Things To Do in Key West
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Key West Attractions
Key West's greenest attraction, the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center, opened in early 2007. Overlooking the waterfront at the Truman Annex (35 E. Quay Rd., tel. 305/809-4750), the Center features 6,000 square feet of interactive exhibits depicting Florida Keys underwater and upland habitats -- with emphasis on the ecosystem of North America's only living contiguous barrier coral reef, which parallels the Keys. Kids dig the interactive yellow submarine while adults seem to get into the cinematic depiction of an underwater abyss. Free admission. Open 9am to 4pm daily except Sunday and Monday.
Before shelling out big bucks for any of the dozens of worthwhile attractions in Key West, I recommend getting an overview on either of the two comprehensive island tours, the Conch Tour Train or the Old Town Trolley. There are simply too many attractions and historic houses to list. I've highlighted my favorites below, but I encourage you to seek out others.
Going, Going, Gone: Where to Catch the Famous Key West Sunset
A tradition in Key West, the Sunset Celebration can be relaxing or overwhelming, depending on your vantage point. If you're in town, you must check out this ritual at least once. Every evening, locals and visitors gather at the docks behind Mallory Square (at the westernmost end of Whitehead St.) to celebrate the day gone by. Secure a spot on the docks early to experience the carnival of portrait artists, acrobats, food vendors, animal acts, and other performers trading on the island's bohemian image. But the carnival atmosphere isn't for everyone: In season, the crowd can be overwhelming, especially when the cruise ships are in port. Also, hold on to your bags and wallets, as the tight crowds make Mallory Square at sunset prime pickpocket territory.
A more refined choice is the Westin's Sunset Deck (tel. 305/294-4000), a luxurious second-floor bar on Front Street, right next door to Mallory Square. From the civilized calm of a casual bar, you can look down on the mayhem with a drink in hand.
Also near the Mallory madness is the bar at the Ocean Key Resort, at the very tip of Duval Street (tel. 800/328-9815 or 305/296-7701). This long open-air pier serves drinks and decent bar food against a dramatic pink-and-yellow-streaked sky.
For the very best potent cocktails and great bar food on an outside patio or enclosed lounge, try Pier House Resort and Caribbean Spa's Havana Docks, 1 Duval St. (tel. 305/296-4600). There's usually live music and a lively gathering of visitors enjoying this island's bounty. The bar is right on the water and makes a prime sunset-viewing spot.
A Great Escape
Many people complain that Key West's quirky, quaint panache has been lost to the vulture of capitalism, evidenced by the glut of T-shirt shops and tacky bars. But that's not entirely so. For a quiet respite, visit the Key West Tropical Forest Botanical Gardens (tel. 305/296-1504; www.keywestbotanicalgarden.org), a little-known slice of serenity tucked between the Aqueduct Authority plant and the Key West Golf Course. The 11-acre gardens -- maintained by volunteers and funded by donations -- contain the last hardwood hammock in Key West, plus a colorful representation of wildflowers, butterflies, and birds. Over 60 endangered botanical species are alive and well here. A genetically cloned tree is one of the many sites at "the only frost-free tropical moist garden in the continental United States." Located at Botanical Garden Way and College Road, Stock Island. Free admission but a donation of $5 per adult, $4 per child (12 to 18) is suggested. Open daily from 8am to sunset. Follow College Road; then turn right just past Bayshore Manor.
