Museum of History to host open house this Saturday

Aug 12, 2025 By CJ HADDAD 4 min read

The holder of all things involving the city of Cape Coral’s history is inviting the public to join in on a milestone celebration this weekend.

The Cape Coral Museum of History will host a free open house this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in honor of the 55th anniversary of the city’s incorporation.

The day will include free admission to the museum, and Master Gardeners will be on-site for garden tours.

The city of Cape Coral saw incorporation papers signed on Aug. 18, 1970.

“The museum’s main goal is to educate, so over the past few years we have begun hosting free museum open houses in celebration of milestones for the museum and the city, allowing the public to come into the museum without the burden of cost,” said Cape Coral Museum of History Executive Director Janel Trull. “We chose the closest Saturday to the date of incorporation and will open the museum to the public for free. Our population is constantly increasing and these open houses allow us to engage with both residents and visitors alike, to educate the public on the history of our area, and to continue to create awareness for the museum and its year round activities.”

There will be various community partners joining in this weekend, including a fire truck from the Cape Coral Fire Department from 10 to 11 a.m., a Cape Coral Police Department vehicle on-site all day, garden tours with Master Gardeners and booths from organizations like Kiwanis, Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral, Cape Coral Sun, Lee County Master Gardeners, Raso Realty, Wintrust, and more.

Trull said the museum, which has been in the city since 1987, takes great pride in preserving the history of a unique, constantly growing city.

“While the collection and the campus have continued to grow over these past 38 years, we are still finding our way as a community hub,” she said. “Our goal is to create a center where all residents and visitors to the area can engage with our history, to learn about our past and to dream with us about our future.”

The museum harbors information on most aspects of life in the Cape, from the early attractions and businesses, to the history of municipal institutions like the CCFD, CCFD, and the hospital. Each exhibit touches on a small part of the Cape with detailed information, photographs, artifacts and more.

The Cape Coral Museum of History is the only museum in the area that focuses on the history of Cape Coral. Collections include information, photographs, and artifacts on all aspects of the area from the Calusa to today.

In October the museum will be opening an exhibit on the 85-year history of Lee County Electric Corporation and its contributions to the Cape. From Homer Wells’ handshake with the Rosen brothers in 1957 that guaranteed power to their new development, to reconstruction after hurricanes, LCEC has been here since the beginning of Cape Coral.

“Knowing our history helps us better understand where we live, why things are the way they are, and more,” Trull said. “The history of Cape Coral as a community is very short in comparison to many other areas in the country and the world. We are lucky to have many of the original community leaders still around as resources for first-hand information. By looking at our past through a critical thinking lens, we can help build a strong future for the community.”

For more information on the Cape Coral Museum of History, and to RSVP to the free event, visit capecoralmuseum.org/events/.

The Cape Coral Museum of History is at 544 Cultural Park Blvd.

To reach CJ HADDAD, please email cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com