Around Town · Lehigh Acres
Former airfields, forts and military museums.
No local listings in Lehigh Acres. These destinations are in other Florida towns; each listing includes its address.
Granite memorial in downtown Fort Myers honoring those who served at Buckingham and Page Army Air Fields during World War II.
Centennial Park, Edwards Drive at Monroe Street, Fort Myers, FL 33901
View details →Erected in 1991 in Centennial Park near the Uncommon Friends sculpture, the memorial's three granite markers stand before an aircraft propeller. As an outdoor park memorial it can be viewed during a riverfront walk.
World War II aerial-gunnery training base established in 1942; one original military building survives.
15191 Homestead Road, Lehigh Acres, FL 33971
View details →The Lee County Mosquito Control District now operates the property as a restricted-use airfield, with a historical marker erected in 2002. Wartime maps, photographs and annuals may be viewed at the district office by prior arrangement — contact the district before visiting, as the operating airfield is not open for casual exploration.
World War I flying field southeast of Arcadia where the Army trained pilots from 1918 — today the site of the G. Pierce Wood Memorial Hospital.
5847 SE Highway 31, Arcadia, FL 34266 (view from highway)
Hours: No public exhibit; exterior view from SR 31
View details →Established in early 1918 as a U.S. Army Air Service training field, Carlstrom Field served as the Army's principal flying school until 1923 and returned to service training British and American pilots in World War II. The property later became the G. Pierce Wood Memorial Hospital at 5847 SE Highway 31. There is no public museum or walk-in exhibit; the site can be seen from SR 31.
Museum of Clewiston and the Hendry–Glades region, from prehistory and Indigenous peoples to Lake Okeechobee agriculture and World War II flight training.
109 Central Avenue, Clewiston, FL 33440
Hours: Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; Saturdays by appointment.
View details →Exhibits include fossils, archaeological artifacts and a dedicated WWII & Riddle Field display. Admission $10 adults, $8 seniors, $5 students. Call ahead — Saturday visits need 48 hours' notice.
Collier County's main museum, interpreting Southwest Florida's prehistory, Indigenous peoples, settlement and development.
3331 Tamiami Trail East, Naples, FL 34112
Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; closed national holidays.
View details →Indoor galleries plus five acres of grounds with restored Naples cottages, the Kokomis boat, a steam engine, a swamp buggy and a World War II Sherman tank. The Seminole War fort on the grounds is a reconstruction. Admission is free.
Sister World War I training field east of Arcadia, later a World War II primary flight school — now largely returned to private land.
East of Arcadia, FL (private land; no public access)
Hours: No public access; historical reference only
View details →Dorr Field was established alongside Carlstrom Field in early 1918 to train Army Air Service pilots, and was reactivated in World War II as a primary flight training school where many British RAF cadets earned their wings. Today little remains above ground and the land is private; there is no public exhibit or marker site to tour.
State historical marker for Fort Denaud, a Second Seminole War military post and supply depot established in 1838.
S.R. 78-A at the Caloosahatchee River bridge, Fort Denaud, FL
View details →The fort was reopened in 1855, relocated after a fire in 1856 and abandoned in 1858; no buildings survive. The 1977 marker stands at the river bridge — a roadside stop rather than a preserved fort.
Landscaped median park on West Venice Avenue with veterans memorials and a one-third-scale replica of the Venice Army Airfield entrance.
727 W. Venice Avenue, Venice, FL 34285
View details →Veterans Court's marble memorial was dedicated in 1976, alongside an earlier 1954 war memorial; the Army Air Base Court replica entrance dates to 1994. An outdoor walk-through park between Avenue des Parques and the beach.
Outdoor mural in Veterans Park depicting Punta Gorda's World War II pilot-training base and its aircraft.
Veterans Park, 100 Nesbit Street, Punta Gorda, FL 33950
View details →Painted by Keith Goodson in 2021 (after Edwin Wang-Ah Yip's 2002 original), the mural shows P-40 Warhawks and a P-51 Mustang over the wartime airfield. Part of the Punta Gorda Historic Mural Society's citywide collection.
Reduced-scale version of the Marine Corps War Memorial by sculptor Felix W. deWeldon, commissioned for Cape Coral in 1964.
Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve, 2589 SE 24th Street, Cape Coral, FL 33990
Hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to dusk.
View details →Refurbished and rededicated at Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve in 1998, the sculpture stands in the preserve's Veterans Memorial Area, south of the parking lot.
Major military-history museum with more than 20,000 artifacts spanning the Revolutionary War to modern conflicts.
900 West Marion Avenue, Punta Gorda, FL 33950
Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
View details →Galleries are supplemented by flight simulators, virtual reality and a laser gun range, plus Saturday Huey cockpit tours. Admission $18 adults, $14 veterans, $10 youth; active-duty military free.
Fort Myers' general aviation airport, leased to the Army Air Forces in 1942 for bomber and fighter-pilot training.
