698 Travel Guide

Audubon House & Tropical Gardens is a 19th-century captain's house in Key West named for naturalist John James Audubon, who worked in the area. Inside hang 28 original Audubon 'Birds of America' engravings along with antique furniture; lush tropical plants fill the garden, and original outbuildings like the kitchen and washhouse survive.

Built in 1934, the Key West Aquarium is one of the oldest attractions in the Florida Keys, preserved during the Great Depression as a Federal Emergency Relief Administration project. It showcases the rich marine life of the waters around the Keys, including sharks, rays, sea turtles, tropical fish, and endemic reef species. Daily shark feedings and sea turtle encounters are the most popular programs, letting visitors watch keepers interact with these animals up close. The aquarium actively participates in sea turtle rescue and coral conservation, serving as a window into the Keys' marine ecology. The building retains its 1930s character, matching the laid-back vibe of Old Town Key West, making it ideal for families and ocean lovers.

The Key West Shipwreck Museum is a unique attraction located at the southernmost point of Florida, dedicated to showcasing the rich maritime history and treasure salvage stories of the Florida Keys. The museum centers on the Isaac Allerton, a merchant vessel that sank in 1856 near Key West and was discovered nearly 140 years later by legendary treasure hunter Mel Fisher and his team, yielding a fortune in gold and silver artifacts. Through multimedia presentations, authentic recovered artifacts, and immersive scene reconstructions, the museum vividly recreates the peril and romance of 19th-century Caribbean shipping. Visitors can climb a replica lighthouse for panoramic harbor views and listen to gripping shipwreck tales that bring this turbulent maritime era to life.

Dry Tortugas National Park lies about 110 km west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico, centred on Fort Jefferson and seven small islands. As the most remote national park in the lower 48, it is reached only by ferry or seaplane; the fort's brick corridors face a turquoise lagoon where snorkeling reveals coral and tropical fish — a truly out-of-the-way destination.

The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory is a glass-domed tropical greenhouse home to thousands of butterflies of about 50 species, plus flamingos and finches flying free. Streams, waterfalls and tropical plants create a rainforest setting where butterflies land on visitors; a chrysalis hatching room and education area complete the experience — a favourite for families and photos.

The Key West Lighthouse, located on Key West Island in Florida, is one of the most iconic historic structures on this tropical island. The current lighthouse was built in 1847, replacing the original destroyed by the 1846 hurricane, and is one of the oldest lighthouses on the US Gulf Coast. The lighthouse and its accompanying keeper's quarters have been converted into the Key West Lighthouse Museum, open to the public. Visitors can climb 88 spiral stairs to the top for panoramic views of Key West and the blue Gulf of Mexico. The museum displays the lighthouse's rich history, including stories of several keepers, most notably the legendary female keeper Barbara Mabrity, who maintained the lighthouse alone during the Civil War. This site encapsulates Key West's transformation from a maritime waypoint to a vacation destination.