The Rod and Gun Club in Everglades City is a historic lodge, restaurant, and marina located at 200 West Broadway, Everglades City, Florida 34139. It is one of the oldest surviving hospitality structures in Southwest Florida. The club sits on the banks of the Barron River and operates within Collier County, a region covering more than 2,000 square miles of subtropical terrain.
What Is the Rod and Gun Club in Everglades City?
The Rod and Gun Club Everglades City is a working historic lodge and restaurant that has served guests since the 1880s. It functions as a hotel, dining venue, and outdoor activity hub. The structure retains its original Victorian-era furniture, pecky cypress woodwork, and taxidermy collection. It is recognized as one of Collier County’s 47 designated historic sites. For context, see our previous guide on Havana Cafe Everglades City – 7 Key Reasons to Visit This Cuban and Cracker Dining Gem.
When Was the Rod and Gun Club Established?
The foundation of the Rod and Gun Club building dates back to 1864, when William Smith Allen became the first settler on the property. The land and building passed to George Washington Storter Jr. in 1889, who expanded the structure to serve visiting sportsmen – marking the true genesis of the Rod and Gun Club.
Who Founded the Rod and Gun Club?
George Storter Jr. purchased the land and expanded the house in the 1880s, naming it the Rod and Gun Club after discovering that wealthy tourists had developed an appetite to hunt and fish the Everglades.
Who Was Barron Collier and Why Did He Buy the Club?
Barron Collier purchased the club in 1922 and used it as headquarters for building the Tamiami Trail and establishing the county seat. He operated it as a private club, hosting international dignitaries and several United States presidents. Collier County takes its name from Barron Collier directly.
Why Did 5 U.S. Presidents Visit the Rod and Gun Club?
The Rod and Gun Club attracted 5 U.S. presidents because of its private location, world-class fishing, and exclusivity. Five presidents, from Harry Truman to Richard Nixon, visited the club and enjoyed its opportunities for both fishing and shooting. The club’s remote position within the 10,000 Islands area of the Everglades provided isolation unavailable at most other destinations.
Which Celebrities Visited the Rod and Gun Club?
Guests through the decades have included Ernest Hemingway, Dwight D. Eisenhower, George Bush Sr., Jack Nicklaus, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Sean Connery, and Mick Jagger. Hemingway moored his fishing boat, Pilar, at the club en route to catch 1,000-pound Blue Marlin.
What Does the Interior of the Rod and Gun Club Look Like?
The interior features original Victorian-era furniture, pecky cypress paneling, and more than 80-year-old taxidermy throughout every room. The main house is filled with high Victorian chairs with elaborate embroidery, crystal chandeliers, dark hardwood floors, wooden ceiling fans, Tiffany lamps, nautical antiques, and antique gas lamps.
The taxidermy collection includes the following mounted animals:
- Florida panther
- River otter
- American alligator
- White-tailed deer
- Wild turkey
- Black bear
- Multiple freshwater and saltwater fish species
Most of these items date back to the founding of the hotel and are more than 80 years old.
What Happened to the Rod and Gun Club After Barron Collier?
A fire on February 11, 1973, burned much of the club. In the 1970s, the Bowen family purchased the property and worked to restore it to its former condition. Martin Bowen and Marcella Bowen moved their family from Michigan to Everglades City in 1964. Bowen opened a business across the street from the Rod and Gun Club in 1970 and purchased the club when it was abandoned and deteriorating.
Who Owns the Rod and Gun Club Today?
The Rod and Gun Club is owned and operated by the Bowen family, currently managed by third-generation family member Taylor Caple. Taylor Caple manages the club as a working lodge and restaurant, welcoming families who have visited for generations while introducing new visitors to a place that remains increasingly rare.
How Was the Club Restored?
Martin, Marcella, and their 3 children – Patty, Barbara, and Marti – worked years to restore the historic building together, without the help of a company. The restoration preserved the original furniture, flooring, and architectural details from Barron Collier’s era of ownership.
