Toni Thompson

Google
This history and science center offers a variety of science experiences and a great look at Florida history of the Seminole Indians. Some of the exhibits are not working, including one of the Virtual Reality headsets. I enjoyed the sting ray tank, that was not crowded. The tortoises are awesome to see up close, with tortoises from North Africa and South America. The outdoor exhibits highlight the Okefenokee Swamp and Florida flora. Prior to the entry, prior to paying, the tribute to the 911 event at the World Trade Center in NYC includes a huge chunk of the original World Trade Center is worth a visit. Picnic tables available. The cafe is not open at this time. Reasonably priced gift shop items that are all fun science toys and stuffed animals. The price is slightly high considering that several exhibits are not working.Annual memberships available. Wheel chair access van free parking. Touch pad accessible entry. All wheel chair access on lower level. Strollers and wheel chairs available during your visit. Wheel chair accessible womens and mens restrooms with hands free hand wash.

McKie Rich

Google
Free parking. Wheelchair accessible. They have a very small luncheon station where you can buy, fries, sandwiches, popcorn pop etc. Outside they have a memorial for 9/11. As you enter the building there is a shop for merchandise and novelty items. Also on the main level is pool with Ray Sharks that you can pet and live presentations throughout the day. There is a tribute to the World Wars and Naples contribution, along with the First Nations Indigenous Peoples. Outdoors they have a theatre that plays movies every 40 minutes. Outdoors they also have turtles. Stairs will take you to the upper level which is dedicated to Space and a short live presentation. Some of the interactive games and modules were not working. The place looked slightly run town. Staff seems uninterested in their jobs. Food was mediocre. In the theatre they provided 3D glasses and a disinfectant for patrons to reuse/ re-wear. I thought this was extremely unhygienic. Overall I wish there was more to see at the centre.

Kristen Pukin

Google
Great place for birthday party! They do everything & all I was responsible for was the cake. We chose the “science” theme & the kids were led in a few experiments. The room decor was cute. The pizza & lemonade were great. The staff was AMAZING. They had our 2 hours scheduled out perfectly. All of the guests enjoyed their experience at the IMAG. I highly recommend hosting your child’s birthday here.

Beth Yoder

Google
Unfortunately there was a tropical storm during our vacation to Florida so we took the kids to history and science center. The kids loved it and there was plenty to do. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see much outside due to rain. But it slowed down for about 20 min for us to go wander the garden and see the tortoise. It wasn’t ridiculously expensive. if you’re looking for somewhere to take your kids out of the weather check this place out.

Patricia Garcia

Google
Nice for young kids, the exibhits are engaging and the touch tank is a bonus. Lots of pretty fish too. Nice outdoor area. Free parking.
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Nikki C.

Yelp
This is a great place to bring your little ones. They have a ton of different exhibits and activities that are awesome and keep you engaged. The biggest drawback with this place Is it's pretty dated and could really benefit from a make over.
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Dan M.

Yelp
Worn down, broken items, poorly maintained and continues to get more expensive. Nothing has changed in years, not recommended. Better places further out to go and spend your money.
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Amanda M.

Yelp
This science center has been around for a long time. I remember my grandparents taking me there as a child and I had fond memories. About 6 years ago I was in town and took my son to check it out. Although it wasn't the same we enjoyed our visit. This time around nothing has really changed and many of the exhibits are closed or don't function right. I was sad to see the state of the large aquarium that they commissioned to be made on the tv show. Many of the colorful fish were no longer in the tank, we saw very few fish and the outside of the tank was very scratched. Highlights Touch tank Water play Animals Lowlights Expensive Many broken or not working exhibits Theater not open If you need a rainy day activity and can find nothing else this will keep the kids entertained.
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DeAnna P.

