10 Best Museums in Key West

Key West is a tourist destination in South Florida, known for its exuberant natural beauty, but also for the great amount of American history and culture it houses. Here you can explore several museums where vestiges of the past that have marked essential moments for the development of the city and the region are kept.

Among the best things to do in Key West, a visit to some of its museums is a must. You can learn about the history of navigation at the Sails to Rails Museum, observe and hold objects found in Spanish galleons at the Shipwreck Treasure Museum and the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, see the homes of personalities such as Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams and Henry S. Truman and much more. Here, a list of 10 of the city's best museums.

Topping the list is the Sails to Rails Museum in Key West, which is a favorite destination for tourists and caters to different age groups and preferences, so children and adults can visit and be equally delighted. In this precinct there are traces of the well-known era of navigation and the evolutionary process that took place until the emergence of the railroad.

Inside this museum you will see various exhibits with antique items and many treasures such as the silver bar found in the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha, which sank in 1922 and the model of Fort Jefferson National Park.

Another attraction you will see is a scale model of the Overseas Highway, the bridge that connects the city of Miami with 44 islands in Florida, ending in Key West.

Likewise, you will be able to participate in various immersive hands-on activities, watch video presentations on the history of railroads in the region and the history of the city itself. In short, it is an interactive and playful experience for the whole family.

Information of interest

• Price: the price to access the museum is about 14€ per person.
• Hours: from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm.

Because of its relief and geographical location, Key West is a city with a long tradition of navigation since the 16th century. During that time, many ships have been wrecked in the ocean waters, leaving with them an innumerable amount of remains and treasures. Part of these items and objects recovered from the various shipwrecks that occurred in the region is kept in the well-known Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum.

With tickets to the Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum, you will have access to a universe of relics distributed on the two floors of the structure. The place can be described as a time-traveling environment, and even its officials are dressed in period attire. In fact, this makes it an ideal destination if you are traveling to Key West with children.

Among the objects you will see in the museum is the 29-kg silver ingot found in the 1656 ship Nuestra Señora de las Maravillas. You can even hold it in your hands.

You will also see many other treasures from Spanish galleons and audiovisual exhibits about the lives of 19th century looters who risked their lives in search of treasures under the sea. Don't forget to go up to the lookout point, whose height of almost 20 meters will allow you to get a good panoramic view of the surrounding landscape.

Information of interest

• Price: the entrance fee is usually 21€ per person.
• Hours: from 9:00 to 17:00 hours.

Key West is a city with great historical value for North America and the Truman Little White House in Key West is an example of that. This place, which today is a museum, was the home of the 33rd president of the United States, Harry S. Truman. By visiting it, you will learn more about his life and government.

If you will spend 2 days in Key West or more, you should not miss this place, where you will see several personal objects of the former president. You will have access to Truman's diary, see the rooms decorated with furniture from the 50's where business meetings were held and much more.

Keep in mind that, although it was Truman who used this building the most, many other presidents and personalities (Thomas Edison, Dwight Eisenhower, Prime Minister Harold MacMilland and John F. Kennedy) stayed here, which has given it so much value that it was established as a National Historic Site in 1971.

Likewise, you can visit this place on your own or on a guided tour, for which you can join one of the best guided tours of Key West. If you choose the second option, you will be able to hear more about the life of the time when Truman stayed in the place, the challenges of his government, etc.

Information of interest

• Price: admission is from 26€ per person.
• Hours: from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm.

If you are a lover of literature, a mandatory stop on your visit to Key West is the Ernest Hemingway House. It is a characteristic Spanish colonial-style building dating from 1851 and was home to this literary man in the 1930s. You can escape the sun for a while by strolling through the garden that surrounds the house and explore the history kept inside.

The property was acquired by Ernest Hemingway in 1931, who lived there with his wife and two children. It is said that in this home the writer produced two of his greatest works: "The Old Man and the Sea" and "A Farewell to Arms". Thus, this museum gathers the traces of Hemingway's presence and elements that allow to know about his life.

This destination is one of the must-see in several excursions around the city, such is the case of the Conch Train. Regardless of the way you visit the house, you will see a variety of antique decorations, wooden furniture, fans, artwork, the writer's favorite books and much more.

You will pass through the writer's bedroom and see his bed, bathroom, desk and the room where he received his colleagues and friends. On the other hand, you will see the fishing utensils that the writer used to distract himself. It will be an experience that will take you back in time.

Information of interest

• Price: approximately 17€ per person.
• Hours: from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum was founded in 1992 and is named after treasure hunter Mel Fisher. He was dedicated to exploration for a long time and, after 16 years of searching, he made one of the most important discoveries in terms of submarines: the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha.

Thus, in the museum you will find everything related to this great find, from the process of search and exploration, to the various objects found, which are exhibited to the public in the rooms and galleries of the museum.