14 Results
- Historic Site
Audubon House & Tropical Gardens
A manse built by one of the many rich shipwreck salvagers on the island, it’s a kind of museum of that period, named after iconic painter and naturalist John James Audubon, who paid a visit to the house and included its flora in his work during an 1832 research trip. A number of… - Historic Site
Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum
Papa may have been a rolling stone, but this genteel, two-story limestone manse and grounds built in 1851 was as close as it got to home. He spent most of the 1930s here, the decade in which most of his best-known works were written ((including For Whom the Bell Tolls, A Farewell to… - Museum
Fort East Martello Museum and Gallery
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… - Historic Site
Harry S Truman Little White House
It may not jump to mind as readily as other Key West associations, but the U.S. Navy has been a big presence here for nearly 2 centuries. The naval station, now known as the Truman Annex, was thrust into the public eye when U.S. President Truman made the former commandant’s quarters… - Zoo/Aquarium
Key West Aquarium
There’s something I find endearing about this very old-fashioned little aquarium at water’s edge, founded in 1934. Although it’s not big, high-tech, or flashy, with shark tunnels and killer whale shows, it just may end up charming you with its well-designed, informative exhibits… - Natural Attraction
Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory
This 13,000-square-foot pavilion will get nature lovers flitting with excitement, thanks to the 5,000-square-foot, glass-enclosed butterfly aviary as well as a gallery, learning center (with exhibits and a film), and gift shop exploring all aspects of the butterfly world. In the… - Cemetery
Key West Cemetery
This cemetery is the epitome of quirky Key West: irreverent and humorous. Many tombs are stacked several high, condominium-style, because the rocky soil made digging 6 feet under nearly impossible for early settlers. Epitaphs reflect residents’ lighthearted attitudes toward life and… - Museum
Key West Lighthouse & Keeper’s Quarters Museum
Ships and shipping were the lifeblood of Key West for most of its history, so for more than a century after it was built in 1848 (replacing one built in 1825 but swept away by a hurricane), this 86-foot-tall white tower was one of the island’s more important buildings, guiding… - Museum
Key West Museum of Art and History at the Custom House
Built in 1891 to house both the government’s customs office and postal service and courts, this imposing four-story red-brick landmark alongside Mallory Square made an early mark as the site of inquiry into the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana harbor, which led the United States… - Museum
Key West’s Shipwreck Treasure Museum
Shipwreck salvaging was the source of Key West’s first great boom in the early to mid-19th century, so although this slick multimedia bit of business has a certain theme-park feel to it, if you’re curious about the phenomenon, and that era in general, this is probably the single most… - Museum
Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum
The name Mel Fisher ring any bells? In 1985, after 16 years of trying, a team led by this chicken-farmer-turned-dive-operator-turned-treasure hunter bagged one of the biggest prizes in treasure-hunting history: the wreck of the Spanish galleon Our Lady of Atocha, which sank off the… - Historic Site
Oldest House Museum & Garden
Dating from 1829, this old New England Bahama House has survived pirates, hurricanes, fires, warfare, and economic ups and downs. The one-and-a-half-story home was designed by a ship’s carpenter and incorporates many features from maritime architecture, including portholes and a… - Historic Site
San Carlos Institute
As the closest bit of the United States to Cuba, 90 miles south, this island has had a history intertwined with that of the Latin island since at least the 1870s, when Cubans arrived after fleeing fallout from uprisings against colonial ruler Spain. Founded in 1871 as a center of… - Museum
Tennessee Williams Museum
Some say Williams finished the final draft of A Streetcar Named Desire in 1947 while staying at the La Concha Hotel here. Whatever the truth is, this giant of 20th century theater visited and lived in Key West from 1941 until his death in 1983. In 1950, he bought a house at 1431…
More About Key West Attractions
Key West Shopping
At Mallory Square, you’ll find the Clinton Square Market, an overly air-conditioned mall of kiosks and stalls housed in an old US Navy customs building and designed for the many cruise ship passengers who never venture beyond this supercommercial zone. Beyond the high-priced hat and shoe shops, the real reason to head here is for its free and clean restroom.
Once the main industry of Key West, cigar making is enjoying renewed success at the handful of factories that survived the slow years. Though you will no longer find viejitos (little old men) rolling fat stogies in the streets just as they used to do in their homeland across the Florida Straits, the Original Key West Cigar Factory, 1075 Duval St. (tel. 305/998-9141) has an excellent selection of imported and locally rolled smokes. Also consider booking the 10:30 am or 1:30pm tour at Rodriguez Cigar Factory, 113 Fitzpatrick St. (tel. 305/296-0167), where you’ll learn about the family’s history in Key West as cigar makers dating back to 1831, and watch them prepare, wrap, construct, and roll. Cost is $35 for the 90 minute tour which includes a cigar and Cuban espresso.
Remember, buying or selling Cuban-made cigars is illegal. Shops advertising “Cuban cigars” are usually referring to domestic cigars made from tobacco grown from seeds that were brought from Cuba decades ago. To be fair, though, many premium cigars today are grown from Cuban seed tobacco but in Latin America and other areas of the Caribbean.
