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Finest Florida Kitsch at The Shell Factory

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The Shell Factory in North Fort Myers bills itself as the “World’s Largest” shell shop.

In the mood for the finest Florida Kitsch? Then it’s time to pay a visit to the Shell Factory. The Shell Factory & Nature Park, which bills itself as the largest shell shop in the world, is a vast roadside menagerie of shells, shellacked gator heads and tacky gifts.

But wait, there’s more!

The Shell Factory, located on Highway 41 on North Fort Myers, boasts of enough activities to keep a wagon-load of kids occupied for the better part of a day. There’s bumper boats, a petting zoo, a zip-line, botanical garden, dinosaur exhibit and gemstone mining. And no one needs to run out of energy with homemade fudge and restaurant on the premises.

The Shell Factory has been a classic old Florida Day Trip for more than 80 years. At the center of the fun is a sprawling gift shop with row after row of shells from Florida and around the world.
shellacked alligator
In addition to jewelry, coral, nautical themed gifts, and shark teeth, you’ll also find the usual assortment of Florida roadside trinkets. Shellacked alligator heads anyone? Anyone?
What do these taxidermy lions have to do with Florida? Not much, at first glance. But the Shell Factory claims it has the largest taxidermy exhibit in North America, with almost 400 animals represented.
Looking for just the right oddball gift? With 68,000 square feet of kitsch, there’s something for everyone at the Shell Factory.
A redheaded angel in gold wings offering a great price on a sand dollar souvenir? Why not? It’s Christmas year round at the Christmas House which features a large selection of Department 56 collectibles.
Even the most mundane items can be just a little surprising at the Shell Factory. Do you already own a shell painted with The Lord’s Prayer? We didn’t think so!
The Shell Factory is a Florida legend. Many of the animals come from the collection of Johnny Johnson, a trophy hunter and successful farmer in Immokalee. (The Bengal Tiger on display wasn’t a hunting trophy, it actually belonged to the magicians Siegfried and Roy and died of natural causes.)
Wait, before you leave, be sure to get a picture. The Shell Factory is a Florida classic, and you don’t want to leave without a souvenir of your adventure.

Shell Factory Information:

Located at 16554 North Cleveland Ave. (US41) in North Fort Myers. PHone (239) 995-2141. There’s a fee to enter the Nature Park.

The store is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., while the nature park and fun park are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting.

Captain Fishbones restaurant is open weekdays from 11 a.m to 8 p.m. It closes at 9 p.m. on Friday, and 7 p.m. on Sunday.

And if that weren’t enough, a flea market and farmers market is hosted Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

More online at https://www.shellfactory.com

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