Arts & Culture

Zimsculpt sculpture: Woman in Profile at Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens
Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach is a very artful area, with galleries and museums, and festivals, exhibits, and cultural experiences year-round, like the return of the exclusive ZimSculpt exhibition to the Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens in 2025.

Read on for an overview of our fascinating arts, culture, and history scene.
 

Galleries

From the 30-acre Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens to the cozy Hatch Gallery, there's art everywhere in Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach.

There are three galleries and a great gift shop at the Visual Arts Center, and plenty of arts and crafts shows throughout the year, great for browsing and shopping.


Click below for a virtual tour of the Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens:


Live Performance

The area offers performances of all kinds, courtesy a variety of cultural institutions in the area. This means you can enjoy everything from classical music to polished community theater, from professional opera productions to nationally- and internally-known stand up comedians and national musical tribute groups, and everything in between.


History

The destination is also rich in history. Explore Historical Markers commemorating sites like the Hotel Punta Gorda, which opened in January of 1888. It was one of the first buildings of any kind built in the area and served guests like Thomas Edison. And keep an eye out for the History in the Parks markers across the area, like the one in Randy Spence Park outlining when Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer filmed a Tarzan feature, as well as some serials, in the El Jobean area in 1931. The crew stayed at the El Jobean Hotel and used our Southwest Florida wilderness to represent the jungle. They even brought the famous Leo the Lion, the MGM trademark and icon, with them!

Click here to explore all things historical in the area, like self-Guided Tours and much more.


Military FriendlyExterior of The Military Heritage Museum and the Huey Helicopter

We are also a military-friendly community, from the veteran discounts offered at local businesses to our memorial parks, representation in one of Punta Gorda's historical murals, and our designation as a Florida Purple Heart entity.

Learn more about our proud military history here.

Featured Events

Annual Charlotte County Fair Feb 07

Annual Charlotte County Fair

  • Recurring daily

The Charlotte County Fair starts a 10-day run every January, and runs into February. Don't miss…

Charlotte Players present Drinking Habits Feb 07

Charlotte Players present Drinking Habits

  • Recurring weekly on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday

Join the Charlotte Players for the story of Drinking Habits: accusations, mistaken identities, and…

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