Visit The All New Shell Factory In North Fort Myers, FL
From the: Shell Factory
Sixty-seven years ago, a young couple who’d had enough of frigid winters in the north moved to Florida and began selling seashells and shell crafts from their porch in Bonita Springs. The endeavor grew into a large souvenir shop that was destroyed by fire in 1952. Undaunted, the owners rebuilt further up on the Tamiami Trail (Route 41). Destruction from hurricane Donna in 1960, the construction of I-75 that took the majority of traffic seven miles away, and another fire in 1980 could not stop the reign of Lee Island Coast’s number one shopping attraction.
The Shell Factory changed owners, expanded through the intervening years, and then fell on hard times. Destined for bankruptcy in 1997, local businessman and visionary Tom Cronin decided the sixty-year old store was worthy of not only saving, but surpassing her former glory. A multimillion dollar renovation was only the beginning; the store has fulfilled its destiny by becoming a true shopping destination.