Yelp
I'm torn on my review for IMAG. It has a lot of potential and was probably amazing in its heyday. Unfortunately, it is looking pretty run down. That said, everything was clean and we could have stayed all day interacting with the two stingrays in the petting tank. While it's a decent size, you can make it through in less than two hours. One nice thing was that they would let you leave and come back, so we were able to grab lunch and then return. From their website, I was under the impression that they have a dining area to go with their snack shop, but they don't. There's a window to order food, but then I guess you go outside or something - there isn't an adjoining place to sit to eat.
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Tiffany D.

Yelp
My kids spent hours here. This place definitely needs a facelift, but for my 3 and 6 year old it is paradise. It's pretty small comparatively to other science museums, however, my kids spent an hour at each exhibit. They also liked the imax theater. I think this place is going to get better and better. It's an excellent place for a hot or rainy day.
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Jillian B.

Yelp
This was my first time visiting the museum, I actually visited another one in Orlando but I liked the one in fort Myers better. Less people, everything was very cleaned, loved there aquarium animals and loved the sting ray pool. Everything was neatly organized!

Sherrie O.

Yelp
Every few years I give this place another try. Disappointed yet again. 1. They close at 5pm on sat even though posted hours is 6pm (pictured). We got there at 3pm thinking we had 3 hrs. Weren't told when we paid they were closing in just 2 hrs. 2. There were so many closed off, broken or shut down exhibits the working exhibits were crowded, few and far between. Though we only had 2hrs, we had seen and done it all in about an hour. 2. Cost for adult, 2 small kids was $50. I don't mind if things were as advertised and open. 3. The online map of attractions is NOTHING like what they really had. News station simulator was gone, nano lab was no longer available, fossil hunt was closed, hydrophonic garden was MIA. Every time I turned around there was yellow tape blocking off an exhibit. 4. The one thing that was entertaining was a 20min 3D movie about dinosaurs. We got 3D glasses from a bin labeled "clean" yet several pairs I picked out were broken or had finger prints on the lenses. I imagine if they were cleaned there wouldn't be broken or smeared glasses. I cleaned the ones we had with my shirt and baby wipes. 5. None of the staff there EXCEPT for the girl at the sting ray table seemed happy to be there or friendly. Speaking of the sting ray table. There was 2 tiny rays and a flounder. A bit overwhelming for that few of sea life to have 10 ppl trying to pet them. It was actually sad. They did at least give them a break by only opening it up once the 2hrs we were there. But when there's so little to do, many line up to try to get something to do. This was my 3rd trip ~ 10yrs and will be my last. Go to gollisanos museum in Naples. U could literally spend the whole day there. It's clean an everything works. Kind of what what u expect in a kids museum. I wouldn't go back to imag if it were free. Just one disappointment after another. Just a sad excuse for a museum. Updated to add: my kids (4 and 5) have given me feedback- they liked the toys I got them from the gift shop and the blue building blocks (even though they were so dirty they looked grey) I cringed to let them touch them but it was the only thing they could do.
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Margaret T.

Yelp
If you just consider the exhibits, this museum is not worth the time or money. A number of the exhibits are closed. Others you have to pay extra for. But if you include the three 3-D movies, and the animal and science show done by two top-notch museum educators, I would give it 3.5 stars. The movie was on a large flat screen (not IMAX) and the sound quality wasn't great. My son was fascinated by the exhibit where he cranked a ball up to the ceiling and watched it roll down a track. We spent five hours, attending all the offered shows and movies. Without that, we would have been done with the exhibits in 30-45 minutes. This is a good one-time visit on a rainy day when you're in the area.
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Charlene T.

Yelp
Nice attraction for snell kids we are there and the was surprisingly really good bit we had to scarf what we could down because you can only eat outside there's no umbrellas and the mosquitoes was tearing us up the staff was really friendly the bathrooms are clean my kids enjoyed overall i spent almost $50 to get us in and about $25 on the food and then of course they want to A toy on their way out they have like a little gift shop that you can purchase stuff.oh and they have a cute little show about science and sting ray touching which was fun.
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Riley G.

