FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                       

Contact: Jennifer Nelson, Executive Director Uncommon Friends Foundation 

Phone: 239.337.9503

Email: Jennifer@uncommonfriends.org

Historic Burroughs Home & Gardens to Re-Open June 22nd

Event Venue and Tours will resume while following precautions

FORT MYERS, FL( June 8,2020) . The Uncommon Friends Foundation leadership team has been following the State’s phased plan to reopen Florida’s economy and has been working closely with the State Administration, Florida Attractions Association and industry partners to identify the appropriate timing and protocols for the Burroughs Home and Garden’s to safely welcome the public back for educational tours as well as to resume hosting weddings and other celebratory gatherings.  The historic property and grounds will open starting Monday June 22nd.

Historical tours will be available Tuesday, Wednesday and Fridays from 10am-2pm.  The Facility will be cleaned and disinfected daily using approved and effective antimicrobial solutions after each tour and high touch areas will be regularly cleaned throughout the day.  Admissions will be touchless, with tickets being sold through the online portal for a specific arrival time and will be limited to no more than 50 people, which is well below the 50% building occupancy threshold.  Sanitation stations have been added throughout the home and grounds along with over 50 instructional signs that direct traffic flow to insure social distancing guidelines are followed.  Staff will also wear masks at all times when engaging with the public. 

The Event Venue will be available Monday through Sunday from 10am to 11pm with a limited capacity of no more than 150 people, in accordance with the phase II guidelines set by the Governor’s Order.  Much like the tours, the facility will be thoroughly cleaned before and after each event and all staff will be required to wear masks when engaging with the public.  7 Sanitation Stations have been placed throughout public areas and instructional signs have been placed throughout the home’s interior, exterior, porches, gazebos, riverside pavilion and grounds to insure proper social distancing.  

The Uncommon Friends Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1993 and dedicated to lifelong character building among today’s youth and business leaders, as well as historic preservation of the Burroughs Home and Gardens and the James Newton Archives. It is located in the historic Burroughs Home and Gardens at 2505 First Street in downtown Fort Myers, Florida 33901. To schedule home tours, garden and waterfront weddings, or hold glamorous events in our new outdoor pavilion, please visit https://uncommonfriends.org  or contact Executive Director Jennifer Nelson at 239-337-9503 or at jennifer@uncommonfriends.org