Naples, FL is known for high end shopping, fine dining and, of course, beaches. But did you know the city also has some great museums to check out?

Here are some of the best museums in Naples, worth spending an afternoon...or even a day.

The Baker Museum

One of the best fine arts museums in Florida, the Baker Museum offers fifteen galleries as well as hosting multiple traveling exhibitions. Some of the displays come from the permanent collection, which is absolutely amazing. You can also attend a variety of lectures and artist talks. 

The Revs Institute

If you are at all interested in cars, the Revs Institute needs to be on your list. It's more than just a collection of cars...the cars at the Revs Institute represent remarkable advances in technology for their time...or advances in technology (such as the Citroen Sahara with its two engines) that proved to be less than useful dead ends.

Also, every single car in their collection still runs! Because of the extensive climate control and other systems designed to keep the cars in good condition without having to put them behind glass, admissions are limited. One of the best ways to experience it is through a guided tour, which can also include the car workshop.

Naples Depot Museum

Yes, transportation is a theme here. The Naples Depot Museum is the old Seaboard Air Line Railway passenger station, located downtown and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The exhibits take you back to the roaring twenties and further, showing how Naples was transformed from a quiet village to a glittering resort. There are permanent exhibits (including a Seminole dugout canoe) and temporary exhibitions.

Next door is the Naples Train Museum, which is a great place to take the kids or grandkids. It has an outdoor train ride and a huge interactive model train display. (Or a great place to take the kids or grandkids as an excuse to play with the model trains yourself).

Palm Cottage

The oldest surviving house in Naples, Palm Cottage has been restored to its original 1895 state. Self-guided or docent-led tours of the 3,500 square foot, tabby mortar home are available. The house is surrounded by wonderful gardens. It's also a stop on walking tours through the Naples Historic District, which are also well worth checking out.

The very best time to see Palm Cottage, though, is Christmas. Through the month of December, the Palm Cottage will be dressed up in period-appropriate, elegant decorations for heartwarming seasonal tours.

Collier Museum at Government Center

If you just want to know about the history of Naples and Collier County, head downtown to the Collier Museum. The museum covers the history of the area from when the first humans to make it to Florida hunted Mastodons, all the way through the pioneer history. The museum is located on a five acre site that is perfect for picnicking and also contains gardens of native plants, a 1910 steam logging locomotive, a World War II Sherman tank and other interesting outdoor exhibits.

These are only a few of the interesting museums and cultural exhibits in Naples and the surrounding area. For residents, the ever-changing exhibits make these museums worth returning to over and over again.

To find out why you should choose Naples, FL, contact Mediterra today.