Marco Island Historical Society

Marco Island Historical Society Open Tuesday - Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Marco Island Historical Society is a non-profit 501c3 organization founded in 1994. to 4:00 p.m.
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We are dedicated to discovery, research, acquisition and preservation of the multi-faceted history of the Marco Island- Goodland region and to educating and informing the community and visitors of our dynamic heritage. Partnering with Collier County Museums, the Marco Island Historical Museum and complex was created in 2010. Collier County Museum's newest addition explores Southwest Florida's Calu

sa Indians and brings this vanished civilization to life with informative displays and an exciting recreated village. 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. Admission to the museum is FREE and open Tuesday - Saturday 9:00 a.m. The Museum Gift Shop is fully equipped with local and regional historical books, artwork, jewelry, clothing and more! The Gift Shop's is open Tuesday- Saturday 10-4. The museum complex is also home to The Rose History Auditorium.

⚙️ BEFORE THERE WAS A BRIDGE, THERE WAS A FERRY. ⚙️Long before Marco Island was connected by bridge, every automobile ar...
06/22/2026

⚙️ BEFORE THERE WAS A BRIDGE, THERE WAS A FERRY. ⚙️

Long before Marco Island was connected by bridge, every automobile arrived by way of a single-car ferry operated across the Marco River. All that remains of the ferry operation are two gears totaling 400 pounds—quietly working day after day to raise and lower the ramp that connected our island to the world.

Today, the Marco Island Historical Society has a rare opportunity to restore and display them in the Museum’s Pioneer Era gallery for future generations to experience.

Your gift will help conserve these remarkable artifacts, create a permanent exhibit, and keep this important story turning for years to come.

As a special tribute, every donor—at any level—will be recognized on an acknowledgment panel alongside the restored gears.

Join us as we gear up for a Summer of Giving and help carry Marco Island’s history forward.
To make a donation, visit: https://apps.themihs.info/summer-of-giving-donations

🎣Happy Father's Day from all of us at the Marco Island Historical Society!🎣📸: A family portrait (left to right): George ...
06/21/2026

🎣Happy Father's Day from all of us at the Marco Island Historical Society!🎣

📸: A family portrait (left to right): George Phillip Vlasuk, his grandmother, Anna Catenis, his sister, Mary Susan Vlasuk, and his father, George Vlasuk, on Marco Island. This photo was likely taken around 1964, somewhere overlooking Barfield Bay. Gift of George Vlasuk. MIHS 2021-09-001.

On June 19, 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston, Tex...
06/19/2026

On June 19, 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and declared over 250,000 enslaved Black people were free.

Juneteenth ("June Nineteenth") commemorates the emancipation of all formerly enslaved Black people and the legal end to slavery in the United States. It is a holiday for remembrance, family, and freedom.

Many African Americans in Florida celebrate Emancipation Day on May 20th, the date enslaved Black people in the state were freed in 1865. Historically, the holiday is celebrated with parades, speeches, picnics, music, dances, and church services. In Tallahassee, people would march to the City Cemetery and decorate the graves of federal soldiers with flowers.

📸: Courtesy of Collier County Museums.

✨17th Annual Children's Day at Collier County Museum, June 10, 1990.

✨Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, c. 1950s.

✨African American women's softball team, 1974.

✨Collier County Museum's Black Cultural Arts Festival, February 1991.

🏴‍☠️ Ahoy, mateys! Join us TODAY from 10 AM – 1 PM at the Marco Island Historical Museum for a pirate-filled Family Fun ...
06/19/2026

🏴‍☠️ Ahoy, mateys! Join us TODAY from 10 AM – 1 PM at the Marco Island Historical Museum for a pirate-filled Family Fun Day! Enjoy games, crafts, treasure hunting, and learn the tale of the legendary pirate Juan Gomez.

📍180 S Heathwood Drive, Marco Island

Don your pirate gear and come ready for adventure! ⚓️

This photo was taken in June 1989 from Island Club II by Elaine Sutton. This site on South Collier Blvd. would later b...
06/18/2026



This photo was taken in June 1989 from Island Club II by Elaine Sutton. This site on South Collier Blvd. would later become home to the Cape Marco Merida and Plantation condo buildings. The location provides unobstructed views of Caxambas Pass.

📸: Photograph by Elaine Sutton. MIHS 2016-01-0863.

