Key West: Museums, Lighthouse and Marine Life

Key West combines impressive history with special experiences centered around the lighthouse, marine life and historic buildings. Those planning a trip with children can bring together very different interests here: At the Hemingway Home & Museum, literary history and the famous cats take center stage, while the Key West Aquarium offers insights into the underwater world. When choosing a holiday apartment or holiday home, the key consideration is therefore which combination of culture, nature and exceptional sightseeing you want to shape your trip.

Historic places with very different stories

The Hemingway Home & Museum offers tours lasting 20 to 30 minutes, starting every 15 minutes. Several cats live on the grounds, descended from Ernest Hemingway's original six-toed cat, Snow White. In addition to its literary connection, the visit therefore offers an unusual, living detail that is particularly interesting for travelers who want to learn about historical figures through more than just exhibitions.

At the Key West Lighthouse & Keeper's Quarters, you can climb 88 steps to the top of the lighthouse. The museum also allows you to explore belongings, photographs and accounts of the lighthouse keepers and their families. A special option is the Lighthouse Sunset Experience: Weather permitting, it provides 90 minutes of exclusive access to the grounds, museum and tower during sunset.

The Custom House also tells several chapters of Key West's history. The building opened in April 1891 and housed the Key West customs offices, the district court and the post office. Following the completion of restoration work in 1999, the Key West Art & Historical Society reopened the building as the Key West Museum of Art & History. Today, the museum is open Monday to Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; the last admission is at 4:30 p.m.

From Civil War history to tropical gardens

The Fort East Martello Museum is open Monday to Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with last admission at 4:30 p.m. The collection includes Civil War relics. The museum also conveys the history of shipwreck salvage and cigar manufacturing in Key West. This makes it possible to tailor a visit to historical interests without limiting yourself to just one era or topic.

The West Martello Towers offer a different focus: The site dates from the Civil War era and features secluded tropical gardens. Those who want to combine historic sites with a more tranquil landscape when planning their trip will find an independent sightseeing opportunity here. The range of attractions suggests allowing sufficient room in your accommodation search for several types of excursions.

Marine life and special tours

The Key West Aquarium's 50,000-gallon Atlantic Shores aquarium is home to nurse sharks, tarpon, groupers and crevally. There is also a tour featuring four rescued sea turtles. It explains the rescue stories and care of Rocky, Lola, Spike and Hector. These two offerings have different focuses: The large aquarium showcases various marine animals, while the turtle tour centers on individual animals and their stories.

The Truman Little White House offers a tour of Florida's only presidential museum. At the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, a behind-the-scenes tour takes place twice daily from Monday to Sunday. Such tour formats are suitable for trip planning in which, alongside museum tours, insights into specific stories and collections also play a role.

More places for planning your trip

If you would like to compare other destinations in addition to Key West, you can continue your research with Tavernier, Marathon, Little Torch Key, Key Colony Beach, Islamorada, Duck Key, Stock Island or Summerland Key. For Key West itself, you can then choose the right holiday apartment based on whether you want your days to be shaped primarily by museums, special tours, tropical landscapes or marine life.

For the overarching travel overview: Monroe.