During the visit, you will learn about the treasure of Atocha. You will see the chests that made up the treasure, the jewels, the gold coins and the silver coins. You will also learn theories about how the galleon sank in the 17th century and the legend surrounding this collection of ancient artifacts.

Information of interest

• Price: tickets usually cost 17€ per person.
• Hours: daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

A place to learn more about the military and maritime history of Key West is the USCGC Ingham Maritime Museum. It holds a portrait of Coast Guard life in the area from about 1936 to 1988. This museum is one out of the conventional, as it is a U.S. Coast Guard cutter.

You will board the ship to explore its various spaces, such as the engine room, combat information center, radio room, captain's cabin and stateroom, and so on. You will also visit the officers' quarters and the galley where food was prepared for 150 to 200 people during wartime.

You will also take a look at the ship's war equipment, such as the gunpowder shells and their elevators, the 5-inch shells, and the imposing 5"/38 cannon, capable of reaching more than 18,000 yards and emitting 15 shots per minute.

Best of all, you can easily reach the ship's facilities. Just walk up to the Truman Waterfront and you're just steps away from the museum. So you can easily include it in an itinerary of at least 3 days in Key West.

Information of interest

• Price: the entrance fee is around 15€ per person.
• Hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

The Key West Lighthouse Museum is located in the Key West Lighthouse area, specifically in what was known as the lighthouse keeper's house. Inside you will learn the stories of the lighthouse, marine life, navigation and its keepers.

If you visit the museum, a visit to the lighthouse is almost mandatory and vice versa. Either way, you will see the antique objects in the lighthouse keeper's quarters, consisting of navigational equipment, nautical charts, newspapers and other documents from dozens of years ago. You will also see furniture from other eras, various portraits and old maps.

The experience will not be complete if you do not climb the 88 steps that make up the lighthouse to enjoy the view. You will appreciate the city at a height of approximately 19 meters, so be prepared with your camera to get incredible panoramic views and, if you make the visit at sunset, much better.

On the other hand, in case you do not know how to get around Key West, you can visit this museum and the Key West Lighthouse on the Key West tourist streetcar, as this point is usually one of the stops of this means of transport.

Information of interest

• Price: the entrance fee is usually 17€ per person.
• Hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm.

At the Key West Museum of Art and History you will find two floors full of history and works from over two centuries of human activity. You will come across art collections and historical elements from which you will learn about the history and culture of Key West and also of the southern region of the state of Florida.

The structure stands out for the reddish color of its walls and was erected in 1891, when it served as the U.S. Customs House. In 1971, the building was established as a North American historical monument and has opened its doors to an average of 500,000 visitors each year.

In its halls you will see temporary exhibits on various topics, which always have to do with marine history or present the work of local artists. However, you can also see large permanent exhibits, with a gallery on the nature of the region, another on Florida and another on the history of Key West.

It is a series of works of art and various objects, which amount to approximately 10,000. You will see various artifacts, photos, paintings, sculptures and much more. You will be greeted by a huge romantic sculpture of a sailor and a nurse, and you will come across many statues on the museum grounds, so get your camera ready to capture these art displays.

Interesting information

• Price: the entrance fee is approximately 15€ per person.
• Hours: 10:00 am to 4:30 pm.

Only by visiting Key West personally can you understand why so many characters of great historical and cultural value loved this city to the point of making a home here. American playwright Tennessee Williams is another example of what Key West awakens in its visitors, so a visit to this house museum is another of the things to do in Key West in February or any other month of the year.

Williams lived in Key West for about 40 years and in this house of yellow facade many of his traces are collected. On your tour you will see some of the writer's belongings, such as his typewriter. In addition, the place is strategically decorated with various photos and movie posters made from his works.

On the other hand, you will see a miniature model of the house itself, where it is said that the playwright finished writing one of his greatest works: A Streetcar Named Desire. You will see photos of Williams at some points in his life and audiovisual exhibits that will teach you more about him and his work.

Information of interest

• Price: admission for the general public usually costs 7.50€ per person.
• Hours: 10:00 am to 4:30 pm.

On Duval Street you will find the Oldest House Museum & Gardens Key West, an 1829 building that belonged to the Watlington family. This is a time travel experience, where you will see the interior of a typical house of the period, decorated in American Empire style , mixed with Greek and Roman elements.

It is not only the oldest house in town, but also in South Florida. Upon entering, you will hear the creak of the wooden floor and observe the various antique furnishings that survived hurricanes, fires and floods over time.

The place welcomes teachers who, on a voluntary basis, tell visitors historical facts about the house and the different owners it has had. Likewise, the space has become an epicenter for cultural events, workshops, art exhibitions and much more.

We should also mention the gardens, which are filled with native and exuberant plants, giving the house a fresh air that exudes resilience and a fusion of the past with the present. Undoubtedly, an unmissable stop when visiting Key West in December or any other time of the year.

Information of interest

• Price: general admission can cost approximately €11 per person.
• Hours: daily from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.