**if you have a cat allergies SKIP THIS you will be miserable. All other people this is one of the…read morebest experiences on key west. Full stop When visiting Key West this is a MUST DO. The staff are all so friendly. they keep it infomral so it's not stuffly or rehersed. In our tour group there about 15 people. 4 of whuch were kids and our guide tailored it to them which both sweet and adorable. He also mentioned multiple times that if we wnated a different experance to stick aorund for the next tour. So from tour to tour you'll get a completely different experiace and infomation which is not typical and definatly a more interesting experiance (I do a lot of antique and historically signifaicnt home tours lol) The cats are amazon. Most are very used to people and are happy for some gental and respictful attention. Please if you are visiting, be respectful of the rules and don't pick htem up. If one jumps in your laslp thats fine but don't pick them up on your own. Pets and belly rubs and photos and ear scratches al welcome. We saw margarita glasses being used a water bowls an have implented this at our house now. I could have spent all day here and if we ever return to Key West we'll be back as I;m sure the experience will be different.

When we planned to come to Key West, this was the first item on my bucket list. And it did not…read moredisappoint. After paying to get in, we did a little tour on our own. Mostly my wife looking at the cats and trying to get their attention. We had a cat, they do whatever they want when they want to. At a given time, we came back to the front for the house and garden tour. It was very informative and it lasted about 30 minutes. It does include some very steep stair climbing but well worth the visit. I was not aware of the whole cat thing but it was an interesting story on why and how they got there. But to see where Hemingway, certainly one of America's best writers, lived was a very cool thing to do.... in this heat and humidity :)

The museum was lovely! Getting the tickets was a simple procedure. Gentleman in the front was…read morefriendly and kind. Inside it was gorgeous! When you first walk in, it's kind of like you're being transported to the 18th century and you're on a beautiful ship. Very informative as well, all sorts of treasure to learn about! The view at the very top was the cherry-on-top, literally! Stunning. I highly recommend, both kids and adults!

This was a nice stop on our recent trip to the keys. It is a smaller museum (we were probably there…read more30-45 minutes) but it's packed with lots of treasure to look at and things to learn about shipwrecks. At the end you get to go out to their watch tower which has a nice view. It's right next to an aquarium and some other things to do so it's definitely worth adding it in if you're planning a trip!

You get incredible views of Key West from on top of the lighthouse. It is an exhausting 88 steps up…read morebut the view is well worth it. It started to thunder and lightning while we were aloft. That was scary/interesting. The museum and gift shop are nice.

the only lighthouse in USA entirely within city limits…read more Visitors can climb 88 iron steps, explore the restored Keeper's Quarters, and view maritime artifacts. Originally built in 1825, the current structure was completed in 1848 and raised in 1894 to reach 100 feet. The view from the top is considered one of the best in Key West. One of the highest points in Old Town, the lighthouse offers unmatched panoramic views and the chance to enjoy Key West's legendary sunset in peaceful privacy; far from the crowded Mallory Square

On vacation at the keys and the wifey and I stopped at butterfly world !…read more Absolutely loved the vibes I was able to buy a butterfly to take home and walk thru a beautiful garden filled with butterflies, birds and turtles Price was super cheap to enter the garden and the butterflies you can buy to take home was ehhh on the price but worth it since it goes to the butterflies and animals. Everyone was very nice. Would recommend if you have kids or have a gf like mine who enjoys all type of animals

This was a short but sweet stop in key west. We were looking for something to kill time and this…read morewas a good way to kill 30 minutes or so. They do let you come back all day, we didn't end up doing that but it was a nice option. I was amazed at the number of butterflies in this place! It is a pretty short walk through the inside but it was gorgeous with them flying everywhere. There was lots of information around for you to read up on. It was pretty crowded the day we went but there were a few seats you could stop at. It was pretty expensive but worth doing once.

The cool thing about this museum is that Mel Fisher displays artifacts from two ship wrecks that he…read morediscovered in the keys. There is scuba video of the discoveries that gives the viewer a realistic feel. One discovery, in 1972, was the slave ship Henrietta Marie which sailed in the 1690s and later. In the ship ruins were found several items like shackles and elephant tusks. It wrecked in the western keys. The other discovery was in the 1980s of a Spanish wreck that contained half a billion in gold and silver treasure. Lots of silver coins and gold bars are on display. Both Florida and the Federal Government tried to own the riches but Mel Fisher won in court. The Supreme Court said "finders keepers".

Happy International Museum Day! Here's a brief review of one of the museums I visited on my cruise…read morein March 2026. Although a bit overpriced ($17.50 for adults) for the size and scope of this museum, Mel Fisher's Maritime Museum in Key West, Florida is an important stop for those interested in maritime archaeology and shipwrecks. This museum, which opened in 2000 in a historic building, focuses on the artifacts from a few 17th-century shipwrecks, especially on the historic find of the Spanish galleon ship, the Nuestra Senora de Atocha which sunk off the Florida Keys in 1622. The history behind the ship, the wreck, and its discovery are all incredible so do a deep dive on your own. As for the museum part of it, the exhibits are pretty permanent - this isn't the kind of place with rotating exhibits - and they could use a dusting/refresh. The gift shop up front is decent, the staff were nice, and the section that focused on the slave ship, Henrietta Marie was a sobering at the cruel treatment and conditions human beings subjected to other human beings. I had a good visit, spending about an hour here in all, and was pleased to have crossed it off my very long list of museums I want to visit!

