Veterans History Museum Celebrates
Published on October 14, 2025
Veterans History Museum Celebrates New Name, New Location, Revamped Exhibits at Veterans Day Grand Opening
*Media tours, interviews and live shots of exhibition available by request*
NAPLES, Fla. (October 2025) — The Veterans History Museum (formerly America’s Military and 1st Responders Museum) will celebrate its new location, new name, and revamped exhibits with a Grand Opening on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2025, at 11am. All are invited to the celebration, which will include a ribbon cutting, speeches, and veteran-led tours.
Now located at 3331 Tamiami Trail E, Naples, FL 34112, the Veterans History Museum’s new home has been graciously donated by Collier County and can be found within the Government Center off Airport Road and Tamiami Trail E, inside the County Museum Building. Curated and installed by Melanie Dellas, CEO of Muse Curatorial Consulting Group, the new Museum exhibits offer compelling stories of our country’s veterans through specially curated military artifacts from the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and the Korean, Vietnam, and Gulf wars.
Previously housed at the Naples Airport — which was originally built by the Army Corps of Engineers during WWII to train pilots for the Pacific theater — the museum continues its mission of honoring service members through rich historical displays and firsthand accounts. At the new Museum, visitors can explore hundreds of historical objects dating from 1775 to the present. Artifacts such as printed materials (letters, books, drawings and posters), weapons, uniforms, medals, ribbons and models were curated specifically to tell our veterans’ stories through thoughtful displays and signage. The Museum’s docents are
veterans who offer visitors a special look into each war, each object, and what it meant and felt like to live each day in a war.
The Museum will also begin to host educational programming for schools, lectures, book signings, movie days, and more within its new space. And area residents and out-of-town visitors can expect rotating displays throughout the year within the main Exhibit Hall and the back Gallery.
Museum admission is free, and incudes access to the new 2,000 square-foot exhibit space, which features a rare collection of artifacts such as an original Betsy Ross American flag, a WWII pigeon carrier bicycle modified by Harley Davidson, a Bible that stopped a bullet from killing an Army Chaplain, WWI horse gas masks, and so much more!
The Museum is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10am-4pm (closed on federal holidays).
Find out more about the Museum, events and programming at the new website: www.VeteransHistoryMuseum.org.
Also follow the Museum on social media:
Facebook and Instagram: @VeteransHistoryMuseum
X: @VHMuseum
About the Museum
Our Mission: To honor and preserve the legacy of the brave men and women who served or are still serving in our nation’s military by maintaining a community museum that preserves and protects artifacts donated by veterans and their families. To foster a deep appreciation for their sacrifices, resilience, and commitment to protecting and serving our country by offering educational opportunities, exhibits, and interactive experiences within the Naples, Florida community.
Veterans History Museum is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. You can make an online donation to the museum in memory or honor of a veteran by using the secure form found on our website.
About Muse Curatorial Consulting Group
Muse Curatorial Consulting Group provides exhibit curation and installation services, collections management, archival and registrar services, and artifact conservation to museums and private collectors around the country working with a tight budget or a tight timeframe. We help large and small collectors determine what their needs are and provide quality assistance to their teams. For more information, visit www.MuseCuratorial.com.
Contact: Melanie Dellas, CEO, (858) 442-7916, mdellas@musecuratorial.com