Yelp
I walked in and looks like a blast. We signed up and walked in we pet the fish and they felt slimy! Then we checked out the king tut museum. It looked just like the past! then we saw all the animals . The fish looked so funny! The only thing that stunk was how 8 things were broken or blocked. But if ur bored: COME HERE!!!!
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Paul K.

Yelp
If I was reviewing this for myself it would be 2 stars tops. Because I am almost 70 years old and I take 66 years off of my life then I would be happy. And so my 4 year old grandson had a blast. They had a 3D relief table that just was a total winner for my little guy. "Look Pop I made a river!" Cool. As I get older I have become less tolerant of ignorant people. I was standing watching my grandson assemble a gravity track to roll a ball down. I feel a hand on my back and the the word MOVE. I was kind of stunned since there was nowhere for the person to go from behind me. I moved so she could see there was no place to go. I just stopped watching my grandson and moved across the room. I have come to the opinion that east coast people vs midwest people are just rude. This is the only thing that would make me move back to the midwest. It was fun watching all the kids do things that taught them something. My grandson even got to pet a snake. Rest assured I was not near the kid nor the snake.

Kim P.

Yelp
We took our 2 grandchildren for what we hoped would be a fun adventure. We were so disappointed. There is not much to do there. Many of the interactive displays were not even working. If you want interactive, please keep them operational. Many of the fish tanks said they were not there. It was expensive for not much to see. The nature park at the Shell Factory is a much better value and more to see and do. I would not waste your money going here.
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Juju G.

Yelp
We visited on black Friday with our 3 and 1 year old and they simply had a blast. The string ray encounter is so much fun and being able to touch and feed them is super cool. The fish tank built by the team of Animal Planet's show Tanked is amazing, definitely a must see in person. We had a lot of fun seeing all of the animals and learning about the creatures that are part of Florida's fauna. My little ones absolutely loved the mini museum, which is a room full of S.T.E.M toys and activities especially for babies and toddlers. The backyard nature is pretty awesome too, they have a big pond where you can feed the turtles and fishes, picnic tables and couple of other entertainment features. I wrote a whole blog post on the IMAG and tips on how to better prepare and enjoy the museum with children and you can check it out along with the youtube video right here: https://www.jujugurgel.com/single-post/Amazing-Kid-Friendly-museum-in-Fort-Myers
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Lori G.

Yelp
Had great memories from several years ago when I took summer campers on a field trip so I decided to visit with my 11 yo niece. The wonderful hands on exhibits I remembered were replaced with an entire section of space "stimulators" that are basically videos with the occasion to press a button and empty space. We were out in 40 minutes and disappointed after spending $40 for 2 adults 1 child. The room with various animals was the most exciting part.

Morgan M.

Yelp
Everything is pretty broke down or is so old & has mold in it. The animals are in such tiny tanks and it doesn't look clean. The outside water table has mold on it and is barely running. Everything is either shut down or hardly there. Paid 40 bucks for 2 adults and it was absolutely terrible. This place would be worth it if it was 5 bucks each ticket. Won't come back until it's throughly renovated. So disappointing, used to love this place as a child
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Bruce M.

Yelp
Phenom! We got a lot of science museum around the country and this medium size one hits it out of the park! There simulators for nasa moon landings is amazing along with the google world science exhibit. We also loved the personal touch the employees gave my kids and the instruction was next level! We are going back soon!

Eric F.

Yelp
This museum was a horrible waste of time on our family vacation. Some of the "exhibits" are so lame one wonders why they bothered building them. For example, the web site reads "Visit our Earth and Space Science exhibits to touch a clouid, understand why lightening happens..." Touching a cloud involves putting your hand in a box of mist. What's the point? Even the exhibit on the Native Americans who lived in southwest Florida was haphazard and poorly labeled. I would strongly recommend you avoid this museum.
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Daniella K.

