A Beautiful Life of New Discoveries
Marco Island Historical Museum
Dive into the history of Marco Island from Southwest Florida’s Calusa Indians to its beginnings as a fishing village, pineapple plantation, and clam cannery. The museum features permanent and traveling exhibits.
Marco Island Center for the Arts
Check out the latest exhibition, take an art class, or enjoy a night at the theater. Marco Island Center for the Arts has it all. Their mission is to honor Marco Island and Southwest Florida’s rich, diverse, and creative heritage.
Tigertail Beach
Known for its white-sand beach, bird-watching, and shelling, a day at Tigertail Beach is a day well spent. Bring a picnic lunch and your binoculars – the birds like to put on a show.
A Brief History of Marco Island, Florida.
The Calusa Indians were skilled woodworkers and the original inhabitants of Marco Island. Evidence suggests they settled there over 4,000 years ago. Archaeological excavations uncovered a remarkable small wooden panther-like figure they called Key Marco Cat. If you want to see the figure in person, you'll need to take a trip to the Smithsonian museums now.
Up until the Civil War, the area remained nearly uninhabited. Later settlers on the island hunted, fished, and sent surplus crops to Key West. The beautiful sand beaches sparked an interest in tourism, especially after a bridge connected Marco Island to the mainland in 1938. Today, Marco Island is a popular tourism destination for travelers looking to immerse themselves in nature, recharge, and rejuvenate.