What Can Visitors Do at the Rod and Gun Club Everglades City?
Visitors at the Rod and Gun Club can access 6 main outdoor activities, 1 historic restaurant, cottage accommodations, and a full marina. The club sits at the edge of the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States, providing direct access to the Everglades ecosystem.
What Outdoor Activities Does the Rod and Gun Club Offer?
Visitors can explore the Everglades through fishing charters, kayaking, canoeing, airboat and swamp buggy rides, bicycling, and hiking. Guests can fish in the Everglades or the Barron River, hike on local trails, or visit nearby Indian reservations.
The 6 primary outdoor activities available include:
- Saltwater fishing charters along mangrove shorelines and shallow flats
- Guided kayak tours through mangrove tunnels
- Airboat rides through the Big Cypress National Preserve
- Swamp buggy excursions
- Birdwatching across the 10,000 Islands area
- Eco-tours through Everglades National Park
Local guides that are fourth and fifth generation take guests out for fishing day trips.
What Does the Rod and Gun Club Restaurant Serve?
The restaurant serves fresh local seafood, Southern fare, and regional specialties sourced from surrounding Everglades waters. The menu features fresh local fish at $28, steaks at $35, steak-and-seafood combinations at $39, and fish sandwiches and fried baskets of fish, shrimp, or frog legs at $19. The dining room overlooks the Barron River directly.
What Makes the Rod and Gun Club Historically Significant in Florida?
The Rod and Gun Club Everglades City is recognized as one of the most historically significant structures in Collier County. Thomas Lockyear III, Museum Manager of the Museum of the Everglades, states that it could be argued that the Rod and Gun Club is where the concept of tourism in Southwest Florida began.
Is the Rod and Gun Club on the National Register of Historic Places?
The Rod and Gun Club is not listed on the National Register of Historic Places by choice of its owners. The Collier County Historic and Archaeological Preservation Board includes the club among 9 Everglades City structures on their list of 47 historic sites in Collier County. The Bowen family has declined National Register listing to avoid regulatory restrictions on the property.
When Is the Best Time to Visit the Rod and Gun Club in Everglades City?
The best time to visit the Rod and Gun Club Everglades City is between December and April. Everglades City is primarily a tourist town, and the population swells during the months of December to April, with local fishing serving as a primary draw for visitors. Mosquito activity increases significantly during summer months between June and September.
What Are the Key Facts About the Rod and Gun Club Everglades City?
|
Category |
Detail |
|---|---|
|
Address |
200 West Broadway, Everglades City, FL 34139 |
|
Founded |
1864 (original structure) |
|
Barron Collier Purchase |
1922 |
|
Club Named by Storter |
1880s |
|
Bowen Family Ownership |
1970s to present |
|
U.S. Presidents Hosted |
5 |
|
County |
Collier County, Florida |
|
River |
Barron River |
|
Current Use |
Lodge, restaurant, marina, and activity hub |
|
Best Visit Window |
December to April |
The Rod and Gun Club Everglades City stands as a documented record of over 160 years of Florida history. It connects the earliest settlement period of the Everglades to a fully operational lodge and dining destination available to visitors today. The property preserves original materials, original furniture, and original character in a region where development has replaced most comparable structures.
Donald Reeves writes about Everglades City the way the place deserves to be written about: without the brochure language, without the manufactured wonder, and without pretending that a town of 400 people sitting at the edge of a swamp is something it is not.
He has spent considerable time in Collier County’s oldest settlement, arriving during stone crab season when the waterfront smells of brine and work, and returning in the off-season when the tourists are gone and the town goes quiet in the particular way that only genuinely remote places can. He has paddled the mangrove tunnels of the Ten Thousand Islands, eaten at places with no hours posted on the door, and spoken at length with fishing guides who navigate these waters by memory rather than chart.
His writing on Everglades City FL covers everything from tidal fishing conditions and kayak trails to lodging, local history, and the complex past that most Florida travel content carefully avoids.
He writes to give readers the honest version.