After 86 years, The Shell Factory is closing for good. But first, the North Fort Myers attraction welcomed shoppers and fans for one final weekend of shopping, dining and animal visits.
The Shell factory plans to be open for its final day on Sunday, September 29, from 11am to 4pm, weather permitting. That includes a 40 percent discount on the expansive store filled with shells, Christmas ornaments and other merchandise.
Admission to the 4.5-acre nature park costs $11-$16. Ticket sales will support park staff in feeding and caring for the animals until they are all re-homed, according to a news release.
The Shell Factory’s two restaurants, the Southern Grill and Tommy’s Outdoor Café, will be open all weekend with a limited menu until supplies run out.
The news media were not allowed to cover the attraction’s final day on Sunday, a publicist for Priority Marketing said. That’s why The News-Press came to visit on Saturday afternoon.
This is what our photographer saw when The Shell Factory started to be finished.
More about the Shell plant in North Fort Myers, Florida
Check out our previous coverage of The Shell Factory:
The last days of the Shell Factory: What happens next with the sale of real estate, animals, employees
‘With pain in the heart’: Iconic SWFL attraction closes this month, what we know
A special place: You’ll never be bored at the Shell Factory in N. Fort Myers
End of an era: 55 photos of the popular and iconic Shell Factory in North Fort Myers
Closure of Shell factory: What people are saying, what you need to know about the popular Florida attraction
— Charles Runnells is an arts and entertainment reporter for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News. To reach him, call 239-335-0368 (for show tickets, call the venue) or email him at crunnells@gannett.com.
Follow or message him on social media: Facebook (facebook.com/charles.runnells.7),@charlesrunnells), Discussions (@crunnells1) and Instagram (@crunnells1).
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: The Shell Factory: Photos from closing weekend in North Fort Myers
