Marco Island Historical Museum
Marco Island Historical Museum
Marco Island Historical Museum
4.5
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Long famous for its Key Marco Cat- one of the most remarkable and influential discoveries in North American archaeology- the new Marco Island Historical Museum explores Southwest Florida's Calusa Indians and bring this vanished civilization to life with informative displays and an exciting recreated village scene. Temporary and traveling exhibits trace the settlement of this subtropical island paradise from its early pioneer roots as a fishing village, pineapple plantation and clam cannery, through its explosive growth and development in the 1960s by the Miami-based Deltona Corporation.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
493 reviews
Excellent
358
Very good
113
Average
18
Poor
1
Terrible
3
FishersGoodrichmi
Goodrich Mi55 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
What a great find. The weather was a bit chilly so we decided to visit Museum and were pleasantly surprised by the displays and the history of Marco Island. Take your time and soak in all the history and displays. Would recommend the museum to anyone. They also have a gift shop that you can walk through and find your own little treasures.
Written February 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mako13Man
Dameron, MD598 contributions
Jan 2020
Good museum for finding out about the local history and the Native American Indians that lived here. Cute little gift shop. While we were here there was an ongoing art gallery in the first hall we visited. Looked like all the artwork was for sale. I enjoyed reading and seeing photos of the early settlers of Marco Island and the artifacts that were on display. On loan from the Smithsonian were the Marco Cat carved sculpture as well as carved masks. However, they were very difficult to see in any detail as the lighting behind the glass enclosures was very dim. Enjoyed my visit overall though.
Written February 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dotl2016
Hyannis, MA13 contributions
Feb 2020
When we arrived we were greeted by 2 very friendly ladies. They gave us all the information we needed to enjoy the museum. I expected a small museum but it is much more. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip through from the Calusa Indians to the 1920’s and 30’s. The Calusa Cat is on loan from the Smithsonian at this time. So happy that we were able to see it and all the artifacts. The timeline on the wall was really great to put the timeframe into perspective. Truly a great find. We will be visiting all of the Collier museums.
Written February 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mr. Easy
Mount Dora, FL68 contributions
Dec 2020
The story of this Island is worth knowing. Not boring at all! You have to come and learn why you're here! This Island has an interesting background and history to tell. You'll appreciate your visit soooo much more. This is a contemporary style museum with excellent displays and artifacts. Also, has nice gift shop. The best part about it, is it's free to the public. You are encouraged to make a donation of at least 5 bucks. It's well worth it! Take at least 2 hours to absorb all the different levels of time each stage of this island has gone through.
Written December 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris C
Marco Island, FL5 contributions
Jun 2021
This museum has a wonderful exhibit of Marco Island from its ancient days to today. The exhibits are very well done, information is very well written, photos are terrific and the recreations of the Calusa indian culture and lifestyle are beautifully done. It's very clever, very well laid out and easy to walk through and absorb. It has art and games, related puzzles and crafts stations for children. The interactive exhibits are beautifully done with high tech displays.
The exhibit features The Key Marco Cat, one of the finest pieces of Pre-Columbian Native American art ever discovered in North America. At only six inches tall and carved from native hardwood, the Key Marco Cat is a charismatic anthropomorphic feline statuette that has captured the public's imagination for more than a century. It's on loan from the Smithsonian to the Marco museum for two years, along with the actual masks worn by the Calusa and other artifacts from their culture.
Donations of items and information and photographs of local residents add unique and personal elements to the display.
It is an ideal place to spend and hour....or two with friends, family or on your own. You'll look at Marco Island, its surrounding environment and SW Florida in a whole new and better informed way.
And the museum gift shop has great items and art and souvenirs.
Run, don't walk, to the Marco Island Historical Museum!
The exhibit features The Key Marco Cat, one of the finest pieces of Pre-Columbian Native American art ever discovered in North America. At only six inches tall and carved from native hardwood, the Key Marco Cat is a charismatic anthropomorphic feline statuette that has captured the public's imagination for more than a century. It's on loan from the Smithsonian to the Marco museum for two years, along with the actual masks worn by the Calusa and other artifacts from their culture.
Donations of items and information and photographs of local residents add unique and personal elements to the display.
It is an ideal place to spend and hour....or two with friends, family or on your own. You'll look at Marco Island, its surrounding environment and SW Florida in a whole new and better informed way.
And the museum gift shop has great items and art and souvenirs.
Run, don't walk, to the Marco Island Historical Museum!
Written June 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DARAN
Marco Island, FL43 contributions
Nov 2021
Well worth the visit. It is Free but we left a $5.00 donation each. A small museum with a lot of bang! Impressive presentation on The Mackle Bros and development of Marco Island. Early history Barfield family, Mr. Collier and the Pineapple Plantation which once stood on Marco is well worth the tour. The Marco Cat is about four inches tall and well preserved it is there! On loan from The Smithsonian. Early Indians and how they survived is eye opening. A quick hour / hour and a half and you have a very good prospective of The Island Marco.
Written January 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CStein_11
Waukesha, WI43 contributions
Feb 2020
There's so much to do in Marco Island that sometime you might be looking for something a little quieter. Some museums can be dark and musty. Not this one! It's very clean and bright. We learned a lot just from the signage at the displays. We were surprised that it was so enjoyable. Life in the early years on Marco was pretty hard. I'm not sure the museum could hold a young child's interest though. But there are additional things to do outside on the grounds.
Written March 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Laura Z
Stevensville, MI3 contributions
Jan 2020
This museum is so well done!! Learn ancient and recent history about Marco Island. Just the perfect size indoor activity when the beach is near. They also have an art gallery that had a wonderful juried art show on display. Admission is free, we made a small donation and received some lovely cards.
There are other museums in the area: CollierMuseums.com
There are other museums in the area: CollierMuseums.com
Written January 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LMKaz
Melbourne, FL51 contributions
Dec 2020
Had no idea of the rich history of the island. The Museum features an excavated Key Marco cat and I learned how Elkcam Street got its name ( Mackle spelled backwards) from the Mackle Brothers who did major developing. Highly recommended. Free!
Written December 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alice in Naples
Naples, FL214 contributions
Apr 2022
Friends and I visited the museum after a morning at the beach. The exhibits make it easy to take in as much or as little as you wish. There's a video as well as displays about the earliest inhabitants and their artwork, the families who built the modern day community, etc. And, there's a gift shop for souvenirs. Very interesting!
Written April 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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