February 5, 2026
Dave Osborn
Originally published on: Naples Daily News
The new Spurlino Foundation Discovery Center opened in January 2026 at Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.
The 1,600-square-foot center, located at the Blair Visitor Center, features exhibits such as "The Secret Lives of Plants," "Life Beneath the Surface" and "Amphibians and Reptiles," said a news release.
The exhibits aim to highlight the sanctuary's conservation efforts and the region's flora and fauna. The center replaced a previous discovery space that had been closed since 2020. The new design includes colorful signs, videos and interactive activities.
The Blair Visitor Center welcomes more than 80,000 visitors annually to the sanctuary, a gateway to the Western Everglades. The sanctuary’s 2.25-mile boardwalk takes visitors through ancient forests, marshes and upland habitats.
Admission information
Access to the Spurlino Foundation Discovery Center is included with general admission to the Blair Visitor Center and boardwalk. Admission is $17 for adults, $6 for children ages 6-14 and free for members and children younger 6.
Three-year project
Audubon staff worked for nearly three years with Michigan-based design firm Flutter & Wow, as well as local taxidermists and wildlife sculptors, to create the exhibits. The center offers a multi-sensory learning experience, with mounted artifacts to touch, bird calls to hear and an opportunity for children to dress up as a prescribed fire professional.
“This investment has modernized and enhanced the visitor experience in the Discovery Center, enabling each person to see how important the Sanctuary is for water and wildlife in the landscape of Southwest Florida, before or after they experience it for themselves on the boardwalk," said sanctuary Director Keith Laakkonen in the release
The opening of the new center marks the completion of the first phase of a capital campaign campus transformation. This phase included new navigational signage for the parking lot, a new campus entrance and 95 new wayfinding, interpretive and educational signs along the boardwalk.
What is Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary?
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, established in 1954, spans more than 13,000 acres and includes the largest remaining old-growth bald cypress forest.