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    • Shell plant in Fort Myers closes after more than 80 years
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    Shell plant in Fort Myers closes after more than 80 years

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    For over 80 years, the Shell Factory in North Fort Myers has been a popular Florida attraction. Now, the countdown is on until the factory finally closes its doors.

    “Our last days open will be the weekends of September 20-22 and September 27-29, from 11am to 4pm,” the attraction announced on its Facebook page on Monday.

    More: ‘With a heavy heart’: Iconic SWFL attraction closing this month, what we know

    What You Need to Know: The Shell Plant in Florida

    The attraction offered more than just shells: on a vast 18-hectare site there was plenty to do: a zip line, a nature park, an astonishingly large souvenir shop, bumper cars and pedal boats, a restaurant, miniature golf, a petting zoo, a video game arcade and much more.

    Shell Factory Nature Park, 16554 N. Cleveland Ave., North Fort Myers, is also home to about 350 exotic animals, including iguanas, porcupines, peacocks, alligators, lemurs, alpacas and goats.

    Shell factory closing: what they say

    More than 1,300 comments were posted on the Shell Factory Facebook page about the news of the closure, with many posting photos of their visits.

    This is what people say:

    • Savannah Noelle Lambert said: So sad. This was my grandma’s favorite place to take her grandkids when we visited her before she passed.
    • Nick Broward said: This place is a monument, someone has to save it.
    • Selma Reynolds said: I will really miss it. I take my family to the city every time and we enjoy all the events, all year round.
    • Mo Beneke said: This is so sad. It won’t be the same city without The Shell Factory, but I completely understand the need for this difficult decision. Pam has done a great job over the years and I wish her, her staff and all the animals the best and a bright future, wherever and whatever that may be.
    • Lovie White said: Oh my god. I’ve been going there since I was a kid and have taken my own kids there. Such fond memories.
    • Carol Hohweisner Wyrick said: We went there when I visited my grandparents, and then we took my kids when we visited my parents! Absolutely wonderful memories there.
    • Lauris Defelice Tucker said: Grateful for all the good times.
    • Toni Barone Paul: Nooooo.
    • Diana Hibbard Lowery: I really hope all the animals are doing well.
    • Greg Robinson said: It doesn’t say what the future holds for the building? Is it for sale? Is it sold? Are there any plans? It’s a great building!
    • Nicole Deere Jordan: I pray someone buys it and keeps it alive!! North Fort Myers will have nothing left in this town and that is heartbreaking!! Drive In – gone. Bowling Alley – gone. Roller Skate rink – gone. Now the shell factory.

    Photos: 55 Images of Shell’s Iconic Florida Factory

    Why is the Shell factory closing?

    The late Tom Cronin took over the estate in 1997 when it was in foreclosure and “lovingly transformed it from a roadside tourist attraction into a sought-after destination for locals, seasonal guests and tourists,” Shell Factory said in a news release.

    Together with his wife Pam, Cronin invested heavily in the property and made improvements. He created the Nature Park, an animal sanctuary, and established The Nature Park Environmental Education Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

    “The Shell plant has weathered hurricanes, fires and financial challenges over the past decades, but given the high maintenance costs of an 86-year-old building, we had to make this difficult decision,” said Pam Cronin.

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