FALL COMES ALIVE AT CALUSA NATURE CENTER & PLANETARIUM WITH FRIENDLY FOREST AND HAUNTED WALK
Tickets are on sale now for two of Calusa’s signature fall traditions, with a full season of nature, science, music and family programming ahead
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Fall is almost here, and Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium is preparing for a season filled with family fun, outdoor adventure and some serious scares.
Tickets are now on sale for two of Calusa’s signature seasonal events: the family-friendly Friendly Forest Fall Festival, September 19–20, and the return of Haunted Walk: Face Your Fears, running weekends throughout October.
Both events invite Southwest Florida residents to experience Calusa’s 105-acre nature sanctuary in completely different ways while supporting the nonprofit Nature Center’s mission of environmental education, conservation and animal care.
FRIENDLY FOREST WELCOMES FALL TO SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
Saturday & Sunday, September 19–20 | 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Friendly Forest Fall Festival is Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium’s family-friendly welcome to fall, bringing a touch of autumn to the Southwest Florida preserve.
Families can spend the day exploring a pumpkin patch, taking fall photos, playing games, completing scavenger hunts and crafts, bouncing in the bounce house, meeting Calusa’s animal residents and enjoying Planetarium shows.
The two-day celebration combines traditional fall fun with the nature, wildlife and educational experiences that make Calusa unique.
Admission: $13 adults | $7 children
HAUNTED WALK RETURNS: FACE YOUR FEARS
Friday, Saturday & Sunday evenings, October 9–31 | 7:30–10:30 p.m.
When darkness falls, Calusa becomes an entirely different place.
Haunted Walk: Face Your Fears returns this October, transforming Calusa’s nighttime trails into an immersive outdoor Halloween experience.
Haunted Walk is also one of Calusa’s important annual fundraisers, with proceeds helping provide the food, veterinary care, habitats and other resources necessary to care for the Nature Center’s resident animals throughout the year.
Haunted Walk takes place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday beginning October 9 and continues through Halloween night, October 31.
Advance Tickets: $20 At the Door: $25
For those who can’t get enough fear, Calusa is also offering the Ultimate Fear Pass for $100, providing unlimited Haunted Walk admission throughout the season and skip-the-line access.
MORE HAPPENING AT CALUSA
The fall events are just the beginning of a growing calendar of experiences at Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium.
Homeschool: Fabulous Fungi — September 10, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.Students explore the fascinating world of Florida fungi through hands-on activities, crafts, a fungi hike and scavenger hunt.
Music Under the Stars: Doug MacLeod — September 17, 7 p.m.Two-time 2026 Blues Music Award nominee Doug MacLeod brings his internationally acclaimed songwriting, storytelling, soulful vocals and masterful guitar work to Calusa.
Homeschool: Cryptozoology — October 1, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.Students use science and imagination to investigate Florida legends including the Skunk Ape, Wampus cat, mermaids and other mysterious cryptids.
Homeschool: Geology Rocks — November 5, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.A hands-on exploration of rocks, minerals and geology, with each student taking home a small rock and mineral collection.
Homeschool: Wilderness Survival — December 3, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.Students learn outdoor safety and basic survival skills, including finding water and shelter, signaling for help, identifying useful plants and assembling simple survival and first-aid kits.
Pints in the Pines — February 6, 2027, 6–10 p.m.An evening under the stars benefiting Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium, featuring craft beverages, local food, live music, moonlit nature, socializing and a special Planetarium experience.
PLANETARIUM EXPERIENCES
Calusa’s Planetarium continues to offer unique immersive experiences throughout the season.
Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon combines the legendary album with immersive 360-degree visuals and surround sound inside the Planetarium dome.
Beautifica, presented on select evenings, takes audiences on a spectacular 360-degree journey through real and imagined worlds, from extraordinary particle fields to fantastic immersive environments.
CALUSA AND FGCU EXPAND PARTNERSHIP
Florida Gulf Coast University and Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium have announced an expanded partnership strengthening their shared commitment to education, research and community engagement across Southwest Florida.
The collaboration is designed to create new opportunities for experiential learning, scientific research, partnerships and community-based environmental education while connecting academic learning with hands-on experiences in conservation, wildlife and environmental science.
INVESTING IN CALUSA’S FUTURE
Calusa is also moving forward with important efforts to preserve and improve its 105-acre sanctuary.
Funding included in Florida’s state budget will support Calusa’s boardwalk restoration project, helping protect and enhance access to the Nature Center for future generations.
Through its ongoing Nurture Nature Campaign, Calusa is raising support for educational outreach, animal care, infrastructure improvements, boardwalk restoration, facilities and an enhanced visitor experience.
The community can support this work by donating, volunteering or becoming a Calusa member.
Membership includes year-round admission to Calusa’s trails, Planetarium shows and live animal talks; discounts on programs and purchases; and free or discounted admission to more than 180 participating nature centers nationwide through the Association of Nature Center Administrators Reciprocal Program.
EXPERIENCE CALUSA
Founded in 1969, Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium is a nonprofit environmental education organization encompassing a 105-acre sanctuary in Fort Myers. Through its trails, wildlife, educational programs, Natural History Museum, Planetarium and community events, Calusa works to inspire people of all ages to connect with nature.
This fall, whether families are searching for pumpkins and wildlife during Friendly Forest or preparing to face their fears after dark during Haunted Walk, Calusa is inviting Southwest Florida to get outside, explore and experience the Nature Center in an entirely new way.
MEDIA CONTACT
Eric Raddatz eraddatz@calusanature.org 239-275-3435
Calusa Nature Center & PlanetariumFort Myers, Florida
ABOUT CALUSA NATURE CENTER & PLANETARIUM
Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium is a nonprofit environmental education organization dedicated to inspiring people to connect with nature. Since 1969, Calusa has served Southwest Florida through environmental education, wildlife experiences, conservation, astronomy, community programming and stewardship of its 105-acre nature sanctuary.
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What a fantastic post! The combination of the Friendly Forest and Haunted Walk sounds like an exhilarating way to embrace the spooky season. It’s reminiscent of five nights at freddy's with those unexpected jumps that keep you on your toes! I’d love to see how they incorporate nature into the fright—maybe animatronic creatures inspired by local wildlife? That would be so cool! Can't wait to visit!
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