Visitors return to Naples Depot Museum following hurricane repairs, restoration

NAPLES, Fla. — The Naples Depot Museum has welcomed more than 1,500 visitors since reopening in January after a nearly three-year closure to repair damage from Hurricane Ian.

The historic building sat quiet for years, still standing, but closed after floodwaters damaged the front half of the museum.

“With Hurricane Ian, we got about three to three-and-a-half feet of water inside the front half of the museum,” said Lisa Marciano, the museum’s manager.

Marciano said getting the museum ready for the public again took both time and outside help.

“So with FEMA reimbursement, everything is basically like for like. A lot of the stuff is similar, but it's all brand new. We were able to do a little bit of tweaking to some exhibits,” she said.

Visitors can now explore a variety of exhibits, including early 1900s artifacts and an actual train car that lets them walk through Naples’ early history.

“There's mainly just a handful of historic structures left down here, and we're significant because this was the first passenger train depot in Naples,” Marciano said.

Marciano said the response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive.

“The community is excited, visitors are excited, so we're just happy to offer this service to the public again,” she said.

The museum is free and open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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