Many historic attractions can be explored in Key West as part of free self-guided tours or island walking tours, with brochures and audio tour information provided by several local historical societies. For low-cost transportation throughout the island, the City of Key West offers public bus transit services to many top tourist attractions and visitor destinations. Some attractions are free only on certain days – please check before you go.
Learn about the history of the Oldest House & Gardens Key West
The Oldest House & Gardens Key West preserves the oldest known home structure on Key West, originally constructed in 1829 by Bahamas immigrant Richard Cussans and best known as the 19th-century residence of Captain Francis B. Watlington and his family. Since 1974, it has been preserved as a living history home museum by the Old Island Restoration Foundation, open to the public for free self-guided tours between 10:00am and 4:00pm every day except Wednesday and Sunday.
Visitors are welcome to explore the main home, the kitchen house, and the exhibit pavilion and its surrounding gardens. Docents are available at the site during operating hours to provide visitors with historical information about the home. The home also displays collections of significant maritime artifacts and a collection of artworks by famed Key West folk art wood carver Mario Sanchez.
322 Duval St, Key West, FL 33040, Phone: 305-294-9501
Relax on Smathers Beach
Smathers Beach is Key West's largest public beach, spanning approximately one half mile along the island's southern end at the Atlantic Ocean. It is accessible from State Road A1A at mile marker zero, approximately a mile from the island's city center, and is a favorite spot for tourists and local residents alike throughout the year.
Visit Key West Wildlife Center
Key West Wildlife Center is a rehabilitative animal shelter and care facility located within the island's seven-acre Sonny McCoy Indigenous Park, open to the public for free Thursdays through Tuesdays during normal business hours. The state and federally-permitted wildlife rehabilitation center accepts native wildlife on an ongoing basis, with a clinic on site to provide treatment to sick and injured animals, including special programs for sea turtle and tortoise rehabilitation. A nature trail is offered for visitor exploration and observation of animals and migratory birds, featuring a freshwater pond and two aviary facilities. Picnic tables are available, along with a covered pavilion area. Visitors should note that although the attraction is free to enter, suggested donations are strongly recommended to help fund ongoing rehabilitation operations.
1801 White St, Key West, FL 33040, Phone: 305-292-1008
Learn about native plants and animals at The Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center
The Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center is Key West's premiere natural history museum, showcasing exhibits documenting the native flora and fauna of the South Florida region. The 6,000-square-foot center offers free admission Tuesdays through Saturdays during normal business hours, with the exception of major national holidays. Interactive exhibits include a replica of Atlantis, the only underwater ocean laboratory in the world, as well as a 2,500-gallon reef tank and reef cam at the Mote Marine Laboratory Living Reef exhibit. A short documentary film, "Reflections of the Florida Keys," is showcased at the Center periodically throughout the day. Other exhibits detail the Keys' ecology, including reconstructions of pineland, hardwood hammock, beach dune, mangrove shoreline, and seagrass flats ecosystems.
35 E Quay Rd, Key West, FL 33040, Phone: 305-809-4750
Don't miss the fun Mallory Square Sunset Celebration
Mallory Square Sunset Celebration is a nightly festival hosted at Key West's Mallory Square Dock, showcasing a wide variety of street performers, arts and crafts vendors, magicians, psychics, and other dockside attractions and entertainers. The celebration begins nightly two hours before sunset and invites visitors to watch beautiful glowing sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico. It has been acclaimed and immortalized throughout the 19th and 20th century by iconic cultural figures such as Mark Twain and Tennessee Williams, known as one of the world's top ongoing nightly cultural celebrations. Food vendors are also hosted on site throughout the event, with ample public seating for relaxation and water views.
400 Wall St, Key West, FL 33040, Phone: 305-809-3700
Snorkel on Higgs Beach
Higgs Beach is one of Key West's most-visited waterfront regions, located on 16 acres of beachfront land along the island's Atlantic Ocean coast. The free-admission beach is a favorite site among local residents, offering access to the United States' only shoreline-accessible underwater marine park.
Enjoy the Fantasy Fest in October
Fantasy Fest is an annual Key West street party held each year during the last week of October, originally founded in 1979 by island residents Joe Liszka, Frank Romano, Tony Falcone, and Bill Conkle. Today, more than 100,000 annual visitors attend the impressive festival, which has drawn comparisons to New Orleans' iconic Mardi Gras celebration and Rio de Janeiro's annual Carnival. The 10-day celebration includes an annual parade, which showcases humorous and whimsical floats and a Conch King and Queen elected each year as part of AIDS fundraising efforts. Costume parties and body paint abound, along with special events such as an American Idol-style singing competition and a raucous bingo event. Visitors should note that while some individual events are family-friendly, most of the celebration is adult-oriented, with ample alcohol served throughout the event.
922 Caroline St, Key West, FL 33040, Phone: 305-295-9112
Join a Key West Historic Marker Tour
Key West Historic Marker Tour is a self-guided cell phone and GPS walking tour throughout some of the island's most historic buildings and landmarks, accessible for free and available in multiple languages. Historic markers and plaques have been placed at more than 50 locations throughout the island, detailing a brief history of the site's cultural and historic significance.
You can download additional audio history about each site via smartphone or dial a toll-free phone number to hear more about each site. Each site's audio dialogue is designed using personal oral histories and memories of island citizens, striving to connect the island's local community with the international community and engage visitors in global dialogue.
Take a picture at The Southernmost Point
The Southernmost Point is a public monument commemorating the disputed southernmost point in the continental United States, marked by an anchored concrete buoy that is maintained by the Public Works Department of Key West.
Take The Pelican Path Self-Guided Tour of Key West
The Pelican Path Self-Guided Tour of Key West showcases more than 50 of Key West's most historic homes and buildings, accessible for free on foot using a path map or brochure. The path was developed by the Old Island Restoration Foundation and showcases the island's beautiful historic architecture at sites such as its Saint Paul's Episcopal Church, Key West Cemetery, and Wrecker's Museum at the Oldest House in South Florida.
Join a First Legal Rum Distillery Tour
First Legal Rum Distillery Tour offers visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the operations of Key West First Legal Rum Distillery, which produces Chef Distilled original white rums infused with Florida sugar cane and flavors such as vanilla creme brulee and Key lime.
Explore the interactive exhibits at Dry Tortugas Interpretive Center
Dry Tortugas Interpretive Center is a free visitor center and museum located in the National Register of Historic Places-listed Thompson Fish House within Key West's Historic Seaport, commonly known as "The Bight."
