The Largest Seashell Retailer in the World

Conch displays. FreeSharer4 (CC BY-SA 3.0)

They claim to have the largest taxidermy collection in North America. MattA (Atlas Obscura User)

Taxidermy collection. MattA (Atlas Obscura User)

At the Shell Factory complex. Mark Goebel (CC BY 2.0)

In the shop, a wall of shell magnets. Mark Goebel (CC BY 2.0)

Collection of stuffed lions of the Wild Animal display. FreeSharer4 (CC BY-SA 3.0)

The entrance sign off Hwy. 41 in North Fort Myers. Mark Goebel (CC BY 2.0)

Entrance to the taxidermy collection. MattA (Atlas Obscura User)

SemiruralYeti (Atlas Obscura User)

Entrance to the Shell Factory's Nature Park. FreeSharer4 (CC BY-SA 3.0)

In the store. FreeSharer4 (CC BY-SA 3.0)

World's Largest Shell Factory Jonathud (Atlas Obscura User)

The Shell Factory is an old-school roadside attraction that has been tucked away on the outskirts of North Fort Myers, Florida, for about 80 years. While it has a lake with bumper boats, a couple of restaurants, a nature park, botanical gardens, and a zipline, its two big claims to fame are being the largest seashell retailer in the world and previously having the largest taxidermy collection in North America.

Despite its location away from the beaten path of tourist attractions along the beaches, the Shell Factory has a certain charm and a surprising number of attractions. The Nature Park has hundreds of exotic and domestic animals (many are rescues), restaurants and bars, a dog park, and mini golf, all squeezed together around their massive shell store and year-round Christmas shop.

Update June 2024: The Shell Factory’s storied taxidermy collection has been retired, due to many of the specimens beginning to “show their age.” Most of the pieces have been returned to the collectors who donated them, and the area of the shop that used to house them is no longer open to the public.

Update October 2024: The Shell Factory is permanently closed.

Know Before You Go

The Shell Factory is in North Fort Myers, on Hwy. 41. They are open 7 days a week, mostly from 10:00 to 5:00, but some areas have slightly different hours so check the website for specifics. It's all mostly free, except for the Nature Park and what you spend in the shops and restaurants.