Koreshan State Park: The Hollow Earth Colony on the Estero River

A Chicago doctor who believed humanity lived inside a hollow sphere convinced 200 people to follow him to the Florida swamps. They built a bakery, a printing press, a power plant, and the headquarters for what they called “The New Jerusalem.” The buildings are still there.

A Prophet Arrives in Southwest Florida

In 1869, physician Cyrus Teed claimed to receive a divine revelation: the universe existed inside a giant hollow sphere, and he was chosen to lead a new society. He changed his name to Koresh (Hebrew for Cyrus, meaning shepherd) and founded a belief system called Koreshanity. In 1894, Teed brought his followers from Chicago to 300 acres of swampland along the Estero River, where he planned to build a city for 10 million people.

The Women Who Ran New Jerusalem

At its peak between 1903 and 1908, the settlement had roughly 250 residents, a general store, concrete works, and a power plant that electrified the area years before neighboring towns had electricity. The community’s governing body, the Planetary Court, was composed entirely of women. They ran most of the businesses, too, which was nearly unheard of in turn-of-the-century Florida. The three-story Planetary Court building, a restored clapboard house with an elegant cupola, still stands as the park’s centerpiece.

What to Know Before You Go

Teed died in 1908, and his followers, who expected him to resurrect, watched over his body for five days before the county health inspector intervened. A 1921 hurricane later washed his remains out to sea. The community dwindled until 1961, when the last member, Hedwig Michel, donated the land to Florida. Today, 11 original buildings sit on the National Register of Historic Places. The park is open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset at 3800 Corkscrew Road, Estero. Entry is $5 per vehicle. Guided tours run daily at 10 a.m. from January through March. You can also kayak the Estero River, camp at one of 60 wooded sites, or catch a concert on the settlement’s 1885 Steinway piano in the Art Hall.

Official page: Koreshan State Park