Yelp
This science center is small and quaint. I have three kids aged 11, 9, and 5 and we brought our 2 year old cousin. The touch tank and animal program were very nice, the kids enjoyed being able to pet the animals. The hands on area had a good amount of things to do and keep kid's imaginations running. The historical section was pretty boring for them, it was kind of boring for me as well. Upstairs the weather and nano section was Okay, but the kids got bored pretty quickly. The outdoor section was nice but several things no longer worked, signs couldn't be read, things were sun faded. I really wish this museum could get some grants to really refurbish. It's a cute museum, but could use an upgrade.
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Jennifer P.

Yelp
My kiddos had a great time visiting there today!! They loved the touch tank and the live animal area. They also loved the weather stations and the live interactive video thing. The dinosaur 3D movie was also cute. It's not a huge place, but there was enough to keep my kids busy for a couple of hours. My main suggestion is to allow more time at the touch rank and have someone there monitoring it to allow all the kids a chance to touch. Bigger kids and their parents kept pushing my 6 yr old out of the way where he couldn't touch the sting rays...so I had to step in to allow him the chance.
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Gabrielle M.

Yelp
This place is amazing! The "be an astronaut" exhibit is where we spent most of our time. I fed the sting rays shrimp for only $3! There is a 6 foot sphere that you can project stuff onto (examples: population changes, hurricanes, maps through history, bird migration, turtle trackers). You can "touch a cloud", "drive" every rover NASA has sent to space on the planet or moon it is on, and you can "fly" the rockets and space ships too. Great for all ages (I am 20, my boyfriend is 22). There is a hurricane stimulator, a news channel set up, and so much more! I plan on coming back for new exhibits!
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Suzanne A.

Yelp
This is definitely a place where your kids can stay busy and play all day. There are plenty of hands on activities for them to do but not much for the adults. I wouldn't say that this is a well stocked museum, it seemed pretty sparse and some of the outside exhibits looked like they hadn't worked for a long time. On one side of the building they have aquariums with fish or reptiles, a touch tank, and outside they have a lagoon where you can feed the Japanese koi and turtles. There is also a small indoor theater which shows a 15 minute 3-D film. There's not much else to do outside since those other exhibits weren't working. They did have some alligators in a tank exhibit. On the other side of the building is the hand-on activities. There's a dino-dig where kids can dig up some fossils, some hand-on little cranes to pick up blocks, an exhibit where you make paper airplanes, and lots of exhibits with balls that show how motion and gravity work. There's another room where kids can build their own car racetrack. Upstairs is about weather - they have a cloud machine, some electricity exhibits, a meteorologist exhibit to pretend that you're on the news and some microscopes where you can see what items are on the slides. On your way out, there's a gift shop. The staff was very friendly and nice. Overall, a small hands-on museum with enough things to keep your kids occupied for majority of the day.
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Molly M.

Yelp
This is a small museum with huge potential. Many of the exhibits were in need of sprucing up or repairs. The was a fun interactive area that dealt with motion and force. The 3D movie was not in 3D but a good movie that entertained 7-12 y/is but appeared to scare a 2 y/o who had to leave. My son was disappointed the "dirt" from the bone digging was gone/ scattered all over the floor. The tortoise exhibit had large priced of broken pottery in it. The animal touching was really neat I just hope it was ok with them. The aquarium section has tanks placed at different heights so the smallest and tallest can experience something different. The best part comes at 11 & 2!!! We had a funny and informative live animal show where we got to learn about red toed tortoise, ball python and a 3.5 y/o American alligator AND THEN WE GOT TO TOUCH EACH OF THEM!!!
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Kayla B.

