Key West Sights

  1. 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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  2. Dry Tortugas National Park

    After all those Keys, connected by all that convenient road, the nicest islands in the archipelago require a little extra effort. Ponce de León named them Las Tortugas - 'The Turtles' - for the sea turtles that roamed here. A lack of fresh water led sailors to add a 'dry.' Today the 'Dry Tortugas' are a national park under the control of the Everglades National Park office, only accessible by boat or plane.

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  3. East Martello Tower

    The East Martello Tower is home to Robert the haunted doll, the inspiration for all those Chucky movies. (He's in a glass case to keep him from doing mischief to the rest of the museum.)

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  4. Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center

    So: you've been making your way down the Keys, visiting all these lovely state parks and nature reserves, thinking, 'Gosh, could there be a place that ties all the knowledge of this unique ecological phenomenon into one fun, well-put-together educational exhibit?' Ok, maybe those weren't your exact thoughts, but this is exactly what you get at the excellent Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center, which does a marvelous job of filling in all the wild details of the natural Keys.

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  5. Fort Zachary Taylor Beach

    If you're coming to Key West for its beaches, don't. They range from rocky to algae-covered to funny-smelling. You'll find infinitely better just about everywhere else in Florida. That said, Fort Zachary Taylor, at the western end of Southard St, is a good beach for sunsets and picnics and it's worth the admission to enjoy the white sand and relative calm.

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  6. Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park

    Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park 'America's Southernmost State Park' (we get it, Keys Chamber of Commerce - Key West is southern), this park is oft-neglected by authorities and visitors, which is a shame as it's a nice place to while away a quiet afternoon. The actual fort's walls are still standing, and within the compound those most-blessed of nerds - historical re-enactors - put on costumes and act out scenes from Civil War and pirate days.

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  7. 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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  8. 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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  9. Higgs Beach

    Higgs Beach is at the end of Reynolds St and Casa Marina Ct. It has barbecue grills, picnic tables and a big crowd of gay sunbathers and Key West's Eastern European seasonal workforce.

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  10. Key West Aquarium

    Key West Aquarium is the perfect place to spend some time, especially if you have kids in tow. Built between 1932 and 1934 during the Great Depression the Key West Aquarium was one of the first and largest open air aquariums at the time.

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  11. Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservancy

    Bring the kids, now. This vast domed conservatory lets you stroll through a magic garden of flowering plants, colorful birds and up to 1800 fluttering butterflies, all live imports from around the globe.

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  12. 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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  13. 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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  14. Key West Shipwreck Historeum Museum

    The Key West Shipwreck Historeum Museum is a bit more lively than the Wreckers' Museum, with a cast of actors taking you back to 1856, when the Isaac Allerton was destroyed by a hurricane in the Saddlebunch Keys.

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  15. 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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  16. Mallory Square

    On an island this small, you have to work pretty hard to avoid the over-the-top tourist action at Mallory Square at the northwestern end of Duval St. Near where the cruise ships vomit out their daily load, it's hardly the real Key West, but their nightly sunset celebration is a fun ritual to indulge in, however briefly, with jugglers, fire-eaters and street performers of every stripe.

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  17. Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum

    The Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum presents an impressive amount of artifacts salvaged by Fisher in 1985, along with a world map showing shipping routes taken by the Spanish ships he discovered.

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  18. Museum of Art & History at the Customs House

    There is art at the end of the road, and you'll find the best at this museum, which is worth a look-see if only for its gorgeous home - the grand Customs House, long abandoned until its impressive renovation in the '90s. Actually, this place is worth a look-see for any number of reasons, including a permanent display of massive portraits, Who Is Key West ? by painter Paul Collins, and some of the best showcases of international (particularly Caribbean) art in the region.

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  19. 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.

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  20. Office of the Secretary General of the Conch Republic

    Here you can see all manner of CR crap.

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  21. Pirate Soul

    A new museum dedicated to all things swashbuckling, Pirate Soul has an impressive collection of authentic pirate paraphernalia, glammed up with special effects that make it either exciting or a little cheesy, depending on your perspective.

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  22. Smathers Beach

    Smathers Beach is further east than the other city beaches, off S Roosevelt Blvd, and is more popular with jet skiers, parasailers, teens and college students.

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  23. South Beach

    Key West is not about beach-going. In fact, for true sun n surf, locals go to Bahia Honda whenever possible. Still, South Beach is a lovely and narrow beach, with calm and clear water. At the end of Simonton St.

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  24. Southernmost Point

    There's no way we're going to dissuade you from having your picture taken at this red-and-black buoy at the corner of South and Whitehead Sts, which isn't even the southernmost point (that's in the off-limits naval base around the corner). But we'll say it anyways: this is the most overrated attraction in Key West.

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  25. The Studios of Key West

    This new non-profit showcases about a dozen artists' studios in a gallery space located in the old Armory building that includes a lovely sculpture garden. Besides its public visual arts displays, TSKW hosts readings by local authors like Robert Stone, literary and visual workshops, concerts, lectures and community discussion groups.

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