Key West Florida Points Of Interest And Things To Do

Key West, Florida Points Of Interest – Like other vacation venues in Florida, Key West offers plenty of ways to enjoy its coastal beaches, including sailing, snorkeling, and kayaking tours, and various clean coasts. But beyond its outdoor scenes, Key West lays claim to some curious artifacts. Once the choice vacation getaway for Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, and President Harry S.

Key West is known for its sunsets, which draw tourists from everywhere in the U.S. and beyond. Several famous writers have called the island home, including Hemingway, Frost, and Williams. Key West continues to draw in artists today with its Bohemian and tolerant atmosphere. Plan some time here with our list of the highest attractions in Key West.

Find Key West, Florida Points Of Interest

Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory

Visitors to the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory have the unique opportunity to wander among quite fifty species of butterflies within the natural garden habitat of a glass conservatory. Additionally, to the colorful butterflies, there are quite 20 species of exotic birds that reside here, making a visit to the conservatory a very special experience. The training Center provides visitors with an academic film about the life cycle of butterflies, and they also have exhibits that specify the stages intimately, as well as a live caterpillar viewing area, where you’ll see real butterflies browsing their transformations. This is often a well-liked tourist attraction for nature-lovers as well as families.

The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum

The next Key West, Florida Points Of Interest are the Hemingway Home and Museum. It’s one of the highest Key West, Florida attractions, maybe a beautiful Spanish Colonial style mansion built in 1851 from rock native to the world. Hemingway and his wife, Pauline, first moved here in 1931 when Pauline’s rich uncle Gus bought the house for them. The house still features the Hemingways’ effects and unique European antiques they collected during their many trips.

Dry Tortugas National Park

Dry Tortugas Park is an archipelago of seven reef islands located around 65 miles southwest of Key West. They were so named by explorer Ponce de Leon thanks to the number of turtles (Tortuga meaning turtle in Spanish) found on the islands. The “dry” part was added later, pertaining to the shortage of water on the islands. One among them, Garden Key, is home to the 19th-century Fort Jefferson, which was built by the U.S. government to guard and control the Gulf of Mexico shipping channel. The fort operated as a jail for Union deserters during the war and also housed Dr. Samuel Mudd, who was arrested as a co-conspirator in Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. In 1992, George Bush changed the status of the location from the Fort Jefferson memorial to the present park, travel by the National Park Service.

Mallory Square (Key West, Florida, Point of Interest)

Located on Wall Street in Key West’s historic Old Town, Mallory Square is a waterfront plaza just west of Duval Street. The square faces west towards the Gulf of Mexico, and because of this convenient location, its “Sunset Celebration” is one of the foremost popular things to see and experience in Key West.

If you’re wondering what to try to to in Key West, Florida today, this is often an excellent place to start out exploring. Every evening, about two hours before the sun begins to set, many tourists gather here to observe the gorgeous sunset and to enjoy exhibits of arts and crafts, taste what the food vendors have to offer, and see street performers like clowns, jugglers, magicians, and native musicians. This tradition began in the 1960s, and therefore, the fun parties that the world is legendary for still happen every day.

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Duval Street

The next Key West, Florida Points Of Interest are Duval Street. It is vital West’s main tourist strip, with restaurants and shops designed to entertain tourists and cruise liner passengers. This is often the place to start, or perhaps end, each day of sightseeing. Historic homes and a few of the city’s hottest tourist attractions are often found along Duval Street, which stretches from Mallory Square to the Southernmost Point marker. This area is additionally host to many events and festivals throughout the year, the foremost famous of which is the Hemingway Days Festival, held each summer. Other highlights within the area include Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditorium and the mecca of everything lime, Kermit’s Lime Pie Shop.

Tourists can get an honest overview of the world and its history on the Conch Tour Train, which visits Duval Street, as well as Old Town, Hemingway’s House, and the waterfront area. This 90-minute narrated tour offers perspective on the railroad days, the Depression, and WWII, as they relate to Key West.

Harry S. Truman Little White House

The Harry S. Truman Little White House started its life in 1890 as the headquarters of the command of the naval station during the Spanish-American War. It served an equivalent function during both world wars. In 1946, the building became President Harry S. Truman’s winter White House. Later presidents used it as an area to rest and unwind, particularly during tense situations, just like the conflict.

While the home is still employed by the country’s leaders as a retreat and a business venue, it’s also a museum hospitable to the general public.

Mel Fisher Maritime Museum (Key West, Florida Point of Interest)

The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum tells the story of diver Mel Fisher, who discovered several shipwrecks, including one that carried exceedingly valuable artifacts and another that holds a wealth of historical value. First discovered in 1972, an English ship was found about 35 miles west of Key West. Later identified as the Henrietta Marie, this was a ship that had disappeared in 1700 shortly after selling 190 African Captives in Jamaica. Although the ship didn’t carry a wealth of gold and jewels, its remains hold invaluable artifacts, which give a glance at the history and conditions of the maritime slave trade, and it is the oldest shipwreck to be discovered.

In 1980, Fisher’s dive teams discovered the wreck of the Santa Margarita, a 17th-century Spanish ship. This wreck held an astounding assortment of valuable objects, from gold and silver bars and coins to elaborate jewelry. The museum displays numerous artifacts from these wrecks et al., including a 77.76-carat emerald and a number of other rare items like navigational instruments, tools, and other everyday items. The museum also has exhibits on marine archaeology and diving, as well as films and hands-on demonstrations.