Rainy Day Naples & Marco Island Activities

You’ve spent months planning for your perfect Southwest Florida beach vacation and have finally arrived in Naples or Marco Island the only problem, is it’s raining. As much as we can prep for a relaxing vacation at the beach,  sometimes the weather has other things in store for us. Don’t worry though, that’s where this guide comes in!

Here are my top picks for what to do when the weather just won’t cooperate with your outdoor plans.

Top picks for what to do in Naples and Marco Island, Florida when the weather just won’t cooperate with your family beach vacation plans. | Must Do Visitor Guides, MustDo.com

Explore a Museum

Check out the Collier County Museum to see Naples history come alive! Learn about the unique history of Southwest Florida from prehistoric saber-toothed cats, Calusa and Seminole tribes, to early Florida pioneers and 1920s residents. While there, you can also visit the Naples Depot Museum housed in a former railroad station to learn about local transportation through the years.

Learn about the unique history of Southwest Florida from prehistoric saber-toothed cats, Calusa and Seminole tribes, to early Florida pioneers and 1920s residents at the Collier Museum in Naples, Florida. |MustDo.com

Photo credit Nita Ettinger

Learn about the unique history of Southwest Florida from prehistoric saber-toothed cats, Calusa and Seminole tribes, to early Florida pioneers and 1920s residents at the Collier Museum in Naples, Florida. | MustDo.com

Photo credit Debi Pittman Wilkey

Other area museums include the Marco Island Historical Museum, the Museum of the Everglades, and the Immokalee Pioneer Museum at Robert Ranch. Admission is free to all Collier County museums.

Another great option is the Holocaust Museum & Education Center of Southwest Florida. This thoughtful collection of World War II and Holocaust exhibits was originally created by a group of middle school students and teachers. Take a docent-led tour or explore on your own with an audio-tour. One of the museum’s highlights is a railway boxcar built in Austria in 1919.

If you are looking for a museum specifically designed for your kids, head to the Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples (C’MON). This kid-centered museum features 12 interactive play exhibits and is fully accessible to all. Don’t forget to stop by the Garden Café and the museum store. Photo by Mary Carol Fitzgerald | MustDo.com

Photo credit Mary Carol Fitzgerald

If you are looking for a museum specifically designed for your kids, head to the Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples (C’MON). This kid-centered museum features 12 interactive play exhibits and is fully accessible to all. Don’t forget to stop by the Garden Café and the museum store.

If you are looking for a museum specifically designed for your kids, head to the Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples (C’MON). This kid-centered museum features 12 interactive play exhibits and is fully accessible to all. Don’t forget to stop by the Garden Café and the museum store. Photo by Mary Carol Fitzgerald | MustDo.com

Photo credit Mary Carol Fitzgerald

Enjoy a Feature Film and Popcorn

If you are on Marco Island, check out family owned Marco Movies, a three-screen cinema and draft house. Enjoy a full food menu, movie theater classics, beer, and wine while taking in popular first-run movies. If you are staying in Naples then Silverspot Cinema is the place to be! Silverspot is an upscale movie theater with a full food and alcohol menu and super comfy oversized chairs.

If you are on Marco Island, check out family owned Marco Movies, a three-screen cinema and draft house. Enjoy a full food menu, movie theater classics, beer, and wine while taking in popular first-run movies. Photo by Mary Carol Fitzgerald | MustDo.com

Photo credit Mary Carol Fitzgerald

The converted fishing hub Tin City is a great stop on a rainy day. Walk through the maze of 30 shops, restaurants, and attractions. All the shops are locally owned and stock unique souvenirs and treasures. Photo by Jennifer Brinkman. | MustDo.com

Photo credit Jennifer Brinkman

Shop ‘till you Drop!

The converted fishing hub Tin City is a great stop on a rainy day. Walk through the maze of 30 shops, restaurants, and attractions. All the shops are locally owned and stock unique souvenirs and treasures. For more information about Tin City’s history and how to spend time there, check out this Tin City feature blog article.

The converted fishing hub Tin City is a great stop on a rainy day. Walk through the maze of 30 shops, restaurants, and attractions. All the shops are locally owned and stock unique souvenirs and treasures. Photo by Jennifer Brinkman. | MustDo.com

Photo credit Jennifer Brinkman

The converted fishing hub Tin City is a great stop on a rainy day. Walk through the maze of 30 shops, restaurants, and attractions. All the shops are locally owned and stock unique souvenirs and treasures. Photo by Jennifer Brinkman. | MustDo.com

Photo credit Jennifer Brinkman

The upscale stores at the Waterside Shops also provide a good spot for some retail therapy. This beautiful open-air shopping mall offers valet parking so you won’t have to trek through the rain from your car.

Naples Sightseeing Tour

A Naples Trolley Tour allows you to explore Naples despite the rain! The narrated tour stops at 17 places across town and allows you to hop-on-hop-off at any point. You can also sit back and enjoy the ride which takes approximately 2 hours to complete. The tours run daily from 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. with the last tour departing at 3:00 p.m.

A Naples Trolley Tour allows you to explore Naples despite the rain! The narrated tour stops at 17 places across town and allows you to hop-on-hop-off at any point. You can also sit back and enjoy the ride which takes approximately 2 hours to complete. Photo by Jennifer Brinkman | MustDo.com

Photo credit Jennifer Brinkman

However you decide to spend your rainy day in Naples or Marco Island, you’ll be sure to have a blast–the afternoon summer rain showers will pass and the sunshine state’s sunny days will return!

Written by: Laurén Ettinger | Author Website

Laurén Ettinger runs the travel and vanlife blog Flit Float Fly Away where she shares travel tips and stories from life on the road with her dog. She is the Assistant Editor at Siesta Publications for Must Do Visitor Guides where she manages social media, writes blog articles, and assists in editing print and online copy. Laurén also works as a freelance copy editor and proofreader. She holds a M.S. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University's School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution and a B.A. in Anthropology and a B.A. in Global Studies from Appalachian State University. Follow her adventures on instagram or her blog www.flitfloatflyaway.com