Showing 1-7 of 7 results
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Casa Antigua
This was technically Hemingway's first house in Key West and the spot where he wrote A Farewell to Arms , but it isn't all that notable except for a lush garden in the back and one of the kitschiest 'guided tours' in America.
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Hemingway House
Key West's biggest darling, Ernest Hemingway, lived in this gorgeous Spanish-colonial house from 1931 to 1940. Poppa moved here in his early 30s with wife No 2, a Vogue fashion editor and (former) friend of wife No 1. The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber and The Green Hills of Africa were produced here.
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Heritage House
Of all the many historic Key West homes open to visitors, this Caribbean-Colonial house is among the most wonderful to walk through. That's because it's rarely crowded, has passionate guides, and contains original furnishings and antiques, from a piano from the court of Marie Antoinette to a set of dining chairs from the 1600s. All have been collected and preserved by seven generations of a local family.
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Key West Cemetery
A darkly alluring gothic labyrinth beckons incongruously at the center of this pastel town. Built in 1847, the cemetery crowns Solares Hill, the highest point on the island (with an elevation of all of 16ft/4.9m). Some of the oldest families in the Keys rest in peace here. With body space at a premium, the mausoleums stand practically shoulder to shoulder. Island quirkiness penetrates the gloom: seashells and green macramé adorn headstones with inscriptions like, I told you I was sick.
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Key West Lighthouse
You can climb up 88 steps to the top of the Key West Lighthouse, built in 1846, for a decent view. But honestly, it's just as enjoyable to gaze up at the tower from the leafy street below.
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Little White House
President Harry S Truman (The one who came after Franklin Roosevelt? Marshall Plan? Helped start the Cold War? Never mind...) used to vacation at the Little White House, which is as lushly luxurious as you'd expect, and open only for guided tours (though the two rooms of the Harry S Truman Annex, with displays on political and presidential trivia, are free). Plenty of Truman's possessions are scattered about, but the real draw is the guides, who are intensely intelligent, quirky and helpful.
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Nancy Forrester's Secret Garden
Choose this gem of a garden over the more touted gardens, as it truly feels secret and far-removed from the more raucous goings-on in town. Nancy, who lives on the property, invites you to bring lunch (but no cell phones!) into her oasis of lush palms, orchids and chatty caged parrots and macaws.
Showing 1-7 of 7 results
