Hemingway Home & Museum — Attraction in Key West

The Museum is undeniably charming—it’s clean, well-maintained, and the garden is lovely. The cats roaming the property are a nice addition. However, our overall experience was unfortunately soured by how non-tour visitors are treated.

We chose to explore on our own rather than join a guided tour (which doesn’t cost extra), but were interrupted twice by a male tour (Old white man) guide who asked us to leave the room so his group could enter. He insisted we could come back in five minutes, but the way it was handled felt awkward and embarrassing. It gave the impression that tour groups get special treatment or access to “exclusive” information, which feels unfair since everyone pays the same admission fee.

Speaking of which, the entrance fee and prices in the bookshop are on the higher side, especially considering how crowded the place is. There’s little room to move around, and it often felt chaotic.

To top it off, as we were leaving, I overheard two women who had stepped out briefly ask to come back in just to visit the bookshop. The staff member at the front recognized them but still refused both entry, saying it was too crowded—yet allowed only one of them in. It felt unwelcoming and unnecessarily inflexible.

It’s a shame, because the location itself has a lot of charm. But the way the staff manages the space and treats guests left us with a...

🏡 This historic house is truly impressive—definitely worth visiting. It’s a beautiful two-story home filled with original paintings, old photos, cozy bedrooms, vintage baths, and a private pool that feels frozen in time. The balcony views and tropical garden add extra charm. The place was quite busy when I went, but it didn’t take away from the experience. One of the most unique parts is the cats—dozens of them, all descendants of Hemingway’s six-toed feline. You’ll see them lounging around like they own the place, which in a way, they do. There's even a small cat graveyard behind the house, which shows how much they’re part of its history. If you're into literature, old architecture, or just love animals, this spot will stay...

You can walk the house by yourself and/or take the tour that is given every half hour. We did both and enjoyed it very much. You will get information from the guides you Will not get by reading the placards. But do go back after the tour to read the placards for more information. With as many as 57 cats on the property you really don’t see a lot of them. They keep to themselves and there is no ‘cat’ smells that I could tell. It is a lovely house/property with an interesting history even before Hemmingway purchased it. It is definitely...