Key West Museum: Explore Florida's Maritime History
3.6
71 Ratings
Key West Shipwreck Museum
Discover Florida's maritime history at the Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum. Explore shipwrecks, artifacts, and interactive displays from the 19th century. Dive into the past today!
Duration:
2 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Key West Shipwreck Museum - Your shipwreck voyage begins in 1856, the year the Isaac Allerton sank. On your visit to the Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum, view artifacts from this ship, one of the richest shipwrecks in Key West history. Spend hours exploring the remnants of old ships and learning about the fascinating salvage industry through artifacts and interactive exhibits. \n\nLearn about how shipwrecks became a profession that made Key West one of the richest cities in America. See what it was like to work in the dangerous shipwreck scavenge industry back in the mid-19th century, as well what sorts of rewards were reaped. Sift through artifacts and watch informative video presentations as you dive deeper into this fascinating world. Watch actual underwater footage of a shipwreck. And summon all your strength to lift a silver bar salvaged from a Spanish galleon.\n\nLearn the intriguing story of the Isaac Allerton. Many of the treasures throughout the museum were excavated from its watery grave. Find out about the people who struck it rich risking their lives to recover wealth from the sea. Then do as the ship captains once did and climb a 65-foot (20-meter) observation tower for the pinnacle of your museum experience.
What's Included
- Admission to top-tier Museums
Additional Information
Discover a crucial segment of Florida’s past at the Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum. Navigate through the ruins of Spanish galleons and remnants of cargo vessels. Travel back to the 19th century era when shipwreck excavation in Key West was a booming business. Engage with interactive exhibits, view educational film presentations, and observe authentic artifacts recovered from these ships.
Location
Key West Shipwreck Museum
1 Whitehead St,
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
3.6
(71 Ratings)
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Dreamer01396011227
Feb 29, 2024
Must see - Must do when in key west. Capt Joe was amazing he engaged the kids and that's all they could talk about. The tower was amazing. All the history was in short sections and easy to read!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
I6589yltimothyh
Aug 19, 2023
Nice bit of island history - This was a fun way to get to know a bit of the islands history from the 1800s. If you have time climb the tower. There’s a great view of the island from up there
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jennifer_s
Aug 13, 2023
Very interesting tour - It was very interesting learning about how they recovered things from all the shipwrecks. I would recommend going to it.
Review provided by Viator
Eringn4796an
Mar 24, 2024
Interesting museum and great view at the top! - I recently visited the Shipwreck Museum with my Dad and we enjoyed our visit! Informative without being too overwhelming/boring. Peggy was an incredible storyteller and we learned a lot from listening to her enthusiastic stories. I had read some reviews ahead of the trip that suggested the view from the top of the tower at this museum was (possibly) better than the view from top of lighthouse. We followed this suggestion, saving the cost of admission at lighthouse, and were not disappointed with our views from the top of the (easy to climb/wide/normal stairs as opposed to spiral) tower.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sandy
Mar 1, 2024
Nicely done - Really nicely done walk through the 1850’s history of Key West wreckers. Videos are worth watching. Nicely done displays. The tower is worth the climb if you can, beautiful views. There are places to rest along the way.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paulsh525uc
Feb 7, 2024
Journey back in time. - Enjoy 150 years of history in this small educational and informative museum. Discover many artifacts from various shipwrecks bringing Key West heritage to life. There isn't much in terms of interactive exhibits as compared to other museums. The observation tower is worth the climb as it is 65 ft tall and overlooks the scenic Key West area. Be aware that there is no public restroom or store in the museum. Worth the visit.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cpumph
Jan 11, 2024
Tower view makes it worthwhile - Interesting collection of artifacts and details that adults will enjoy. Although young kids may race through the exhibits without reading much it’s worth the look for them too. The most interesting is the tower, however, with a long climb but amazing view. Young legs make it up much easier than their older companions but all enjoyed pointing out the various views from there. Tight quarters inside but because it’s a quick tour it’s not too bad.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bonniet553
Sep 24, 2023
Nice place to visit - Very informative and lots to learn about. It was interesting and a nice place to stop. We were unable to view the tower due to rain
Review provided by Tripadvisor
581colleenc
Jan 28, 2024
The tower is Main Attraction - Start to finish was less than an hour. It starts with a movie in the basement and you have to walk up two flights of stairs and this in not including the 4 flights up to the tower as well. I did not see an elevator at all. The artifacts come from a couple for wreck ships off the coast. The museum is mostly based off of the story of "Wreckers" (people who salvaged shipwrecks).
The tower is definitely the highlight of the museum able to see the crystal clear waters below and the island!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joan_b
Aug 2, 2023
Sorry I went. - It smelled bad. No elevators for handicapped.
And the voucher for $59.99 didn't work. I had to pay 2 times. I need to get a refund. The download did not open up to the q code.
Review provided by Viator
