This riverside complex on the Caloosahatchee River is the site of the winter estates and tropical gardens of inventor Thomas Edison (1847-1931) and automobile manufacturer Henry Ford (1863-1947), whose lifelong friendship began in 1896. Edison built his spacious "Seminole Lodge" here, where the wicker chairs and swing seats induce a sense of relaxation. It is also possible to visit his laboratory and the adjacent Edison Museum, which is teeming with inventions. Ford's house, "The Mangoes", is a much more modest cottage.