Koreshan State Historic Site
A 19th-century utopian commune whose members believed they lived on the inside of a hollow Earth. They built a beautiful settlement. They were wrong about the Earth.
Cyrus Teed founded the Koreshan Unity in 1869 based on his belief that the universe exists inside a hollow sphere — that we live on the inner surface of the Earth, with the sun at the center. He led his followers to Estero, Florida in 1894 to build New Jerusalem. At its peak, the commune had 250 members, a printing press, a bakery, a sawmill, and an orchestra.
Koreshan State Historic Site is at 3800 Corkscrew Rd in Estero, open daily. Admission is $5 per vehicle. The original commune buildings are preserved and interpreted by rangers. The site is also a campground and has excellent kayaking on the Estero River.
Teed died in 1908. His followers preserved his body for several days, expecting resurrection. When it didn't come, they buried him on the property. The last Koreshan died in 1982 and left the land to the state of Florida. The buildings are still there, well-maintained, full of the specific optimism of people who were absolutely certain they were right.