Dina Spector/Business Insider
The Edison-Ford Winter Estates in Fort Meyers, Fla., is the the combined winter homes of
Thomas Edison and Henry Ford.
Edison purchased the property, located on the beautiful Caloosahatchee river, in 1885. The brilliant inventor's good friend, Henry Ford, bought the land next door several decades later.
Edison and Ford enjoyed fishing, boating, and planting exotic trees and plants during their leisurely winter stays.
The Edison family continued to visit the Florida retreat, dubbed Seminole Lodge, even after Edison's death in 1931. In 1947, Edison's wife, Mina Edison, deeded the property to the City of Fort Myers for $1. The Ford estate was acquired in 1988. Both properties are now open for public tours, also featuring Edison's botanical gardens, rubber laboratory, and a museum.