This was my favorite touristy tours we took while visiting Key West. I learned a lot about the area…read moreand President Truman. I was very impressed with the restored home and real lived in items as historic pieces on display. They still have more work to keep this museum going and protected, but it can be done. They also had a nice gift shop, with great tour guides. Bravo!

From 1946 through 1952, President Harry Truman used this house as his winter vacation home, and…read morebecause he spent 175 days of his presidency here, it became known as the Little White House. Originally built by the U.S. Navy in 1890, the Little White House served as naval command headquarters during the Spanish-American War, and also played roles in both World Wars and the Cold War. Since Truman's days, many other presidents have also vacationed here, including Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. Today, the Little White House has been restored and turned into a museum. Also, don't forget to check the famous limousine while you are there. The only way to see inside the Truman Little White House in Key West is via a guided tour. But there is a small section near the gift shop that is free for visitors.

We were in Key West during a cold snap. The high on this particular day was only in the 50's so we…read morewere looking for some indoor activites as opposed to water or beach activities. The Art and Historical Society is housed in a historic buidling that has served a variety of uses in the past - including serving as the island's customs office, a post office, courthouse and the U S Navy. This four-story architectural marvel was built to be a prominent structure near the water in order to collect customs. After the Navy moved out, it was vacant for a number of years until it was acquired by the Art and Historical Society which completed an extensive, multi-year renovation of the building. Seeing the building itself is worth a visit but the museum includes a wealth of art and history of the Key West are that shoudn't be missed. Allow at least 2 hours.

Located in Mallory Square, this museum depicts the paths of citizens of the southernmost town when…read moreit was the richest and largest city in Florida in the 19th century. Here we see local, national and even international exhibits of art and history. I enjoyed drawings of Ernest Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea. There are 59 drawings on the walls from the 1st to the 3rd floor. Open daily from 10-4:30 pm. Elsewhere I wasn't super impressed. Admission charge 13.00 and less for kids. Self guided.

This self-guided museum may be of interest to a die-hard Williams fan, but for the casual visitor,…read moreit was a bit lackluster. Mostly old playbills and reviews. I was also interested to know that the paintings displayed of Williams' were just prints. The originals are in the Custom House Museum.

"I've always depended on the kindness of strangers", one of Tennessee Williams' more famous lines,…read moremay be relevant to the Yelp experience as well. Useful reviews and kind compliments sent by complete strangers? I'll take that any day! OK now more about the museum itself: The Tennessee Williams Museum is a bright modern (circa 2021) space dedicated to the life and literary works of the famous playwright. The small building houses an impressive collection of material ranging from prints of TW's paintings, first edition books, playbills, videos of his interviews and a model of his home in Key West. Admittedly I'm a major fan, but the place would probably appeal to just about anyone with some interest in Key West's colorful history. Admission is reasonable ($7 for adults and $5 for seniors), with discounts available for pre-booking on the museum website. Friendly helpful staff member allowed me to linger a good long while with no hassle. The gift shop has some great finds as well. A unique and wonderful place all around.

John and Dan are both knowledgeable, and personable salesmen on some amazing treasures that have…read morehistory, and the experience you add to that history in buying a piece of it. They have selections for most any price point (seriously, you don't need a private helicopter to buy here) that carry substantiation of their legitimacy. Even better, they offer a 5% military/veteran discount. So go get a memory that won't take up tons of space, ships easily, and actually appreciates in value. You won't regret just visiting the store, as it's better than many museums that would actually charge you for admission. Looking is free :)

A fun store to explore on Duval Street in Key West. The staff knows the history of the wrecks and…read morethe efforts to find the loot over the centuries. The wrecks were found some time ago, but are still being salvaged. Many interesting pieces from the wrecks for sale, coins, jewels, too expensive for my taste. Silver is silver, not a very nostalgic guy! LOL Worth the time to stop by and hear the adventure of the discovery...

Ever since we moved to Florida, we've wanted to come down to Key West and take a picture with this…read morelandmark! My husband is originally from Northern Maine, so we've basically been to both ends of the highway now! There really isn't a ton to do here itself. It's mainly a tourist landmark for grabbing that iconic photo, with a place nearby to grab a drink. But I think it's a really cool stop for what it is! If you're visiting Key West, you might as well stop, snap the picture, and say you've been to the Southernmost Point!

A trip to Key West is not complete without visiting this iconic place.. we went on a weekend and…read morethat too in the afternoon, it was one of the worst waits we ever had.. took us about 45 minutes in the long queue.. that too in scotching heat !! Kids were annoyed with the wait times in the heat ! They took pics of us and used ChatGPT and Claude to just put this in the background and it was so real ! As parents we still waited 45 plus minutes just to get the same pic they got with Claude every family was taking its own time . Sometimes a family of 10 take group pic and everyone in the family also takes solo pictures... we were like - "come on. " .. if you plan to go better go after sunset or before 9 AM... I'm not sure if it is really worth waiting in hot sun to take a pic with this !