A state park that has hiking and bike trails. There is a lot of history within the park. There are…read moredifferent areas of the park that highlight the history, like memorials and such. This is a place where a lot of people do camp. It was nice to explore. You definitely need bug spray.

This State Park does a good job of dotting the " i's " and crossing the " t's ". There's hiking…read moretrails, camping, fishing, kayaking / canoeing, a pavilion, picnic tables, kiddies playground, and some interesting historical items. Admission is $5.00 per vehicle (maximum of 8 people), or $2.00 per person (pedestrians or bicyclists). I was on my motorcycle so I fell in the top category. I rode to the boat launch area first. This was a nice place to launch a boat or kayak. It was a protected bay like area. There was a floating boat dock nearby where one could fish from. In the same area as the boat launch was the hiking trail. It was closed (the park employee at the entrance had already told me) probably because of Hurricane Ian damages? Also the picnic and playground area was in this area. here. Restrooms are on site too. The next stop I visited while in the park was the historic Bay City Walking Dredge No. 489. This feat of engineering was used in the 1920's to help build the Tamiami Trail through the Florida Everglades. From the information provided, "Built in Bay City Michigan, this walking dredge followed the drilling and blasting rigs, averaging 80 feet per 10 hour shift. Dynamite was used to blast the limestone into small enough chunks for the dredge to lift." The road was completed, finally linking Tampa to Miami in 1928, with the help of this machine. For the mechanical and engineering nerds (like me), you'll want to see and read about this. Ha! I had a good time here and recommend you check this place out. I am going with 4 stars because the hiking trail was closed and the canoe rental cabin where one could also buy drinks was closed. Hopefully these will open in the near future.

Had a nice gig playing drums at Cambier Park on a Monday evening. Great music and a great audience!read more

Cambier Park in Naples is a wonderful park and playground area for the kids. It is close to all…read morethe downtown shopping and restaurants. There outdoor venues with concerts, plays, show and other community events.

I've always remembered this little cemetery as I was born in Naples, and have been here my entire…read morelife. But, it's been decades since I have walked through here. I remember my mom explaining to me when I was a kid that this cemetery was for original settlers of Naples. It's still in great shape, and looks like it has regular visitors as there were flowers on every grave when I visited. Some of the markers have no visible lettering, so must've been worn away over time and replaced with just a new stone. Definitely an interesting piece of Naples history, and as a native of our beautiful town, I'm glad that I made the time to give my thanks and respects to those who came here long before me to establish this beautiful place I call home.

Located in literally the parking lot of a CVS is the historic Rosemary Cemetery. Some of the people…read moreburied here were originally buried at a cemetery at the corner of 3rd Street South and 10th Avenue South St. near St. Ann's Catholic Church in old Naples. As Naples became developed in the 1930's it was decided that the bodies should be moved to the outskirts of town. The Rosemary Cemetery Corp. was formed to find a suitable location for the new cemetery and a 20 acre plot was donated by Edward W. Crayton, president of the Naples Improvement Company. The name of the cemetery was taken from the highly scented rosemary bushes that once grew here. It is believed that Naples earliest settlers are buried here including John and Madison Weeks, Naples first permanent settlers. The cemetery opened in 1931 and the last known interment was in 1947. It had to be closed because the high water table caused some of the caskets to pop up back out of the ground during rainy season. It is believed that approximately 20 people remain here but who they are is a mystery because some of the headstones are no longer legible. The cemetery is listed as Unit B on a 1944 map that lists the graves in the area. In 1943 when the city registered the cemetery it listed over a hundred graves. What happened to those graves is unknown. Hurricane Donna destroyed the cemetery records in 1960. This was the only cemetery in Naples until Naples memorial Gardens opened in 1955. What was once the outskirts of town is now a major road and an empty lot is now a CVS parking lot. A historical marker was added to the cemetery in 1993. The next year the Collier County Museums restored the cemetery and added marble headstones. The city held a formal re-dedication ceremony of the cemetery on November 27, 1994. If you didn't now this cemetery was here it would be easy to drive past it. Once you pull in to the CVS parking however you can't miss it. The gate is left open so you can come by to visit the Naples pioneers.

The Bonita Springs Historical Society stewards the McSwain Home in Downtown Bonita Springs,…read moreFlorida. Events include speaker series, author series, historic walks and garden tours of their Florida friendly garden plants and pollinators gardens.

