Marco Island Historical Museum

Marco Island Historical Museum

Marco Island Historical Museum
4.5
Speciality MuseumsHistory Museums
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
Closed
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
Sunday
Closed
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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  • Beth P
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Delightful Museum Experience at the Marco Island Historical Museum!
    This is a must see while visiting Marco Island! And it is FREE admission! The displays are all well done, well labeled and all appear to be brand new. There is a display of the history of Golf on the island including a tiny 3 hole mini golf where you can fill out your scorecard and get a stamp at the end of your visit. Other great displays include information about the Calusa Indians, early pioneers and families to inhabit Marco Island, the Cushing Archaeological Dig that uncovered 2,500 artifacts of the Calusa, including the Key Matco Cat that is currently on display. The museum also has an amazing gift shop. I loved the postcards that they have, not your normal touristy postcards. This was a fun little museum that would interest kids and adults alike!
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written February 21, 2024
  • Suzanne J
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Interesting overview of Marco Island through Time
    This small museum houses a wealth of information which is very well presented and gives excellent insight to a multitude of cultures that have impacted Marco Island. I have forgotten the name of the woman who assited us on Wednesday, 9.25.2024 (beautiful wavy blonde hair) but her recommendations and explainations of how the museum was set up prior to entry was very helpful. My boyfriend had wanted to see all the artwork on the outside of the museum prior to entry and I was glad that he suggested it as it gave us a previewed timeline of what we were to see inside. We spent about 2 hours and enjoyed all of it. Exceeded our expectations. Thank you to all the sponsors, voluteers and paid employees at this location - job well done! Highly recommend. (sj- Fort Lauderdale, FL)
    Visited September 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written September 27, 2024
  • FarAway635148
    Casselberry, Florida50 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth the trip! It’s free so make a donation
    I appreciate the dedication of people to restore (artifacts and boat), return (cat statue), and preserve history; especially when the truth is difficult to take in. Staff was friendly and helpful. It was easy to spend 2 hours reading most of the materials and appreciating the local art.
    Visited December 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written December 28, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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
4.5 of 5 bubbles498 reviews
Excellent
363
Very good
113
Average
18
Poor
1
Terrible
3

K Langlais
Neenah, WI3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2021 • Family
Very interesting history about Marco Island and the native Caluso and Muspa Indians. The Marco cat is so unique and an interesting piece of Marco Island history. The gift shop had a number of reasonably priced items, some from local artisans. The glass sculptures were especially reasonable in price, and make for great souvenirs. The museum is free. Great activity for when you need a break from the mid-day sun or if it rains.
Written March 28, 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.

Janet B
North Tonawanda, NY62 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Family
You will not want to miss this little gem on Marco Island. Beautifully done with the layout and exhibits. So interesting to learn the rich history and archaeology of Marco Island. So unexpected and glad we found this place. My fifteen-year-old grandson enjoyed it too. There was no entrance fee when we visited but donations are accepted. Highly recommend this museum.
Written July 14, 2023
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.

Marilyn O
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023
What a beautiful and well-done museum! And it's free...but please make a donation! Staff was so helpful, and the exhibits are very informative about the full history of this island. Who knew that there were inhabitants here at the same time the pyramids were being built??
So worth the visit! I strongly recommend.
Written March 31, 2023
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.

atropicalsnorkeler
Madison, WI57 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023 • Couples
I’ve gone to the museum for a few years during prior visits and always enjoyed the experience. This time, I went with my anthropologist fiancé and he shed a different light on the museum. A lot of the museum is white washed, including several references to Christianity as a historical timeline. One of the first exhibits had a diorama of a Mac book made out of paper. It was weird and cheapened the methodology of collecting artifacts.
Written March 2, 2023
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
5.0 of 5 bubbles
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.

Alice in Naples
Naples, FL214 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
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.

Chris C
Marco Island, FL5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
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!
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.

mr. Easy
Mount Dora, FL67 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
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.

Greg S
Loveland, CO53 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021
This museum has a great presentation of the history and development of Marco Island. The diorama's and archeological presentations were top notch. The flow through the displays was good, although sometimes lacking clarity in where to next.
Written October 19, 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.

Joyce F
Sarasota, FL61 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Friends
I grew up in Washington DC and visit the Smithsonian museums there at least once a year when I return to visit my family. I am also a social/cultural anthropologist all this to say that I did not expected to be wowed but I was by the Marco Island Historical Museum! We were fortunate to be there when the “cat” was on site. The natural and native history displays were Smithsonian national Museum caliber. We found ourselves reading every display in the
Pre-European encounter section and spending more time than we expected in this gem.
Written January 24, 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.

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Marco Island Historical Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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