Sanibel and Captiva Visitor Center ready to once again open its doors. What to know

Mark H. Bickel, Fort Myers News-Press
Updated ·2 min read

The Sanibel and Captiva Islands Visitor Center welcomes tourists to a place people from all over the world have come to know for its sunsets and seashells, and its beaches and and birds.

On June 6 the Visitor Center will be open again for the first time since Hurricane Ian walloped the community with 150 mile per hour winds, record-breaking storm surge, and for a brief time period, cut off access to the barrier island when several pieces of the causeway were washed away.

So for at least a few minutes anyway, the welcoming will be turned toward the Visitor Center and the Chamber of Commerce team as in "Welcome Back!"

Like so many other places on Sanibel, the Visitor Center suffered water and wind damage.

The reopening is another box checked in the Sanibel's slow but making progress recovery from the devastating hurricane that tore Sanibel apart. Beaches have been busy. The work on the causeway is showing positive results. Some restaurants and rentals are back in business.

Another bright spot: CBS news show shines spotlight on Sanibel Island's spectacular wildlife thriving after Ian

What we know: the reopening of Sanibel and Captiva Visitor Center

  • The official name of the complex is the Francis P. Bailey, Jr., Chamber Visitor Center.

  • The Visitor Center is located at the entrance to Sanibel Island and has welcomed tens of thousands of visitors each year.

  • It is also the home of the Sanibel and Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce led by President and CEO John Lai.

  • There are more than 460 active Chamber members from both islands and businesses from Lee and Collier counties.

  • VISIT FLORIDA named the visitor center one of 13 official Florida Certified Tourism Information Centers in the state.

  • The chamber website sanibel-captiva.org receives more than 1.3 million website visits per year.

  • There will be ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4 p.m. to celebrate the occasion, and everyone is invited to enjoy noshes, refreshments, and a tour of the newly restored facilities.

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A view of the inside of the Francis P. Bailey, Jr., Chamber Visitor Center on Sanibel Island and home of the Sanibel and Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce.
A view of the inside of the Francis P. Bailey, Jr., Chamber Visitor Center on Sanibel Island and home of the Sanibel and Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce.

For more information about the chamber, contact John Lai, president and CEO, at 239-472-2348 or John@sanibel-captiva.org.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Sanibel Island Florida Visitor Center open again after Hurricane Ian