The Bonita Springs Historical Society is a non profit founded in 1984 by a small group of local…read moreresidents who wished to preserve the landmarks, artifacts, and historical stories of Bonita Springs for future generations. The historical society promotes local history through events, educational programs, teas, socials, and community events. They will even schedule custom group tours and events. Walking historical tours include information about the Calusa Native Americans who once lived in this area, native plants and ecology of Island Park, the 1920s-era Lilas Hotel, the 1921 Bonita Springs Elementary School, and the Castner house bungalow. A $10 donation is suggested for tours. Dates for 2024 tours have not been announced yet. The Bonita Springs Historical Society owns the historic McSwain home built by Joseph and Elizabeth McSwain from Osyka, Missouri in1915. The McSwain's built their wood family home on a dirt road called Heitman Avenue, which later became part of the Tamiami Trail. At the time the house was built Bonita Springs didn't even exist, the area was called Survey because it was a camp of government surveyors in the 1870s. At the time the house was built it was so far out in the wilderness that this section of road between Naples and Ft. Myers was not even able to be traveled by car for the next two years. The city was renamed Bonita Springs in the early 20th century, to attract residents who became interested in the area by a boom in citrus grove planting. In the 1970's, the home was purchased by Hudon and artist Ann Humphries. In 2011 the couple bequeathed the home to the historical society who had to restore the house from the ground up. Hurricane Irma did further damage before restoration was complete. By 2019 the historical society was fully able to open the restored home and use it as an event center to raise funds for the historical society and as a meeting place for local organizations. Historic walking tours are also able to view the home. The societies efforts to safeguard the town's architectural heritage contribute significantly to the community's sense of identity and character. Bonita Springs offers several yearly heritage events, including the city-sponsored Celebrate Bonita festival and the Bonita Springs Historical Society annual history walking tour. In addition, the historical society provides a pamphlet for a self-guided tour of the city's historic sites and conducts outreach to the local elementary school, offering private history tours and presentations. From its early days as a settlement to its growth as a vibrant community, the historical society preserves the challenges and triumphs that have shaped Bonita Springs over the years. The society's commitment to preserving and sharing the heritage of Bonita Springs is evident in every aspect of their well-curated exhibits and engaging programs.

Kathy gave an amazing historical overview of Naples and the Palm Cottage. Debra's warm welcome was…read moregenuine and we connected with her immediately. Kathy had a historical knowledge of The Palm Cottage and her presentation brought history to life. We are so happy that we met both Debra and Kathy. Shortly before we left, we met a 3rd member of the historical society team. They were all informative and were pleasant to talk to. We have shared our experience with others and we will mosvisit again. Nate and Ingrid

The Naples Historical Society is a non profit that was formed in 1962 to preserve the history of…read moreNaples for "future generations to enjoy". The Naples Historical Society is also the steward of the Naples Historical Society Foundation, Inc. which raises funds for historical preservation. The headquarters of the Naples Historical Society is the Historic Palm Cottage which is the oldest house in Naples. The 3,500 sq ft house was built in 1895 to be used as a summer cottage by Walter N. Haldeman, the owner and editor of the Louisville, Kentucky Courier Journal and Times. The house has now been turned into a museum. On May 24, 1982, Palm Cottage was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Tours are given of the house and educational programs are staged there. The Naples Historical Society purchased the 1/2 acre lot next to the house and turned it into a cottage garden that can be rented for events. Administration and archives is held at another historic property, a house built in 1910 that is a half block from Palm Cottage. Some of the programs the Naples Historical Society implements are the Naples History Tours, Christmas at Palm Cottage, Garden Side Chickee Chats, fund raising events, and guest speakers. Palm Cottage is currently closed due to the pandemic but I still enjoyed paying it a visit. I had to make my own history tour but I look forward to coming back to take the Naples Historical Society's downtown history tour that includes the cottage. Anyone who is interested in history will want to avail themselves of the excellent programs provided by the historical society.

Please sign the Change.org petition to keep the Vanderbilt Beach Library open! This library is an…read moreintegral part of our community, it provides a safe space for our children to learn and grow with a friendly, helpful staff that truly cares. Their 2024 Summer Reading Program was #3 out of 10 Collier County libraries. Their Book Discussion Group has been popular for 25 years. Please sign & share the petition: https://www.change.org/p/save-vanderbilt-beach-library?source_location=search

Love this location. Walking distance to the beach and a park. Great children's room. Friendly and…read morehelpful staff.

Staff, book selection and Adult Events.! Events haven't come…read moreback to pre-Covid numbers. I miss them

It's a gem of a library hidden in our corner of Naples. Great talks are held, the library staff are…read morevery helpful and there is plenty of parking.

I came to Collier County Courthouse to do my civil duty and serve as a juror. I put the address in…read moremy google maps and followed them. It promptly took me to the jail. After walking to towards the jail I kept thinking this can't be right. I knew I wanted at least a five story building. I started asking where it was and the answers were kind of funny. First you go left than take two rights and then a left. Who the hell can remember that direction. Turns out i was almost on top the building when I asked again and the directions I was given took me all around the building to the entrance. If I was given correct directions I would been there in like two minutes.OK I found it. You go through tight security which is fine with me. Then woosh up an elevator to the 5th floor. I signed in and filled out some forms. And I sat and sat and sat. There were 4 total calls for jurors and I was never called. By 2:15 I was pretty sure I was not going to be called along with the 20 other people who did not get called. We were dismissed at 3:30 and did not have to come back. One funny incident somebody called in and said they were not coming back(wasn't me). So we had to take roll call THREE times. They found what was believed to be the missing juror. They called her work and said she was not there. Well guess what they called her she did not answer but was there and an argument proceeded. This threw the official off her game. In Collier County once you turn 70 you can be excused from jury duty for good. My next summons will be I am over 70.

These are the most crooked folks ever. They do not do their jobs properly, they avoid providing…read moreany records because it would show the level of corruption rotting in that system, from the judges to the clerks. Its cronyism.