Page Field, Fort Myers, FL 33907
View details →Base Operations welcomes visitors to its terminal displays of local World War II artifacts and historical photographs, including a full-size replica P-51 Mustang in the lobby and a restored AT-6 Texan in the parking lot. Several wartime buildings remain in service on the field.
A 2,800-seat ceremonial amphitheater within Sarasota National Cemetery, donated by The Patterson Foundation in 2014.
Sarasota National Cemetery, 9810 State Road 72, Sarasota, FL 34241
Hours: Daily, sunrise to sunset.
View details →Commissioned artwork and military documentary photography honor veterans and their families. Explore independently during cemetery hours, or arrange a complimentary guided tour through the Sarasota Arts organization.
Memorial park commemorating those killed on September 11, the rescuers, and those who sacrificed in America's wars.
800 Venetia Bay Boulevard, Venice, FL 34285
Hours: Daily, 6 a.m.–10 p.m.
View details →The memorial courtyard includes a steel beam from the World Trade Center and rubble from the Pentagon, with commemorative plaques and a flag display. Paved paths, picnic facilities and restrooms on site.
World War II combat-pilot training base activated in 1943, where pilots flew P-40 Warhawks and P-51 Mustangs.
Punta Gorda Airport, 28000 A-1 Airport Road, Punta Gorda, FL 33982
View details →The former airfield is today's Punta Gorda Airport. A historical photo display hangs at the south end of the Bailey Terminal, across from the ticket counters; a surviving wartime structure is used by the Experimental Aircraft Association. Please stay out of operational airfield areas.
World War II airfield that operated as No. 5 British Flying Training School, where more than 1,300 RAF cadets earned their wings.
Airglades Airport, 3200 Airglades Boulevard, Clewiston, FL 33440
View details →Nothing remains of the wartime facility at today's Airglades Airport. For Riddle Field history, visit the verified exhibit at the Clewiston Museum and the memorial in Clewiston's Civic Center Park.
The civilian airport that became a World War II Army airfield in 1942, hosting B-17 bomber and fighter training.
Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, 6000 Airport Circle, Sarasota, FL 34243
View details →Today's Sarasota Bradenton International Airport occupies the site on the Sarasota–Manatee county line. A state historical marker documents the airfield; operational areas are restricted.
Department of Veterans Affairs national cemetery opened in 2009, serving veterans and eligible family members.
9810 State Road 72, Sarasota, FL 34241
Hours: Visitation daily, sunrise to sunset.
View details →Visitors can pay respects at gravesites, use the grave-location kiosk and visit Patriot Plaza. This is an active burial ground — please observe cemetery rules and avoid interrupting services.
Graves of 23 Royal Air Force cadets who died during World War II flight training at the Riddle schools in Arcadia and Clewiston.
North Lee Avenue and Livingston Street, Arcadia, FL 34266
View details →The plot in the cemetery's southwest portion includes a memorial stone, a Union Jack flagpole and a portion of aviation educator John Paul Riddle's ashes. Memorial Day services are held here; please visit respectfully.
World War II Army air base for maintenance support and fighter-pilot training, now Venice Municipal Airport.
Venice Municipal Airport, 150 East Airport Avenue, Venice, FL 34285
View details →The runways are the principal surviving base features. For interpretation, visit the replica air-base entrance and displays at Heritage Park on West Venice Avenue. Please stay out of operational airfield areas.
Military-history museum at the Collier County Government Center interpreting American service from the Revolutionary War through modern conflicts.
3331 Tamiami Trail East, Naples, FL 34112
Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; closed federal holidays.
View details →Collections include uniforms, medals, documents, weapons and models, with veteran docents helping interpret the exhibits. The museum relocated from Naples Airport to the county museum building in 2025. Admission is free.
City-maintained memorial area honoring all who have served in the United States armed forces.
Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve, 2589 SE 24th Street, Cape Coral, FL 33990
Hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to dusk.
View details →The memorial area on the south side of the preserve parking lot includes the Iwo Jima Memorial and the Garden Club of Cape Coral's Blue Star Memorial Marker.
Brick plaza, flags and granite monuments honoring veterans, military branches, prisoners of war and those missing in action.
Centennial Park, 1185 Centennial Boulevard, Port Charlotte, FL 33953
View details →Developed by VFW Post 5690 with Charlotte County in 2009, the walkway hosts an annual Veterans Day ceremony.
Half-scale replica of the Washington, D.C. Vietnam Veterans Memorial, built with granite from the same source.
Veterans Park, 100 Nesbit Street, Punta Gorda, FL 33950
View details →The outdoor memorial at the entrance to Laishley Park invites visitors to read the inscribed names and make name rubbings.
Charlotte County park honoring Marine William R. Gaines Jr., killed in the 1983 Beirut peacekeeping mission, and all veterans and first responders.
20499 Edgewater Drive, Port Charlotte, FL 33952
View details →Memorial monuments stand alongside a military-themed playground, nature trails, fishing and paddling. County improvement work can affect parking and restrooms — check current access before visiting.
