Key West was controlled by the Union during the Civil War, which built this small brick fortress on the Atlantic coast, but it never saw action—or indeed, was even finished. In 1950 the island historical society restored and opened it as a museum curating an overview of local history, including cigar-making, wreck-salvaging, sponge-diving, and Cuban heritage. This being Key West, the weird and wacky are also well-represented, including the story of a doctor who spent years sleeping with the corpse of his wife and a creepy larger-than-life doll named Robert, who even today some believe to be possessed (it’s on display right across from an antique horse-drawn hearse, to play up the spookiness). Other galleries display island folk artists such as Stanley “Barefoot” Papio and Mario Sanchez, the much ballyhooed local counterpart to Grandma Moses. Before leaving, head up to the roof for the sweeping view out over the ocean.