Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Naples (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Waterside Shops, Palm Cottage, and Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens. Also, be sure to include Naples Players in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Naples (Florida).
Table of Contents
Waterside Shops
Mall in North Naples, Florida. Waterside Shops is an open-air mall located on Tamiami Trail in Pelican Bay, Florida, just to the north of Naples, Florida. Opened in 1992, the mall features Saks Fifth Avenue as the anchor tenant. The mall opened with 85% of its retail space leased. Since 2003, the mall has been managed by the Southfield, Michigan-based Forbes Company, which also operates several other upscale malls in Michigan and Florida. Its open-air concourses feature waterfalls and landscaping. Some of the more popular stores the mall has are Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Tesla, Rolex, and among others.
In May 2020, it was revealed that Nordstrom would be closing this location permanently as part of a plan to close 16 locations nationwide. This will leave Saks Fifth Avenue as the only anchor store left. Von Maur may replace the vacant spot.[1]
Address: 5415 Tamiami Trail N, 34108 Naples (North Naples)
Palm Cottage
Museum in Naples, Florida. The Naples Historical Society's Historic Palm Cottage is a historic home in Naples, Florida. It is located in the Naples Historic District.
The antiques filled cottage, is a rare example of tabby mortar construction. The Historic Palm Cottage is Naples oldest house (1895) and is proudly maintained by the Naples Historical Society and is located at 137 12th Avenue South,(at Gulfshore Blvd.) a block East of Naples Pier. On May 24, 1982, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
It was the summer cottage of the Louisville, Ky Courier Journal and Times then owner/editor, Walter N. Haldeman. Other Louisvillians owned homes in the area in this era.
The house is owned and operated as a museum by the Naples Historical Society. The house has been decorated to reflect the early 1900s, and include the adjacent Norris Gardens, which feature five distinct themed areas and both the garden and house are open for docent guided tours Tuesdays through Saturdays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. More information at: http:www.napleshistoricalsociety.org/[2]
Address: 137 12th Avenue South, 34106 Naples (Naples)
Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens
Gator feeding and boat ride to see monkeys. The Naples Zoo is a 43-acre zoo and historic botanical garden. The first plantings were done by botanist and ornithologist Dr. Henry Nehrling in 1919. The gardens were neglected after Nehrling's death in 1929. In the 1950s, Julius Fleischmann added new plantings, created lakes and a pathway, and introduced parrots and waterfowl and opened as Caribbean Gardens in 1954. After his passing in 1968, the exotic animals were introduced in 1969 by Larry and Jane Tetzlaff, aka Jungle Larry and Safari Jane.
The zoo has about 70 species, though not all of these are on display at any given time. The main path is about a mile long, and winds past the main animal exhibits through the tropical garden first planted in 1919. Primates in the zoo are housed on islands in one of the lakes created by Fleischmann, and can be viewed from guided catamarans when visitors take the Primate Expedition Cruise.
The zoo is nationally accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), and is an institutional member of the American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK). The garden itself is accredited by The Moreton Register of Arboreta and is a member of the American Public Garden Association and the Association of Zoological Horticulture. It is also a designated historic site by Collier County.[3]
Address: 1590 Goodlette-Frank Rd, 34102-5260 Naples (Central Naples)
Naples Players
Theatre company. The Naples Players is a nationally recognized community theatre company located in Naples, Florida. The company was founded on January 19, 1953 and performs in the Sugden Community Theatre at 701 5th Avenue South in downtown Naples. It has been named the "Best Live Theatre" in Southwest Florida fifteen times by the readers poll of The Naples Daily News.[4]
Address: 701 5th Ave S, 34102-6662 Naples (Naples)
Naples City Dock
Sailing, Marina
Address: 880 12th Ave S, 34102-7324 Naples (Naples)
The Baker Museum
Museum in North Naples, Florida. The Baker Museum is part of Artis—Naples, a multidisciplinary organization that also is the home of the Naples Philharmonic, located at 5833 Pelican Bay Boulevard, Naples, Florida. The museum, opened in 2000, houses a diverse collection of art in a three-story, 30,000-square-foot facility. The permanent collection includes works of American modernism, 20th-century Mexican art, sculpture and 3-dimensional art. In addition to the permanent collection, the museum hosts traveling exhibits throughout the year. The Baker Museum also houses the Sisters Reading Room, which contains the Saldukas Family Foundation library collection.[5]
Address: 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, 34108 Naples (North Naples)
Park Shore Marina
Boat tours, Boat rental, Tours, Outdoor activities, Bridge
Address: 4310 Gulf Shore Blvd N, 34103-3449 Naples (Naples)
Vanderbilt Beach
Vanderbilt Beach is an unincorporated community in Collier County, Florida, United States. It is located north of the Pelican Bay census-designated place and west of Naples Park, along the Gulf of Mexico. Vanderbilt Beach is 9 miles north of the center of Naples. Vanderbilt Beach shares the ZIP code 34108 with Naples Park and North Naples.[6]
Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Rookery Bay Reserve protects 110,000 acres of coastal lands and waters at the northern end of the Ten Thousand Islands on the gulf coast of Florida, Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve represents one of the few remaining undisturbed mangrove estuaries in North America.
The Rookery Bay and Ten Thousand Islands ecosystem is a prime example of a nearly pristine subtropical mangrove forested estuary. Rookery Bay Reserve is located in the West Florida subregion of the West Indian Biogeographic Region.[7]
Address: 300 Tower Rd, 34113-8031 Naples (South Naples)
SOUTH BAY MARINA
Sailing, Fishing charters and tours, Boat rental, Tours, Marina, Outdoor activities
Address: 179 Southbay Dr, 34108-2306 Naples (North Naples)
Salt Cave
Nature, Cave, Thermal spa, Spa
Address: 4962 Tamiami Trl N, 34103-2808 Naples (Central Naples)