Ernest Hemingway House & Museum, Key West Florida – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Robert Hoetink
Due to its subtropical climate, Key West has constant high humidity, which makes even a quick stroll to the mailbox feel like wading through tapioca pudding.
Fortunately, Key West is bursting at the seams with interesting museums where adults and children alike may try to ward off the brain fog that descends as soon as the mercury hits 88 degrees.
Check out some of Key West’s top places to broaden your horizons if you’re new to the area or if you’re just looking for somewhere to cool off in the heat and possibly learn a few things.
Custom House Museum
281 Front St.
Throughout its history, the Key West Custom House has housed several Key West businesses, such as the island’s mail office, district courts, Navy, and port of entry processing center. Presently, it functions as the official headquarters of the Key West Art & Historical Society. One of Key West’s architectural treasures, the Richardsonian Romanesque-style Victorian building looms above the harbor with an instantly identifiable red brick façade.
Key West Lighthouse & Keeper’s Quarters Museum
938 Whitehead St.
Kwahs.org
These days, you can get a GPS system for your boat that will deliver jokes to pass the time while navigating you across the world. However, the risk of having your ship capsize in the shallow waters near Key West back in the 1800s was high enough to sustain a very successful wrecking industry (basically a legal version of finder’s keepers). The urgent requirement for a lighthouse to safely guide boats through the straits was reinforced with the creation of Key West’s naval base in 1823. Throughout its operational tenure, Key West’s lighthouse accommodated several courageous keepers and their families. Explore their possessions, ascend the 88 steps to the summit of the light, and discover how, prior to its decommissioning in 1969, this once-essential beacon protected hundreds of ships.
Residents can attend the museum for free on the first Sunday of each month, and children matriculating at a Monroe County school are entitled to free admission all year long.
Ernest Hemingway Home
907 Whitehead St.
Hemingwayhome.com
It’s possible that his literary masterpieces or his inebriated antics are what made him more famous, but one thing is certain: Papa had excellent real estate taste. See Hemingway’s Key West residence, which holds the distinction of being the first home on the island to have a swimming pool in addition to housing the author while he wrote some of his most well-known writings. The museum features a collection of Hemingway’s belongings, including the six-toed cats, and is free for locals.
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Ingham (WHEC-35) Maritime Museum & National Historic Landmark
Southard Street at the Truman Waterfront
You don’t need to be a seafarer to view this ship; it is berthed in the harbor and operates as a nonprofit museum in memory of those lost in action in Vietnam and WWII when the Coast Guard deactivated her. The vessel is the most decorated in the fleet and one of just two Treasury-class U.S. Coast Guard cutter ships that have been maintained. Currently recognized as a national landmark, the Ingham offers daily excursions and a happy hour where a $5 ticket gets you on board.
Tennessee Williams Museum
513 Truman Ave.
305-204-4527
Tennessee Williams, a playwright, lived and visited Key West from 1941 until his passing in 1983. The last draft of “Street Car Named Desire” is said to have been written by him at Key West. View an assortment of images, first edition plays and books, rare articles from newspapers and magazines, films, the author’s typewriter from Key West, and other relics. Open Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Born and raised in South Florida, Krystal is a recent graduate from the University of Miami with professional writing experience at the collegiate and national news outlet levels. She’s a foodie who loves all things travel, the beach, & visiting new places throughout Florida.