Audubon House & Tropical Gardens — Attraction in Key West

We visit the Audubon House in Key West every year. We absolutely love the house, the gardens, the exhibits, the shops, and especially we love seeing examples of his beautiful prints. This year, however, we were shocked when we got up to the third floor. One half was the same as the rest of the house, tastefully done, all in keeping with the age and charm of the rest of the site. Then we entered a large room that was so very terribly done. It had a yucky avocado green plastic couch in the center, with some sort of green material hanging from the ceiling with plastic plants dangling down, looking like they'd been left in the sun too long. There were awful images painted on the walls in weird colors, and plastic neon pink translucent panels behind which were displays of Audubon birds. The entire room looked like a 3rd grade art project. That failed to win. We complained, and really did not receive a good explanation for how this room was included. It is so shockingly out of place and in such poor taste. It pretty much ruined our visit. I was so shocked I forgot to take a photo of it. I wish I had, so you can see the debacle. I doubt we will...

When we walked into the Audubon House and Tropical gardens serene setting, we knew it was where we wanted to get married! The gorgeous gardens and the initial tour by Joann sold it for us. It had the exact feel we were hoping for. The gardens are well covered by foliage so there was plenty of shade for a hot July day. The location is perfection, close to our guest’s accommodations (Hyatt Centric) and close to all the bars for the after party on our wedding night! The space was perfect, the ceremony took place on the porch and the band was set up behind that. We turned the porch into the dancing stage and everyone loved it! We had about 125 people in attendance and it felt full but not crowded for the ceremony, the cocktail hour, the dinner, and then the dancing! I was concerned about there only being 2 bathrooms for that many people, but there were not issues – it was smooth sailing and no one had to wait long. Overall the venue exceeded my expectations, the sheer beauty was an amazing back drop for us to celebrate our wedding day and a place that we will continue to visit now that it holds so many memories. THANK YOU THANK...

This house has long been a popular attraction in Key West, and after numerous visits to this popular destination city, finally paid the admission to go inside. It’s a lovely period building and lush garden property filled with many original etchings, including some for sale. However, don’t be fooled into thinking that it’s his home, that he stayed in the house while documenting the local birds, or that any of the furnishings are his. No, in fact he had no actual connection to this home. He merely admired a tree that was on the neighboring property and asked the owner if he could have a branch. That tree branch was featured in a bird etching, and that’s how the Geiger - Smith House became associated with Audubon. A local preservationist made sure the home was spared by tying Audubon to the property, and thank goodness she did. Admission and donations keep it beautiful for all to admire and peek into a different Key West history. Go there to learn about the famous illustrator, see his amazing etchings and see an historic Key West home with...