Yelp
Definitely would not come back. DO come here if you want the equivalent of a giant playplace for children - do NOT come here if you want a fantastic, thorough educational experience. Kids won't notice the lack of science, however, if you just want a simple way to entertain your kids for a few hours. Pros: -Decent amounts of chair seating and whatnot for the adults to sit down while the kids play. -Outdoor and indoor areas. The indoor areas seem to be nicely air conditioned. -Basically a giant playplace for children. If you have a scientific background, you can probably explain some of these activities to your kids to get a good science lesson out of them. If you don't have a background in that, the lack of information will mean you'll have a hard time explaining some of the science behind things. Cons: -This place isn't well-loved. That's the biggest problem with the entire place. All jokes aside, even with the current amount of funding that they do or do-not receive, some decent TLC could turn this place from "meh" to "yay!" as far as a science center goes. A lot of the displays are missing any sort of educational information. I don't expect most parents to know a ton about the science that the particular activity shows, and a small informational panel would go a long way towards helping parents help explain the toys and playthings as "science" instead of just "hey, roll this ball down a chute". -Bathroom was out of paper towels and one of the sinks didn't work. -The entire gravity-learning area seems to be based around using pool game balls. These balls seem to be difficult to find. Some of the gravity learning activities seem to be broken as well, so it means that it's pretty difficult to actually figure out what the activity is supposed to show. Some of the displays aren't entirely clear about what they're trying to show, either. -Most of the tanks in the fish room didn't have the names of the fish or any information about the fish. -The "Experience a Thunderstorm" activity was this really weird canopy with strobe lights, some lighting sounds through a speaker, bad-smelling fog, and some rain walls. It was....different and honestly more of a joke than a good addition. Anyone who's ever been outside will laugh at it. -The "Be a Weatherman!" experience requires that you agree to terms that allow the center and the application developers to use your footage however they want for any marketing purposes. Ew. -ALL of the electronic exhibits were broken in some way or another. The microscope displays in the Nano-room had "Application Has Stopped Functioning" warnings all over it. The Aquarium areas screens both showed that the anti-virus software needed to be updated - which covered up any of the educational aspect that it was supposed to show. The XBox Drawing game tablet wouldn't work at all. -There were no instructions on how to use some of the displays or the video games they had on display. -The "be an excavator" exhibit was basically out of sand. There was no "excavating" to be done. -Alligator tank seems way too small for the alligator that it holds. It's not even as wide as the alligator is. -The "Feed the Stingray" experience was fun and...maybe? worth the $3. It *could* have been really great, but the employee that was in charge of it said literally 4 sentences - wash the hands beforehand, how much food you get for the ticket you bought, and how to hold the food to give it to the sting rays. There wasn't any particular information about how sting rays or how they exist in the wild, or, well, anything. Like I said, most of the cons would have been easily fixed with a staff that really cared or some knowledgeable staff that could write up explanations. It's not a *huge* matter of funding.
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Juliet N.

Yelp
My 1 year old loves it here and I imagine it will keep him entertained for a few more years. He loves visiting the lizards and turtles in their tanks and pointing out all the big fish in the aquarium. They have a small "mini museum" area for toddlers with assorted books and toys that he enjoys as well. Honestly, it's not great compared to science centers or museums in bigger cities and lacks a cohesive design and modern take on things, but for a rainy afternoon it's great for us. My favorite tip for this place is to get an annual pass if you are a local who likes to travel. The reciprocal museum program is amazing! We've gotten into science museums FOR FREE in Orlando, Miami, Baltimore, and Nashville so far. Well worth the $75 annual fee if this is a feature you could use. You can see the link for participating museums on their website.
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Colie Z.

Yelp
My boys are 9 and 11 and we had a blast here today. I didn't see any non functioning exhibits as stated in previous reviews. I was worried about that, but all was in order. We could've watched the fish in the aquarium all day! The boys enjoyed the Newtons Laws and the coaster and circuit exhibits. It was worth the money for us.
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April G.

