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.

Commissioned by the Deltona Corporation in the mid-late 1960s as promotional items for the Mackle Brothers' Marco Isla...
06/02/2026


Commissioned by the Deltona Corporation in the mid-late 1960s as promotional items for the Mackle Brothers' Marco Island community, this collection of hand-painted Delft Blue tiles was donated to the Historical Society by Jeanne Tamplin in memory of her husband, William "Bill" Tamplin. Bill established the island's first dedicated newspaper, the Marco Island Eagle, with Jane Hamlin and Raymond Henle in 1968.

The collection includes five tile designs featuring the Marco Island Yacht Club, waterfront homes with docked boats, three pelicans standing on wooden posts on a dock, and two tiles with Marco Island beach scenes.

📸: Gift of Jeanne Tamplin, in memory of William Tamplin. MIHS 2007.03.001 - 005.

You've got mail!📫Did you know that Marco Island is known for its colorful and creative mailboxes? This fun tradition ha...
06/01/2026

You've got mail!📫

Did you know that Marco Island is known for its colorful and creative mailboxes? This fun tradition has been around for decades; in fact, this recently cataloged collection of mailbox photographs was taken in the early 1990s for a Marco Island calendar project.

Along with the unique mailboxes pictured, the collection also captures other quirky shapes such as lighthouses, trains, and swans. You can view them all on our collections website at https://themihs.catalogaccess.com/.

📸: 🐷MIHS 2019-46-168, 🦜MIHS 2019-46-198, ✈MIHS 2019-46-196, 🦤MIHS 2019-46-194, 🦎MIHS 2019-46-191, 🛺MIHS 2019-46-188.

Moon Over Mt. Whitney 4Owens Valley, California2012, © Clyde Butcher Galleries"We arrived in Owens Valley, California, t...
05/29/2026

Moon Over Mt. Whitney 4
Owens Valley, California
2012, © Clyde Butcher Galleries

"We arrived in Owens Valley, California, to discover that it was a photographic treasure. All we had time for was one week of adventures in the area. Fortunately, during that time the full moon was setting over Mt. Whitney. Niki and I arrived at the location we had picked out the day before, but the moon was still too high in the sky to photograph and get any detail in the mountains. The following morning we were up again at 4:30 am to try again. This time everything was just right."

This large-scale photograph by Clyde Butcher is currently on view at the "America The Beautiful" exhibit until July 11, 2026.

Admission is always free. See you soon!

Dottie Murray Weiner was known to many on Marco Island as "Miss Dottie" and "Mother Neptune." Starting in 1972, she taug...
05/27/2026

Dottie Murray Weiner was known to many on Marco Island as "Miss Dottie" and "Mother Neptune." Starting in 1972, she taught swim lessons at the Marco Island Country Club and private pools, while working diligently to bring a public pool to Marco Island's YMCA once it was opened in 1977. She subsequently led efforts to raise funds for the YMCA pool's operation year after year with events like “Dottie’s Duck Derby." Dottie taught over 10,000 Marco Islanders to swim throughout her 40-year career (including adults).

Did you take swimming lessons from Dottie?🏊‍♀️🦆

📸: Black & white photograph of Deborah Weignmann, who, at 3 months old, became to the youngest graduate of Dottie's natation swim course in Nov. 1973 . Gift of Dottie Weiner. MIHS 2015-12-003-019.

05/25/2026

This Memorial Day, the Marco Island Historical Society pauses in solemn remembrance of the brave men and women of the United States military who gave their lives in service to our nation.

May we never forget those who gave everything for our country.

In observance of the holiday, the Marco Island Historical Society and Museum are closed. We will reopen on Tuesday, May 26th for normal business hours.

What does this word mean?🔎You can find plenty of unique names across the Sunshine State. Many city and regional names ha...
05/21/2026

What does this word mean?🔎

You can find plenty of unique names across the Sunshine State. Many city and regional names have Native American roots. For over 6,000 years, the Pensacola, Apalachee, Timucua, Tocobago, Calusa, Saturiwa, Utina, Potano, Ocale, Tequesta, Ais, Mayaca, Jororo, Chacato, and Chisca - among others - navigated, depended on, cultivated, and named Florida's landscape.

Some examples:

🍊In Seminole-Creek, Tallahassee means "old town" or "old field", and in Muscogee-Creek, it means "sun town."

