Truman for 175 days and has welcomed five other U.S. Key West also boasts the state of Florida’s only Presidential site: the Little White House, which played host to President Harry S. The Tennessee Williams Museum, in turn, treats cultural history lovers to a rich exploration of the playwright’s 30-plus years as a Key West resident. Military-history aficionados can explore the keys’ strategic significance at Fort East Martello, which was built to protect Key West from Confederate sea assaults during the Civil War. It now displays military relics, illustrates the Keys’ industrial history, and tells the stories of only-in-the-Keys characters like Robert the Doll, a handmade creation that just might be cursed. Opened in 1848 under the watchful eye of Barbara Mabrity, one of the 19th century’s only female Keepers, the Lighthouse & Keeper’s Quarters offers both a glimpse of how Keepers and their families helped military and commercial vessels navigate the Keys’ treacherous waters and-as a reward for climbing its 88 steps-spectacular panoramic views. Navy’s Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico operations, and today it houses two magnificent floors' worth of history and art. In 1932, it became the headquarters for the U.S. The Key West Museum of Art & History at the Custom House first opened its doors in 1891, originally housing the island’s customs office, postal service, and district courts. ![]() History buffs can delve deeper into the area’s fascinating past at four Key West Art & Historical Society museums devoted to the preservation of the Keys’ culture and history. In fact, in 2023, Monroe County will celebrate its bicentennial, marking 200 years of history. Its price tag two centuries ago? Two thousand dollars. In 1822, Key West began a history of permanent settlement when American merchant John Simonton purchased the island from Juan Pablo Salas, a Spanish military officer who had received the territory as a land grant. In the late 1700s, migratory tribes, like the Creek and the Seminoles, continued to utilize the islands as temporary fishing and trading outposts, despite a growing mistrust of the Spanish colonizers. ![]() The history of the Florida Keys spans back centuries long before the Spanish settled in the Keys, Native Americans, like the Calusa and Tequesta peoples, inhabited the area as early as 800 ACE. Key West Museum of Art & History at the Custom House. Whether your idea of a perfect trip includes snorkeling along protected waterways, soaking in a dynamic arts and culture scene, or reveling in centuries of history, here are five reasons to make the Florida Keys & Key West your next can’t-miss destination. Comprised of hundreds of islands and countless unforgettable characters, Florida’s one-of-a-kind tropical archipelago offers visitors incomparable accessibility thanks to its 42 bridges, the Keys’ countless points of interest are accessible without setting foot in an airport. Key Largo’s most spectacular draw is its proximity to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, a subaquatic wonderland that became the United States’ very first underwater preserve in 1960. Homey, laid-back Islamorada is a “playground for adults” that boasts eco-tours, world-renowned boating and sport fishing, and date-night culinary destinations to suit every taste. The city of Marathon at the Keys’ midpoint, in turn, has earned accolades as the islands’ ultimate family-friendly destination, and all-ages activities abound. ![]() Known as the “Natural Keys,” the Lower Keys have a well-earned reputation for conserving the abundant land-based and marine wildlife that call them home. With dazzling historic architecture, vibrant night life, and “Floribbean” character, Key West is a cultural gem that’s closer to the Cuban capital of Havana than it is to Miami. The Florida Keys’ appeal is as vivid as their subtropical vistas with five distinct regions, including Key West, the Lower Keys, Marathon, Islamorada, and Key Largo, each community boasts a culture and character all their own. Today, locals continue to celebrate this fictional independence each year with novelty flags, parades and a raucous pirates’ ball-setting the tone for a whimsical experience in the continental United States' southernmost city and islands just beyond. Border Patrol checkpoint set up between the city and the Keys without warning. Playfully nicknamed the Conch Republic, the area, located 165 miles south of Miami and 95 miles north of Cuba, gained its moniker in 1982 after locals staged a tongue-in-cheek “secession” prompted by a U.S. Route 1 to its southern terminus, visitors will find the city of Key West, Florida.
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