Marco Island's local marine and estuarine resources were so abundant that the Calusa had no need for large-scale farmi...
06/17/2026

Marco Island's local marine and estuarine resources were so abundant that the Calusa had no need for large-scale farming?

What did the Calusa eat besides seafood and game? They likely kept small gardens of papaya, chili peppers, and squash, and gathered other nutrient-rich vegetarian options including coontie plants, sea grapes, grasses, prickly pears, maypop (passionflower) fruits, palmetto berries, and sabal palms. The Calusa were also known to drink a strong tea called 'cassina' made from the yaupon holly.

📷: "Calusas in Southwest Florida: Preparing a Feast" (detail) by Paul Arsenault, 2016. "Windows and Doors to History" outdoor exhibit, Marco Island Historical Museum.

Marco Island, please give a warm welcome to our Summer Intern, Maddie McAllister.😊🎉Maddie is thrilled to be spending thi...
06/16/2026

Marco Island, please give a warm welcome to our Summer Intern, Maddie McAllister.😊🎉

Maddie is thrilled to be spending this summer working at the Marco Island Historical Society! Last month, she graduated from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, where she studied English, Archives, and Asian American Studies. Starting this September, she will be moving to Boston and attending Simmons University for her Master’s in Library and Information Sciences in the hopes of pursuing a career in Archives and Museums.

Born and raised in Massachusetts, Maddie is learning so much about Florida’s rich history, and working directly with the MIHS’s collections has already proven to be an incredibly rewarding experience. During her last semester at Smith, she had the opportunity to create her own public history project–a museum exhibit about medical care in Japanese American concentration camps during World War II–and discovered her passion for making valuable historical materials accessible to the public. She is so excited to be doing that work and more at MIHS (and she can’t wait to explore the island while she’s at it!)

This summer, Maddie is working alongside the collections management team, gaining experience digitizing collections, conducting research, and assisting with inventory. Maddie will also curate and install a mini exhibit utilizing objects from MIHS's collection as a final project, which will be on view in the MIHM lobby in August.

Join the Marco Island Historical Museum for an exciting day filled with adventure and exploration on Friday, June 19, 20...
06/12/2026

Join the Marco Island Historical Museum for an exciting day filled with adventure and exploration on Friday, June 19, 2026 from 10 AM - 1 PM!

Discover the tale of the legendary pirate of the 10,000 Islands, Juan Gomez, at our exciting outdoor event!

Engage in thrilling activities such as coconut bowling and plank walking to collect pirate gold. Redeem your hard-earned coins for exciting treasures like telescopes, eyepatches, and other fantastic pirate loot. Dive into creativity with available crafting stations. This adventure awaits on the museum grounds.

Don your best pirate attire and join us for a day of swashbuckling fun and discovery!

This event is supported by Collier County Museums and the Colonial Dames of America.

This , we're going back to the days when getting stuck in the sand was just part of the adventure.🌴This circa 1942 snap...
06/11/2026

This , we're going back to the days when getting stuck in the sand was just part of the adventure.🌴

This circa 1942 snapshot of Marco Island captures a sea grape tree along the island's Gulf shore, with a hand-painted sign that read:
“In Case You Get Stuck in Sand Apply At: Marco Lodge.”

Long before asphalt roads and GPS, a little humor — and a helping hand — went a long way in old Florida’s southern reaches.

📷: Courtesy of Collier County Museums (CCM 01.6.1)

Collier County Museums

Summer Virtual Programs Kickoff!‍☀️Join us TODAY at 2:00 PM for an exciting virtual presentation featuring Dr. Carl Ziel...
06/10/2026

Summer Virtual Programs Kickoff!‍☀️

Join us TODAY at 2:00 PM for an exciting virtual presentation featuring Dr. Carl Zielonka of the Tampa Bay History Center!

Dive into the fascinating history, myths, and enduring legend of Gasparilla — Tampa’s iconic pirate celebration that has captured imaginations for more than 100 years. Discover how the story of José Gaspar blends fact, fallacy, and fantasy through tales of buried treasure, pirate invasions, and the legendary José Gasparilla pirate ship. Arrrgggh… ⚓

📍 This event is part of our Florida Talks Virtual Series, bringing Florida history directly to you from the comfort of your home.

🎟️ Register today: https://themihs.info/programs/

Address

180 S Heathwood Drive
Marco Island, FL
34145

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm
Saturday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

(239) 389-6447

Website

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