🍊From the Timucuan people, we received the names Alachua, meaning "great sink," and Ocala, which is thought to mean "big hammock" or "fair land".

🍊Homosassa is a Seminole or Creek word meaning "place of many peppers" or "rivers of fishes."

🍊Okeechobee is another Seminole word meaning "big water."

Native American people and cultures continue to thrive and cultivate Florida's legacy. This World Day of Cultural Diversity, you can learn more about the Calusa people by visiting local museums such as the Marco Island Historical Museum or Mound House. Head east and visit the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum to learn more about the living history and culture of the Seminole people. The Miccosukee Indian Village also provides a great opportunity to gain insight into the unique way of life of the Miccosukee Tribe.

📸: Florida state map, 1911. MIHS 2018-2-33.

This , we're going back to May 1967!🌴A look back at "The Marco Island Newsletter" shows just how quickly the island was...
05/20/2026

This , we're going back to May 1967!🌴

A look back at "The Marco Island Newsletter" shows just how quickly the island was growing — and the exciting changes happening in the community:

🩺 Marco Island welcomed its first resident physician, Dr. Arthur A. Cox, who opened a practice at the new Marco Island Medical Clinic.

⛪ Nearly 3,000 people gathered for a beach festival and barbecue to raise funds for building a Catholic church — bringing the community together and raising over $6,000 toward a $50,000 goal.

🏝️ A five-acre site was donated for the future church, while additional sites for places of worship were already planned as part of the island’s development.

⛳ Even golf legend Gene Sarazen was making his mark — named chairman of the Marco Island Country Club’s Golf Committee and calling the island home.

📷"The Marco Island Newsletter, Volume 2, No. 3, May 1967." MIHS 2015-02-175.

🎾 Marco Island Tennis History 🎾Just one year after the opening of the Marco Beach Hotel expansion, Marco Island hosted w...
05/19/2026

🎾 Marco Island Tennis History 🎾

Just one year after the opening of the Marco Beach Hotel expansion, Marco Island hosted what would become a remarkable sporting event in 1972 — the first annual Florida Professional Men’s Singles Tennis Championships.

Played on the hotel’s six “Fast-Dri” composition courts, the tournament brought more than 40 top-ranked professional players to Marco Island and attracted over 1,000 spectators during the two-day event. Sponsored by Converse Rubber Company — yes, that Converse 👟 — the championship offered $2,000 in prize winnings, a significant purse at the time.

One of the standout stars of the tournament was Bill Higgins, Florida’s top-ranked professional at the time. Higgins dominated Division I play, defeating top competitors in straight sets throughout the event and ultimately capturing the championship title. His powerful serve-and-volley style and commanding court presence made him one of the most respected pros in Florida tennis during the early 1970s.

The event also featured former Davis Cup players, nationally ranked professionals, and some of the best senior and open division talent in the state, helping establish Marco Island as an emerging destination for premier sporting events only a year after the resort’s opening.

📷"Bill Higgins devasted opposition in Men's Division." 'The Marco Islander,' Fall 1972 issue.

In recognition of International Museum Day, we at the Marco Island Historical Society would like to thank our membership...
05/18/2026

In recognition of International Museum Day, we at the Marco Island Historical Society would like to thank our membership and the community for over 30 years of support. Museums are unique places that bridge cultures and eras, and foster dialogue through education and programs.

We are steadfast in our mission to preserve and share the history and heritage of the Marco Island area. With your help, MIHS continues to build a shared community legacy for the future by preserving the past.

On this International Day of Families, we celebrate the generations who helped shape the Marco Island community we know ...
05/15/2026

On this International Day of Families, we celebrate the generations who helped shape the Marco Island community we know today. ❤️

This photograph from the Marco Island Historical Society's collections captures the Addison family in 1963 standing behind Kelly Gantt’s Motel Marco Fishing Resort. Pictured from left to right are James “Jim” Edgar Addison, his grandmother Mildred Addison, his father James “Freddy” Frederick Addison, and his younger brother Terrance Richard Addison.

Family stories like these remind us that history is not only found in places and events — but in the memories, relationships, and everyday moments shared across generations.

📸 MIHS 2021-10-013 | Gift of Jim and Terrance Addison

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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