Yelp
The Imagination is a good place for rainy afternoons or other times when you don't want to be outside. The animal show is fun and a chance for braver kids to hold snakes, and other creatures. The touch tank and turtle features outside are nice. The exhibit hall could use some updating, as could the area upstairs. Although my kids enjoy acting as a newscaster and sending it to our email. I think the family pass is a good value because it allows us to pop over and spend an hour or so. I probably wouldn't be happy with the value if I paid on a per visit basis. My kids, who are 5 & 8 are entertained enough for us to come every 6+8 weeks. Not as up-to-date as other children's museums but still a fun place.
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Jonathan F.

Yelp
Incredible experience at this place. Science rules!!! Got to feed fish and turtles, pet stingrays! Explore and see a lot of fish reptiles and animals. Got to go like ok at the exhibits and play mind puzzling games. Went here with my grandparents and my wife. We all enjoyed this place. We came here right after the "butterfly estates" (another great place to Check out as well.) This science center was amazing. I had so much fun! I explored and saw so much, I think I was there for at least 3 hours or more just looking and go through so much. I had so much fun! Especially petting stingrays. This place is cool. They have a bird outside in the cage that has beautiful colors and a theater. A place to feed fish and turtles, so make sure to bring quarters or dollars to get tokens. They have float a boat area where you floating boat can float through different obstacles and float down stream. Lots of fish, reptiles and animals to check out and watch. This place is great for little kids as well or even Grandparents family or even a date. My family and I really enjoyed this amazing science center. :)
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Ben Z.

Yelp
Very small and somewhat dingy. This place could use a face lift. If you're planning on coming here on a rainy day be prepared to be here with the rest of Florida (if they make you park on the grass just turn around and leave). Definitely not worth the admission fees.
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Pete M.

Yelp
These people who rate this low are crazy. It's not about you. It's about your kids. It's a great place to expand a young mind.
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Olivia P.

Yelp
A few days ago we went there to go see the new fish tank created by the guys from Tanked. 12$ per adult isn't to bad to get in. We were there with family and a few kids so we were able to enjoy some of the kids activities. The tank was very cool and HUGE it's quite the view and recommend to anyone in the area.
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Steven A.

Yelp
Maybe fun for kids, not for the whole family. I was in Florida on business by myself and stopped in Ft. Myers and thought a science museum and aquarium would be a great place to kill a couple of hours. But it's a very much kid-oriented place and didn't have any exhibits that would be interesting to anyone not in grade school. Even in terms of places for kids it was pretty underwhelming in terms or number and quality of exhibits and the groundskeeping was very shoddy, althought it had just finished raining so that might have been why. Only thing that keeps it above 2 stars is that when I tried to buy something at the gift shop and leave after 10 minutes, the staff very kindly offered to give me a refund. I don't think it would be that great for kids (but I'm not a kid or a parent so not a great judge), but definitely not for anybody who is middle-school-aged or above.
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RM C.

Yelp
This museum has the potential to be a lot better with better care and attention from staff. The exhibits are small but good enough to spend about an hour with kids ranging from pre school to elementary. However, not all exhibits are working properly nor are they maintained so he next kid can play. For example the Battle of Fort Meyer has an area the kids can pretend to dig for fossils etc but all the gravel is spilled everywhere outside the excavation zone! The puzzle challenges stations with bent nail etc were missing parts to make the puzzle. Given the few choices of exhibits they need to ALL be operating properly.
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Jenny Q.

Yelp
Small museum but plenty of opportunity for kids to have hands on experiences. It has changed very little from its inception. The downside is the museum is in desperate need of upkeep and repairs on some of the exhibits. Kids enjoy it but cleanliness from the bathrooms to the reptile tanks could use a little love. We are very grateful we came and the staff is absolutely wonderful.
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Kimberly B.

Yelp
Excellent place for young children, many highly interactive exhibits and live animals and fish. There was a special section for children under three years old. Enough to keep children busy all day! The touch tank was being renovated but the ticket sales gave us 10% off due to the unavailable exhibits. Some of the interpretive signs were worn away, but overall an excellent experience. Our family highly recommends visiting!
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Amanda W.

