Cape Coral Museum of History - Bringing Cape Coral and Southwest Florida’s History to Life Since 1987
Mar 01, 2022 11:23AM ● By Jessica Wagner
Photo Courtesy of Cape Coral Museum of History
Cape Coral Museum of History located on Cultural Park Blvd is dedicated to educating locals and tourists about the history of Cape Coral, as well as the Southwest Florida area.
The Museum was opened in 1987 by the Cape Coral Historical Society and has since expanded to three buildings and two gardens.
We were able to catch up with Janel Trull, Executive Director of the Museum, to discuss the mission of the Museum, memorable moments, upcoming events, and more.
Cape Coral Museum of History not only serves to educate on the history of the area, but it is also a public resource for all sectors of the local community and pays homage to those who helped make the city what it is today, according to Janel.
Although the city was not developed until 1957 and wasn’t incorporated until 1970, there is plenty of history to learn about Cape Coral. Not only does the museum educate on items specific to the city, but they can also provide information on the history of houses built between 1957 and the 1970s.
Janel describes how the last few years have impacted both her and the Museum. “Over the past three years, things have changed immensely for non-profits. When I came to the organization in 2019, I was looking to move the Museum and our organization forward, to grow and expand, and to reach as many audiences as possible. During the pandemic of course, this became a huge challenge. However, the pandemic offered a time for us to look inward and see who we really wanted to be as an organization. I am proud that despite the pandemic we were able to realign the organization’s branding to match its new mission and vision and begin creating new offerings for the community, all while providing a safe and healthy environment for our visitors.”
Even more, the Cape Coral area is incredibly important to her and makes the Museum what it is. “The Cape Coral community consists of so many groups of people, from the 200,000 residents that call Cape Coral home, to the thousands of visitors and snowbirds who come to the Cape each year. Our goal as a museum is to provide programs and services that appeal to all members of that audience throughout the year. Museums are community centers and by creating temporary exhibits that change several times a year, and hosting a variety of programs and events, we offer many opportunities for people of all walks to come together and engage with others.”
Cape Coral Museum of History’s current exhibit “All the News that’s Fit to Print” features the 60-year history of the Cape Coral Breeze newspaper. The exhibit will be on display until April 2, 2022.
On April 24, 2022, the Museum will be hosting a Beer Fest on the grounds of the Shell Factory and Nature Park from 12 – 5pm. In addition, there will be two fundraising events in April. On Apr 3, 2022 from 1 – 4 pm the Museum is working with Sidecar Treats on 47th Terrace in Cape Coral to host an ice cream social and carhop, with a portion of every sale going to the Museum during the event. The next exhibit will be “Through Our Eyes”, which is an art exhibit and auction featuring pieces created by participants in the Freida B. Smith Special Populations Center. The exhibit will run from April 21 to July 2, 2022.
Tickets and more information for all of the events and what the Museum has to offer can be found on the Museum’s website at https://capecoralmuseum.org/.
