Key West -  Key West is home to about 25,000 conchs – as the locals are known.  The seasonal residents who stay for up to six months at a time is another group associated with Key West. These two groups are to thank for Key West’s lively arts and entertainment scene including a world-class symphony orchestra and several theater companies. This is arty, laid-back Key West. It is the tourists who give the island its liveliness. Margaritas, sunsets, Hemingway, a lively atmosphere, and Jimmy Buffet!

Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum Key West

Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum KEY WEST Welcome to the Ernest Mel Fisher became a local hero in 1985 when he excavated treasures from two Spanish galleons that sank off the Key West coast in 1622. You can learn about the artifacts that Fisher recovered including a massive gold bar and a 77.76 carat emerald crystal. There is also an English merchant slave ship dating from the 1700s. Mel passed away in 1998 but his legacy lives on at this family-friendly museum.

Our operations have been largely supported through visitor donations since their inception in 1982. Over 200,000 people visit the museum each year and is the most-visited non-profit historical museum in Florida.

Special projects, exhibitions, and excavations have received funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities; the Institute of Museum and Library Services; the Bureau of Historical Museums, Division of Historical Resources, Florida Department of State; the Florida Humanities Council; the James L. and John S. Knight Foundation; and the Newman’s Own Foundation. Major Corporate funding has been provided by the General Motors Corporation and Robb, Peck, McCooey, Inc.