Yelp
If it rains or you need a break from the sun, the Imaginarium is a solid option. Obviously, it is no match for a big city museum/science center with the benefit of extensive private, corporate, and government funding and local academic institutions, but we wouldn't expect it to be! We thought they did a very nice job with their limited resources! (We have not visited the Children's Museum in Naples for comparison.) Yes, it shows signs of wear as many others have pointed out. If your children only plays with things that are shiny and new, they will be disappointed. My daughter (6yrs/1st grade) had 3.5 hours of fun and didn't even notice! Tip 1: Bring your own snacks. There's not much to the cafe, and the food is not healthy. Tip 2: Bring your home Children's Museum and/or Science Center Membership card for reciprocity. We got in for $1 each! Tip 3: Maybe not a good choice for toddlers. That area was dirty. I would have been hesitant to use it with mouth-explorers.
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Sara O.

Yelp
We had a blast!! Great place to take a toddler. I love that they have events basically every hour. We were able to do the touch tank followed by learning and being able to touch a crocodile and a turtle. We could have done a sting ray feeding but spend time exploring other areas. We had a blast building structures, watching balls zoom through ramps, and learning how water flows through the damns. The staff was incredibly helpful as well. The price is reasonable. Highly recommend when you need a break from the heat and sun!
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Jenn V.

Yelp
Totally a place for kids!! I came here on a rainy day with my new husband while on our honeymoon, not knowing this fact. We actually had a pretty good time though, & I bright home a couple of Venus fly traps lol
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Andy S.

Yelp
This must be where fun comes to die and where children come to realize their childhood is over. However, the Imaginarium is aptly named because you'd have to use your imagination to find anything remotely interesting in this place. My wife kept begging me to go with her to this place, "Please! We can pet stingwrays and it'll be fun!" I expected a children's museum but what we experienced was more of a graveyard for children's museums. On our first visit we were told about all the fun and amazing things we would find inside by the woman at the front desk. Unfortunately the museum was about to close. So we returned on another Saturday for the touch tank, the hurricane room, the thunderstorm simulator, and various wild creatures on display. I had doubts but Imaginarium was so much worse than I could have... imagined. The Hurricane Room - I am not exaggerating when I say this is only a box you stand in with a fan blowing. By Imaginarium standards my bedroom is a hurricane simulator. The Thunderstorm Simulator - Is a pad you stand on while a recording of thunder plays, water runs down a Plexiglas wall, and a smoke machine emits foul smelling steam. There was a fake news room where one could pretend to be a reporter... it was out of order. The Touch Tank - We pet a stingwray. It's even less exciting than it sounds. Animals in the wildlife room - It's a pet store where noting is for sale. There were some tiny alligators and a nurse shark but other than that it was all the excitement of visiting PetSmart. Oh, and the signs that read, "Do not tap on glass" should say, "I bet you won't, wimp!" Kinds POUND on the glass which is luckily ten inches thick. Everything about Imaginarium is simply depressing. You can experience everything above for the low price of $14 per person. I can't 'imaginarium' they get repeat customers. I can't 'imaginarium' they can stay in business.

Andrea L.

Yelp
We took a trip to The Imaginarium on a stormy day during our family vacation in Ft Myers. Myself, my husband, and my son all thoroughly enjoyed it and thought it was priced just right. A few downfalls: no cafe, needed some updating, and a few puzzles had pieces missing. Overall, provided lots of hands on science fun for a few hours and helped create great memories!
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Megan K.

