The Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City has that true Old Florida feel. That’s because it was actually part of Old Florida.

The quaint getaway, with its wood-paneled bar and taxidermied animals, has been a part of the Florida tourism scene since the beginning, helping put Southwest Florida on the map for travelers.

The property started as a residence built in 1864. Everglades City founder George Storter Jr. purchased the land and expanded on the house in the 1880s, calling it the Rod & Gun Club. Storter had discovered that wealthy tourists had developed an appetite to hunt and fish the Everglades and was quick to capitalize. Seeing its potential as a private resort, county namesake Barron Collier bought the club in 1922. A year later, it hosted the first Collier County Board of Commissioners meeting.

Soon, it became a haven for presidents and celebrities. Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon all visited. Movie stars such as Burt Reynolds and Danny Glover stayed while filming in the area.

To this day, you can still visit the Rod & Gun Club, which serves as a resort featuring fine dining and a boat ramp that leads visitors straight into the Everglades.