Museum of the Everglades

Escape Naples' dazzling pace of development for a day and spend a lazy afternoon exploring the history of nearby Everglades City. Once accessible only by boat, this remote frontier trading town took an ambitious new turn in 1923 as the hub of Barron Collier's personal Southwest Florida real estate empire - with a population of fewer than twelve families. First opened in 1927 as a commercial laundry, today's Museum of the Everglades dates back to a time when construction of the famous Tamiami Trail was well underway and the tiny settlement of Everglades served as the first County seat. The museum's permanent and rotating exhibits provide visitors with an in-depth look at over 2,000 years of human history in the area and tell the story of those adventurous enough - and stubborn enough - to settle Southwest Florida's lush "River of Grass." Faithfully restored to its original, 1920s Collier-era appearance, the museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is located 35 miles east of downtown Naples.