50 Plus Fun Things Not To Miss In Key West Your Ultimate Key West Bucket List

Heading to Key West in the Florida Keys for a vacation? It’s a great place for a good time. Be sure you enjoy the fun things below that you will not to miss in Key West on your getaway. At the bottom of this article, are links to help you plan the perfect Key West vacation.

No time to read the whole article? Bookmark it and use this link to see all the available tours: Key West Tours

Top 10 Fun Things Not To Miss In Key West

You may have heard of these top 10 things. Be sure to include these on your list of fun things to do in Key West:

1. Duval Street.  Enjoy browsing the many funky shops, restaurants, and bars. Many bars like Sloppy Joes/Sloppy Joe have live music all day long. You may also spot local artists and street performers depending on what day of the week you visit. 

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2. Mallory Square. Be sure to hit Mallory Square in the evening for the Sunset Celebration.

3. Key West Lighthouse. Climb 88 stairs to the top and get an amazing view of Key West and the surrounding islands and the beautiful water of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.

4. Key West Butterfly And Nature Conservatory. Walk among the butterflies, birds, and flamingos.

5. Key West Aquarium. Located in Mallory Square, enjoy the shark exhibit, jellyfish exhibit, and the area where they rehabilitate sea turtles.

6. Ernest Hemingway Home. Tour the Hemingway house and see the many six-toed cats that live there.

7. Mel Fisher Maritime Museum. As you browse this museum, you will see the sunken Spanish galleons Nuestra Senora de Atocha and Santa Margarita and the slave ship Henrietta Marie.

8. Audubon House & Tropical Gardens. Located at Whitehead Street and Greene Street, this mansion was built by Captain John Huling Geiger in the 1840s as a residence. Today it is a historic museum where you can not only enjoy a tour of the home but the tropical garden as well. The 

9. Key West Historic Seaport. The seaport is located along the harborwalk waterfront at the ends of Front Street, Greene Street, Elizabeth Street, William Street, and Grinnell Street. Enjoy browsing the shops and restaurants while waiting for your sunset cruise or other water activity.

10. Southernmost Point Buoy. Finally, for the top 10, be sure to take a selfie at the Southernmost Point Buoy.  It designates the southernmost part of the continental United States as well as being 90 miles from Cuba.

Top 10 Outdoor and Water Activities In Key West Florida

Key West is one of the best places for an outdoor enthusiast. Whether you love to snorkel, scuba dive or zip around with friends on jet skis, and more. Below are the top outdoor fun things not to miss in Key West:

1.  Dry Tortugas National Park. Take the ferry over and spend the day snorkeling the clear waters around the moat wall of this national historic landmark after you explore Fort Jefferson. See tropical fish, jellyfish, sea turtles, and more.

2. Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. The beach in this beautiful Florida State Park is gorgeous. Be sure to make the time to visit. Learn about how this fort supported the Civil War efforts. Fun fact, Key West remained under the control of the north Federal Control. 

3. Beach hopping. Several beaches to visit include Smathers Beach, South Beach, Higgs Beach, Simonton Street Beach, and Dog Beach.

4. Take a ride up the Overseas Highway and visit Boca Chica and Bahia Honda State Parks.

5. Enjoy one of the top sunset cruises or sunset dinner cruises.

6. Take a ghost tour of the Key West Cemetery. This historic cemetery was established in 1847.

7. Spend the day fishing. You can choose between half-day and full-day excursions.

8. Enjoy spending the day on a sandbar in the Gulf of Mexico.

9. Take a dolphin-watching snorkeling trip over the coral reef where you may see not only dolphins, but rays, sea turtles, and other marine life. The coral reefs in the Florida Keys are some of the best. A guided tour is a great way to explore especially if this is your first time snorkeling.

10. Nature lovers will want to enjoy a Florida Keys Nature & History Tour from Key West.

Check out all the available tours here: Key West Tours

Other Popular And Things Not To Miss In Key West

1. Food. Definitely make time to try all things Key West is known for including conch fritters, Cuban coffee, and finish with a slice of Key Lime pie. Love oysters? Be sure to stop at a half shell raw bar.

2. Beverages and cocktails. Indulge in a Rum Runner or visit the craft breweries for a taste of the local beer. Blue Heaven restaurant is a local favorite and one of the best restaurants in Key West.

3. Food trucks. One of the top things to do on any vacation is to check out the local food vendors including the food trucks. They often have the most popular things the city is known for. 

4. Stop at the Harry Truman Little White House, the vacation home of President Harry S. Truman.

5. Enjoy a guided tour of the Key West Garden Club.

6. Hop on the Conch Tour Train and explore the historic district, Old Town Key West, Sails and Rails Museum, and more. Learn a little bit of the history behind Key West.

7. Love spooky things? You will want to be sure to include a ghost tour through not only the Key West cemetery but also the other haunted buildings in Key West.

8. Visit Mile Marker 0 located at the corner of Fleming St. and Whitehead St.

9. Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden and browse the beautiful plants, flowers, and palm trees native to Key West.

10. Visit the Tennessee Williams Museum and enjoy a tour through the history of this playwright.

11. Take a tour of everything Jimmy Buffett. A guided walking tour of Margaritaville and Jimmy Buffett is one of the best things to do for a Jimmy Buffett fan. Fun fact, this tour will take you to the location of his first gig.

12. Take a day trip through the other Florida Keys including Key Largo, Marathon, Islamorada, and the other small islands connected by the Overseas Highway including the 7-mile bridge.

And finally, if you have time, be sure to stop at these other lesser-known attractions in the heart of Key West:

And if you still have time, add these fun things not to miss in Key West:

1. Oldest House Museum & Garden

2. Curry Mansion Inn

3. Monument at Higgs Beach of African Graves

4. Heritage House Museum

5. Hellings Curry Museum

6. Key West Pirates Wall

7. Key West Shipwreck Museum

8. U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Museum

​9. Key West Museum of Art & History at the Custom House

10. Key West Firehouse Museum

11. Florida Keys Natural History Museum

12. Sails To Rails Museum

13. Strand Theatre which today is a Walgreens but still a cool building.

14. The Statue of Bishop Albert Kee near the Southernmost Buoy

15. Key West Veteran’s Memorial Garden at Bayview Park

16. Florida Keys Historical Military Memorial

17. Key West United Methodist Church. One of the most beautiful churches I have ever visited.

18. The Kapok Tree. Near Mile Marker 0, this is one of the most 

Travel Tips For Your Key West Getaway

One of the best ways to explore everything Key West offers is the hop on, hop off trolley of Old Town Trolley Tours. Enjoy the travel guide as he navigates the streets of Key West.

The best time to visit is before or after hurricane season. We were lucky on our last visit as the hurricane that hit the northern part of Florida, did not hit Key West, but it did churn up the normally calm waters and the beaches were loaded with smelly seaweed. A great time to plan your vacation would be before or after hurricane season.

Key West is an easy-to-make road trip from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and South Florida. Easy to make a one-destination trip into two or three stops.

Check out the many gift shops and art galleries for unique souvenirs. You can even take Key Lime pie home with you. 

The following will help you plan the perfect Key West vacation