Yelp
I took my kids and our neighbor's (6 kids total!) to this museum over spring break last week. At the front desk they refused to honor a coupon I had accidentally forgotten to bring, even though magazines with this same coupon were located at the museum behind the desk. $5 but still...! I paid $63 for entrance. We previously had a membership to this museum in 2013. Nothing had been updated or changed since then! Exhibits are super run down. The main activities room on the first floor is extremely loud because it is just an open warehouse. The animals in the other room are clearly in distress and not well cared for. Low budget. Unimpressive compared to like museums in other cities. Don't waste your money.
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Sharon F.

Yelp
MEH, I guess that's my best way of describing this place, it's just okay. I've been to much better Children's Museums than this one. Fort Myers is a big city so I was a little surprised and a little disappointed. Inside it has a dungeon feel to it and I wish they had more things for children to do. They used to have a little cafe but the owner decided to close it. Bring food for your kids because all they have is one vending machine. My son is 4 but I think anyone over the age of 7 would be extremely bored going here.
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Jancer L.

Yelp
Not a whole lot to do here, the 3d movie wasn't bad but really short. You can see the whole place in less than 20 min, they need to add more attractions.
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Jen M.

Yelp
I'm sorry, but just not worth the money. $8 just for our 3 year old plus $24 for hubby & I. Our son loved getting to touch everything, but about 40% of the exhibits weren't really kid appropriate (too advanced or not interactive), and most of the rest just didn't hold his attention. The biggest draw for him was probably the Touch Tank. And if you wanna feed the rays and crabs, you have to pay $3 for 3 tiny pieces of cut up fish. We're local & I firmly believe that if this place gets ANY of our tax dollars, it is another example of how the government wastes money. This will be our one and only visit.
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David S.

Yelp
Went with two kids aged 2-1/2 and 4-1/2 and both enjoyed it immensely. The touch tanks are nice as are the reptile/insect exhibits. Lots of age appropriate play areas, though the upstairs with the TV weather studio and dinosaur exhibit is a bit of a bust (at least for this age group.) Didn't venture outside to look at the outside exhibits since we were running up against the hottest part of the day. The cafe offers hot dogs, etc. We opted for Quiznos, which is a mile away in the business district. The entrance has a nice covered curb-side drop off, which is nice for families. Ample parking. Going in and out through the shop is a neat trick for them but challenging for parents.

Lonnie S.

Yelp
I think this place is better suited for small children not adults. It's quite small not too many exhibits. The 3d glasses didn't work at all for the movies

Brent S.

Yelp
They way over charge for what you get. Very small, can get through the whole museum in 15 minutes minus the movies. The website is mis-leading. 3D glasses for the movies did not work, most people in the movie walked out due to this. 2 of the 3 virtual reality machines did not work. 75% of the NASA space machine games did not work or would freeze ever few minutes. In the very small fossil museum there was a spot to dig for fossils but there was no sand in it so there was nothing to dig threw. Kids got bored very quickly. I would not recommend this place to anyone, it was. A waste of money.
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David F.

Yelp
Rainy day during spring break with two kids. Decided to go to Imaginarium because we had free admission with our home science museum membership. Like others have commented, lots of the displays were out of order. The touch-tank had a couple starfish and empty seashells. The rays were in a separate tank, surrounded by a plastic fence. Our kids enjoyed the displays that were open, and would have stayed longer than the 90 minutes we were there if they weren't hungry...
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Mindy B.

Yelp
A little late on my review but went to the imaginarium last Sunday with much reservation because in the past when I brought my daughter many of the displays were broken or missing pieces! Well let me just say now the place looks fantastic! Total 360 turn around!! New management of course!!! Thank you Miss Robin ( I had to shake her hand) lol for making this place beautiful and functional!!!
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Sandra H.

Yelp
Went here this past weekend with my husband and 2 kids ages 4 and 6. They really enjoyed the touch tank and that's about it. There's isn't much to do here. We spent an hour and saw everything. Maybe we are spoiled because we go to the Ft Lauderdale Science kids museum often and could spend hours there. The price is great, but there's not much to do. The staff is nice. The whole place could use some updating.