Hall of 50 States - Fort Myers, Florida, USA
Posted by: 
BoomersOTR
N 26° 38.761 W 081° 52.213
17R E 413390 N 2947524
A then and now photo location of the Hall of 50 States building in downtown Fort Myers in the historic river district.
Waymark Code: WM13219
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 08/29/2020
Views: 3
What is now known as the Hall of 50 States was once part of a much larger structure known as the Pleasure Palace. This structure was located less than a mile west of its current location.
Originally built in 1927 as part a 1920’s era recreational area known as Evans Park, it was built on pilings extending out over the Caloosahatchee River and was connected to the mainland by a pier known as the Pleasure Pier. The Pleasure Pier was located at the end of Heitman Street or approximately where the current Caloosahatchee River Bridge is and was part of the Evans Park recreational complex. This recreational area was a great undertaking for the City of Fort Myers costing approximately $129,000 and was completed in the spring of 1927. The Pleasure Palace building cost $48,000 to complete.
The area consisted of the recreational pier with an auditorium and dance hall built at the end of the it. Using Moorish-style architecture the building was a grand site over the water. At the base of the pier there were tennis and shuffleboard courts, a youth center, municipal pool, along with a park. Todays Centennial Park is located in this area.
The pier was demolished in 1943 due to its decaying pilings and the second story of the Pleasure Palace was moved in two sections, by barge upriver to its current location on Edwards Drive. Renamed the Hall of 50 States due to the state flags hanging from the ceiling. Some of the materials from the demolition were used to build a civic center that was connected to the west side of the building. During World War II soldiers from Buckingham and Page Fields used the hall for R & R. The building was utilized over the years as a USO, Chamber of Commerce, Fort Myers Tourist Center, and city Shuffleboard Office with the shuffleboard courts located to the east of the building. The Edison Pageant of Light had offices in the former Civic Center for many years.
Today the building stands abandoned and falling into disrepair with its fate in the hands of city planners and real estate developers. An article written in Preservation News a publication of the Lee Trust for Historic Preservation, by local author and historian Gerri Reaves can be found at this link (
visit link)
Within the building is a 50’ x 64’ wooden dance floor and an elevated 24’ x 50’ stage.
A previous waymark has been posted for this location by “crackergals” on February 24, 2009 as a “Relocated Structure” WM5XDE, (
visit link)
Photo gallery descriptions:
Default photo 1950’s, 2254 Edwards Drive location, courtesy of Fort Myers Historical Museum.
Photo 2 now photo taken 8/22/2020, 2254 Edwards Drive.