Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center

Find out about a park’s water projects and systems in this fascinating visitor center named after the Father of the Everglades.

The Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center is an important institution displaying intriguing exhibits about the region. It contains a museum and a theater and is the principal visitor center for Everglades National Park. Learn about the local ecosystem through the interactive media and informative displays.

Pick up a free brochure for a glimpse of the widely varying plants and animals of this scenic park. Study the trail maps and find out about the tours offered by the park rangers. The visitor center’s theater shows the park orientation film. Watch this 15-minute movie, produced by the Discovery Channel, at your leisure. Learn about the intricate water systems in the park.

Enter the large exhibit area to see temporary displays hosted by the center. Look through the demonstrations on water conservation and hear multiple sides of the ongoing debate between fishermen, farmers, conservationists and park rangers about uses and conservation of water. The site has a gift store full of souvenirs and books as well as snacks and refreshments.

Watch the video on the variety of birds that live in the park. View the nature dioramas on fish, alligators and birds. Many varied works of art are displayed in the art gallery.

Learn how the visitor center takes its name from the so-called Father of the Everglades, Ernest Coe. He was an acclaimed landscape designer and naturalist born in 1866.

The center opens daily year-round from early morning until late afternoon. Make sure to bring insect repellent to stave off the mosquitoes. You can drop by without paying the fee for the national park, since the center sits on the edge of the park’s boundaries. However, combining a stop here with some time within Everglades National Park is a great option.

Find the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center at the eastern edge of Everglades National Park in southern Florida. It is a 10-mile (16-kilometer) drive southwest of the town of Homestead. See nearby attractions, such as the Navy Wells Pineland Preserve, the Everglades Alligator Farm and the Anhinga Trail.