8 Great Museums in Naples Florida to Discover the Local History

History lovers will find much to appreciate at these 8 Great Museums in Naples Florida, but even if you’re just heading to paradise in search of some fun in the sun, it may be time to rethink how much you love a good museum.

After all, museums are the best way to discover the historical heart of any place, and these local gems are more than just museums.

A trip to any of these is one of the best things to do in Naples to give you a bit of community context to this tourist destination.

Whether a great museum is a regular part of your travels, or this isn’t your first trip to Naples Florida and you’re ready to venture out beyond the beach, these eight local Naples FL museums showcase everything from whimsical pieces of modern art to ancient artifacts, and provide a valuable insight on the surprising past of Naples and the Sunshine State.

Museums in Naples Florida

1. The Revs Institute

2500 Horseshoe Drive South, Naples

• Hours: Open Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday each week 10:00am – 4:00pm – all tickets are by online advanced ticket purchase.

The Revs Institute is one of a kind educational institution dedicated solely to the conservation, preservation and restoration of rare and significant automobiles built between 1896 and 1995.

Realizing the value of preserving cars in their original condition, this unique Naples Florida museum allows visitors unhindered access to over 100 pristine automobiles to provide an intimate historic experience.

But if you’re looking for cool car museums in Naples Florida, you’ll find much more than that.

The automobiles on display at Revs are some of the rarest and most important cars ever built at anytime, anywhere.

They are the ones that famously blazed technical pathways, redefined aesthetic standards, made history, and changed the world.

All the vehicles are fully operational and the best way to explore the sprawling 80,000 square feet of space in Naples is through a two hour guided tour.

To ensure that the collection remains viable for many years, the institute has gone to great lengths to make the facility dust and pollution free.

Only visitors holding advance tickets for scheduled times may tour the Museum.

2. Naples Holocaust Museum

975 Imperial Golf Course Blvd., Suite 108, Naples

• Hours: Tues-Sun: 1pm-4:30pm

This gem of a Naples museum recalls one of the world’s darkest eras and its relationship to many local southwest Florida residents.

Tucked in an unlikely strip mall, the Naples Holocaust Museum is dedicated to preserving and exhibiting unique works of art and telling the stories of the Holocaust through thousands of photos, artifacts, exhibits and unique events. 

The museum’s mission is to impart the lessons learned from the Holocaust devastation and educate visitors through a series of moving exhibits and artifact displays.

Over 1,000 World War II and Holocaust artifacts and original photographs displayed chronologically from the rise of Nazism to Allied Liberation and the Nuremberg Trials.

Many of the artifacts have been donated or permanently loaned by local Survivors, Liberators, and other dedicated people.

While one exhibit is devoted to the Holocaust survivors and their families, an authentic ten ton WWII box car is situated in the parking lot as an educational outreach tool for the general public.

The museum also holds traveling exhibits to enhance community outreach.

Daily Docent-guided tours for the public take place at 1.30pm and last around 90 minutes.

3. The Baker Museum

5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples

• Hours: Tues-Sat: 10am-4pm, Sun12-4pm.

If you’re looking for fabulous art museums in Naples Florida, this institution will undoubtedly be your first stop.

Dedicated to scholarship and stewardship, the Baker Museum in Naples Florida is a crown jewel of Artis Naples and a renowned art museum in southwest Florida with an emphasis on contemporary and modern art.

Due to extensive damage by Hurricane Irma, the Baker's Museum had to be shut for nearly two years, but that didn’t diminish Naples’ reputation as a leading fine arts center.

In fact, the three-story building houses some of the best drawings, sculptures and paintings in its fifteen engaging galleries.

Several traveling exhibitions are held each year to provide this area's diverse community with educational opportunities through display of world class exhibits.

4. Naples Depot Museum

1051 5th Ave South, Naples

• Hours: Tues-Sat: 9am-4pm, Closed Sun and Mon.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Naples Depot Museum in downtown Naples is set in the restored Seaboard Air Line Railway passenger station and tells the story of Naples' early technology and transportation.

