Family Things to Do in Naples, Florida That Go Beyond the Beach
The beach will always be the headliner in Naples — see our top beaches in Naples & Marco Island for that side of the story — but some of the best things to do in Naples with kids happen once you towel off. From hands-on museums to an airboat ride through the Everglades, these are the family activities that tend to become the stories your kids tell for years.
Get Hands-On, Rain or Shine
At Golisano Children's Museum of Naples (CMON), kids can climb inside a two-story banyan tree, run a pretend produce market, and journey through a mini Everglades exhibit — all under one roof in North Naples. It's an easy pick for a rainy afternoon or the hottest part of the day, and it consistently ranks as one of the most memorable kid-friendly attractions in Naples FL precisely because it isn't sand-and-sun dependent.
Just south of downtown, Naples Botanical Garden surprises a lot of first-time visitors who expect a quiet stroll for adults. The Garden's Nature Play areas let kids climb, build and explore, while a dedicated children's garden adds a butterfly house, a treehouse and a splash pad into the mix — genuinely one of the more unexpected family activities in Naples FL for anyone who assumed a botanical garden was all look-don't-touch.
Cool Off Away From the Coast
For a different kind of water day, Sun-N-Fun Lagoon inside North Collier Regional Park swaps salt water for a million gallons of clear, cool waters that can be enjoyed via a pool, lazy river and five water slides. It's a Naples parks-for-kids favorite that runs full daily hours through the summer season before shifting to weekends only in the fall — a good one to pair with a stop at CMON next door.
Meet the Wildlife
Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens remains one of the most reliable family attractions in Naples Florida, and it's packed with more than just a walk past enclosures. The Primate Expedition Cruise floats guests past islands where lemurs, monkeys and gibbons roam free of cages, while giraffe feedings, alligator feedings and wildlife shows in the open-air Safari Canyon Theater run throughout the day. Kids can get nose-to-glass with Malayan tigers, African lions and black bears in one of the largest bear habitats east of the Mississippi, plus rarely seen species like fossas and African honey badgers.
Venture Into the Everglades
For the kind of day that turns into a lasting family story, head out to Wooten's Everglades Airboat Tours in Ochopee. An airboat glide through Everglades grassland puts kids eye-to-eye with wild alligators and wading birds, and the included Animal Sanctuary adds an up-close (and much calmer) alligator encounter afterward — it's hard to beat for anyone chasing a genuine "see alligators in Florida" moment with the family. Pair it with a stop or two more from our guide to an Exhilarating Everglades Adventure to make a full day of it.
If you'd rather keep both feet on solid ground, H.P. Williams Roadside Park along Turner River Road offers a free boardwalk overlooking a canal thick with alligators, herons and turtles — no ticket required. Back in Everglades City, the Museum of the Everglades rounds out the day with a free, kid-friendly look at more than 2,000 years of local history. Both are featured in our roundup of free things to see and do across the destination.
Marco Island's Quieter Side
On Marco Island, the Marco Island Historical Museum is a free, air-conditioned stop that traces the island's Calusa roots through its development boom. The centerpiece is a life-size, walk-through recreation of a Calusa village — complete with a thatched chickee hut, a fishing weir and shell mound outside, and immersive graphic projections and interactive stations inside. It's a good option for families wanting a break from the sun without leaving the island, and kids tend to remember stepping into the village long after they've forgotten the drive over.
Make New Memories on Florida's Paradise Coast
The beach isn't going anywhere, but the stories that stick tend to come from the unexpected stops — a banyan tree climbed, an alligator spotted from an airboat, a splash pad discovered by accident. Start planning your visit and discover more family fun on Florida's Paradise Coast.