Smallwood Store — Attraction in Chokoloskee Island

The store is something history lovers should see. It's definitely unique. I. The day we visited, the woman at the desk was actually part of the Smallwood family, which was great. She knew first hand the answer to any questions anyone might have. The admission price was $5, which we felt should be free, but people pay it, and we were still interested enough to pay it ourselves. We climbed up to the 2nd floor and walked through the open air general store. The doors on each side were open and there was a nice breeze through the store. We noticed the open windows had no screens. We saw no insects either, so the ventilation was welcome. There is a video on the history of the store visitors can watch near the back of the store that is interesting. How the little wood framed store like this fared during hurricanes amazed me. For anyone that doesn't want to pay the admission to go up the steps to the general store, the outside grounds are open to explore, including the underside of the store. Folks under 6' should be able to walk around without ducking. There is a food truck next to the building serving pretty good barbeque and tables under the store to sit at with a view of the water and the other 9,999 islands...

A huge part of Chokoloskee history is the Ted Smallwood general store. If you're in the area, do yourself a favor and stop by this historic venue to checkout the museum. I've been visiting Chokoloskee for years for the fishing and boat past this place all the time but never stopped because it's closed before and after we are done fishing for the day. Finally, we ended up having time after a weekend getaway. We were not disappointed!

The store is not air conditioned but kept cool by the sea breeze that filters it. It's $5 for entrance and free for kids under 12. The place is jammed packed with history and original items from the store in its prime. Immediately coming into the store, you're greeted by an employee. Ours was very nive and gave us a brief history of the store and family.

After that, you're free to look around. Everything has info cards and there's a small gift shop with apparel and books. A real treat was the old fashion coke machine. It's air cooled and no ice is used. Buy a coke! It's available in small glass bottles...

This place was built in 1906!!! It was used as a trading post for local people in the area, including many of the Native Americans who would travel by boat to get their goods. The inside is full of artifacts and there are some placards to read. The place could use a bit more dusting but I imagine some of the items cannot be cleaned due to potentially damaging them. You go at your own pace since there is no tour guide. The store was bigger than it seemed and our group was there about 45 minutes. It costs $5 to get in, which is fine because otherwise, how else would this place stay open? There's obviously no indoor plumbing, but there is a port-a-potty outside. Also, this place is built on stilts because of the water and there's no wheelchair ramp or elevators, so if you cannot climb the stairs, there's no other way in. It's amazing that this building still stands after so many hurricanes that I wonder how much longer it'll last. If you are travelling across the coast, it is...