If you’re looking for local or Caribbean art, you’ll find nearly a dozen galleries and shops on Duval Street between Catherine and Fleming streets. There are also some excellent shops on the side streets. One worth seeking out is the Haitian Art Co., 1100 Truman Ave. (tel. 305/296-8932), where you can browse through room upon room of original paintings from well-known and obscure Haitian artists, in a range of prices from a few dollars to a few thousand.
Literature and music buffs will appreciate the many bookshops and record stores on the island. Key West Island Bookstore, 513 Fleming St. (tel. 305/294-2904), carries new, used, and rare books, and specializes in fiction by residents of the Keys, including Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, Shel Silverstein, Ann Beattie, Richard Wilbur, and John Hersey. The bookstore is 10am to 8pm Monday through Saturday and noon to 6pm on Sunday.
For a glimpse of a literary legend or two, check out the small, but cozy and comprehensive Books & Books @ The Studios, 533 Eaton St., (tel. 305/320-0208), a branch of Miami’s lauded, beloved indie bookstore that was co-founded by a local whose name you may recognize: Judy Blume. She’s often working behind the counter here.
Key West Nightlife
Duval Street is the Bourbon Street of Florida. Amid the tacky T-shirt shops, you’ll find bar after bar serving neon-colored frozen drinks to revelers who bounce from bar to bar from noon to dawn. If you want to join the throngs, start at Truman Avenue and head up Duval. Cover charges are rare, except in LGBTQIA+ clubs, so stop into a dozen and see which you like. Key West is a late-night town, and most bars and clubs don’t close until around 3 or 4am.
The Gay Scene
Key West’s live-and-let-live atmosphere extends to its thriving and quirky LGBTQIA+ community. Before and after Tennessee Williams, Key West has provided the perfect backdrop to a gay scene unlike that of many large urban areas. Seamlessly blended with the prevailing culture, there is no “gay ghetto” in Key West, where the whole place is fabulous.In Key West, the best music and dancing can be found at the predominantly LGBTQIA+ clubs. While many of the area’s other hot spots are geared toward tourists who like to imbibe, these clubs are for those who want to rave, queer or not. Covers vary, but are rarely more than $20.
Two popular adjacent late-night spots are the 801 Bourbon Bar/One Saloon (801 Duval St. and 504 Petronia St.; tel. 305/294-4737 or 305/294-4727;), featuring great drag and lots more disco. While a mixed crowd comes for the drag shows, a mostly male clientele frequents bar from noon to 4am. Another Duval Street favorite is Aqua, 711 Duval St. (tel. 305/294-0555), where you might catch drag queens belting out torch songs or judges voting on the best package in the wet-jockey-shorts contest.
Sunday nights are fun at La-Te-Da, proper name: La Terraza de Martí, 1125 Duval St. (tel. 305/296-6706), the former Key West home of Cuban exile José Martí. This is a great spot to gather poolside for the best martini in town—don’t bother with the food. Upstairs is the Crystal Room (📞 305/296-6706), with a high-caliber cabaret performance featuring the popular Randy Roberts, who does a fabulous Cher, Bette Midler and more, in winter.
- Bars & Pubs
Captain Tony’s Saloon
Just around the corner from Duval’s beaten path, this smoky old bar is about as authentic as it gets. It comes complete with old-time regulars who remember the island before cruise ships; they say Hemingway drank, caroused, and even wrote here. The late owner, Capt. Tony Tarracino,… - Bars & Pubs
Cowboy Bill’s Honky Tonk Saloon
[“]The southernmost honkytonk in the USA” features indoor and outdoor bars, pool, darts, video games, 12 TVs, line dancing, tricycle races, live music, and the Keys’ only mechanical bull (kicking Tues–Sat 10pm–2am, plus a special “sexy” bull-riding competition Wed at 11pm). Watch or… - Bars & Pubs
Sloppy Joe’s
You’ll have to stop in here just to say you did. Scholars and drunks debate whether this is the same Sloppy Joe’s that Hemingway wrote about, but there’s no argument that this classic bar’s early-20th-century wooden ceiling and cracked-tile floors are Key West originals. There’s live… - Bars & Pubs
The Green Parrot Bar
A landmark since 1890, the Green Parrot is a locals’ favorite, featuring stiff drinks, salty drinkers, and topnotch live music, from bluegrass and country to Afro-punk.