For train and model train lovers, the Naples Train Museum is also located here and open to visitors on Saturdays.

The Seaboard Air Line Railway passenger station in Naples was carefully restored to house the Naples Depot Museum to provide visitors with an insight on the booming days of the railroad in the 1920’s.

Naples was a perceived unexplored frontier at that time, and through the use of technology and transportation, entrepreneurs and industrialists transformed the landscape.

There are several fascinating exhibits like a mule wagon, a Seminole dug canoe, restored railway wagons and other interesting displays that reveal how rapidly Naples was developed from a scrappy fishing village to one of the glittering gems of the Gulf Coast.

5. Palm Cottage

137 12th Ave South, Naples

• Hours: Tues-Sat: 12pm-4pm.

Located down the street from the Naples Fishing Pier, the historic Palm Cottage is a great place to learn more about this iconic landmark.

Full of authentic period furnishings and decor, a tour of the Palm Cottage by knowledgeable guides provides an in-depth about the early homes of the residents of Naples.

The Palm Cottage was built in 1885 and stands in its original state, it has been fully restored.

Said to be the oldest house in Naples, the antiques-filled 3,500 square foot Palm Cottage is a rare example of tabby mortar construction.

The cottage is open for docent-guided tours year round.

Christmas time is especially beautiful when the cottage is lit up in lights giving it a nostalgic and romantic glow.

If you are looking for a quintessential spot to unravel the interesting history of Naples Florida, make sure to book both the Historic Palm Cottage house tour and a walking tour of the Naples Historic District.

Together they’ll enhance your appreciation of the local history.

6. Collier Museum at Government Center

3331 Tamiami Trail East, Naples

• Hours: Tues-Sat: 9am-4pm

Located on a five-acre site, the Collier Museum at Government Center is replete with some of the most attractive exhibits depicting the history of Collier County.

Lined with historic restored cottages, Sherman tanks and swamp buggies among others, five museum locations offer elaborate exhibits to educate visitors about Naples’ unique history and cultural development.

Pack a picnic and linger a while in the museum’s shady backyard. Then do a little exploring on your own around the native gardens, the Deuce steam engine, historic Kokomis boat, rugged swamp buggy, restored Naples cottages, reconstructed Seminole War Fort, World War II Sherman tank, and more.

There are five Collier County Museums locations in all to explore including the Collier Museum at Government Center (Naples), the Museum of the Everglades, Immokalee Pioneer Museum at Roberts Ranch, the Naples Depot Museum, and Marco Island Historical Museum.

Special programs and exhibitions are organized throughout the year.

7. Golisano Children’s Museum

15080 Livingston Rd, Naples

• Hours: Thur-Tues: 10am-5pm. Closed Wed.

The Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples is a museum for families, with a mission “to provide an exciting, inspiring environment where children and their families play, learn and dream together”.

This 38,000 square feet of interactive space is an incredible spot for families with children to learn and play together.

The Golisano Museum is housed in a ship-shaped building, with the Naples Trolley being the center of attraction. Lighting and sound effects enhance the experience for the visitors as they wander through the twelve different galleries.

Indoor and outdoor exhibits include a mammoth banyan tree, a journey through the Everglades and a beach where children can try their hand at catching fish with poles and magnetic bait.

Space for teens and adults, with changing exhibits, has also been set aside.\

8. Naples Train Museum

401 10th St South

• Hours: Thur, Fri, Sat: 10am-2pm

Located at the historic Naples Depot, the Naples Train Museum offers something for children of all ages.

Here you can ride trains, watch trains, operate trains and even buy one for the home.

Visitors can view the multi level train display in action, reminisce of the original rolling stock and locomotives.

Anyone who loves trains will like the models, pushing buttons and watching the trains moving up and down in this well-laid out private museum.

At any given time, ten trains are running simultaneously, with Thomas the Tank Engine being a permanent hit with kids because of the number of accessories that they can operate.

We hope you visit these unique selection of the Naples Florida museums. What are your favorite places to learn about Naples Florida’s history?