Attractions & Activities/Historic Sites

Curry Mansion

511 Caroline St Key West, FL 33040 305-294-5349

Description: KEY WEST. William Curry was Key West's first millionaire, and he built this lavish mansion for his family in 1855. The Queen Anne style residence is now an elegant inn but doubles as a museum. The 25 rooms are decorated with period furnishings. The Victorian exterior combines architectural elements that Curry would have seen in his travels a widow's walk, large white columns and intricate trellises. It is said that the Curry's cook invented Key Lime pie in the Curry Mansion kitchen.

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Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum

907 Whitehead St Key West, FL 33040 305-294-1136

Description: Some of the Hemingway's greatest works, including "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and "A Farewell to Arms" were composed while he lived in this beautiful Spanish Colonial dwelling. Originally built in 1851, Hemingway purchased the property in 1931 and lived here until his death in 1961. The house was the first on the island to have a swimming pool and indoor plumbing. Tours take one half hour and include many anecdotes about the writer and his life on the island. Descendents of his cats still prowl the house and grounds.

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Flagler Station

901 Caroline St Key West, FL 33040 305-295-3562

Description: By the time he was 50 years old Henry Flagler was one of the richest men in America. Due to his wife's ill health they spent much of their time in Florida, particularly in the Keys. In 1905 Flagler undertook the mission of building a 130-mile extension of the existing railroad that would reach Key West, which, at the time, was the closest deep-water port to the Panama Canal. In January 1912 Flagler's dream was realized when the first New York to Key West train arrived at this station. Flagler's career and the construction of the railroad are chronicled in dioramas and exhibits.

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Fort Zachary Taylor State Historic Site

Southard St Key West, FL 305-292-6713

Description: Plan to spend a day at this 87-acre historic site and park. Arrive early and swim at one of the most pleasant beaches in the Keys. Then shower off and enjoy a picnic lunch. Afterwards, take the ½ hour tour of the fort, which also houses a Civil War museum. Construction began in 1845 and was completed in 1866. This was an active military site during the Civil and Spanish-American wars. Plan to stay around for the famous Key West sunset the beach offers a spectacular, unobstructed view.

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Harry S. Truman Little White House

111 Front St Key West, FL 305-294-9911

Description: Key West has served as a presidential retreat since 1880 when Ulysses S. Grant visited the island. This house belonged to Harry Truman and his wife Bess. Truman reportedly despised living in Washington and viewed this as his sanctuary. The house has been impeccably restored and the presidential bedroom can even be rented for overnight stays.

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Key West Cemetery

701 Passover Ln Key West, FL 33040 305-292-8177

Description: Nowhere is Key West's lively spirit more evident than in the city's cemetery. Cheeky epitaphs like "I Told You I Was Sick" and "At Least I Know Where He's Sleeping Tonight" cover the gravestones. The tombs are stacked since the rocky soil made digging down impossible. Explore and see what you uncover.

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Key West Lighthouse Museum

938 Whitehead St Key West, FL 33040 305-294-0012

Description: One of the best views in the Keys is available from atop this 92-foot lighthouse, built in 1847. The light was intended to save lives but it put to death the livelihood of many Key Westers. The "wreckers" that made their fortunes scavenging ships that foundered on the reef were suddenly out of a job. This and other fascinating stories are described in the exhibits housed in the old keeper's house, a small clapboard structure adjacent to the lighthouse.

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