Arts & Culture
In The Florida Keys, creativity flows as freely as the tides. From galleries filled with local paintings and sculptures to theaters, dance, live music, and street festivals, the islands wear their artistry in full color. Key West has long lured writers, dreamers, and free spirits, while each destination brings its own twist—think outdoor art walks, history museums, and quirky roadside treasures. Whether you’re browsing studios or catching a play, culture here feels refreshingly unbuttoned, sun-soaked, and impossible to forget.
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History
Creators
Keys Arts
Icons
The Past in the Present
History here doesn’t hide—it strolls the streets, sails the waters, and lingers in lighthouses, forts, and railways. Museums and historic sites across the Florida Keys tell stories of shipwrecks, pioneers, and a railroad that once seemed impossible.
Wrecking in the Florida Keys
The Florida Keys’ shipwreck salvage history began with the 19th-century wreckers who saved passengers and cargo from sinking ships.
Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad
On Jan. 22, 1912, when Ruby Whitlock was eight years old, she watched the arrival of the first train that ever traveled down the Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad tracks from mainland Florida to Key West.
Key West African Cemetery
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a memorial honors the African Burial Ground at Higgs Beach.
Performing Arts
The Florida Keys inspires creativity across all genres: music and literary, stage and screen, studio and structure. Experience performances and installations here today, and learn about the creators of yesteryear who drew inspiration from our island paradise.
Live Music
Music is part of the rhythm of life in The Florida Keys & Key West. From waterfront tiki bars and open-air patios to intimate lounges and lively...
Ernest Hemingway
Learn about Ernest Hemingway, his literary reputation and his larger-than-life persona. Credited with establishing Key West as a literary haven, Hemingway left a legacy that remains vibrant today.
Jimmy Buffett
For millions around the world, the words Key West and Jimmy Buffett are nearly synonymous. He lived in the island city during some of his most productive years—developing the “tropical rock” style and laid-back persona that helped make him a world-renowned musical icon.
Tennessee Williams
Did you know that internationally renowned playwright Tennessee Williams lived in Key West for more than 30 years? During his time here, he completed "Summer and Smoke" and wrote "Night of the Iguana" among other works.
Famous Musicians Inspired by The Florida Keys
Bob Dylan loves Key West. In fact, the legendary singer-songwriter immortalizes it as “the enchanted land” and “land of light”. Others from the Keys include country superstars Kenny Chesney and Toby Keith.
Florida Keys Council of the Arts
The Florida Keys Council of the Arts is the driving force behind much of the cultural heartbeat of the islands, working to celebrate and share the region's creativity with both residents and visitors.
The Connections Project: A Mosaic of the Keys
Visual art and music by top Florida Keys talents are to take center stage during the Connections Project.
Florida Keys Council of the Arts
The Florida Keys Council of the Arts is the driving force behind much of the cultural heartbeat of the islands, working to celebrate and share the...
15 Ways to Experience Arts in Key West
Long a haven for writers, artists, and dreamers, Key West continues to inspire with its sun-soaked streets, storied past, and vibrant creative spirit.
‘Islands of the Arts’ Sculpture Trail
You can find visual artistry almost everywhere in the Florida Keys: in palm-fringed shorescapes beside the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, orange...
They Built the Keys
Dreamers and doers. Leaders and legends. The Keys wouldn't be the same without them, and you'll see their impact woven throughout our islands. In museums, at festivals, on the walls of bars, and in food and drink inspired by their vision.
Mel Fisher
Legendary shipwreck salvor Mel Fisher, who found the wreck of the 1622 Spanish galleon Atocha, was one of Key West's most colorful and inspirational characters.
President Harry S. Truman Little White House
“My grandfather once said that presidents shouldn’t have descendants,” revealed Clifton Truman Daniel, “because those descendants would spend the rest of their lives having people think they should live up to their ancestors.”
Henry Flagler: Railroad Visionary
Henry Morrison Flagler never lived in the Florida Keys, but he left a lasting and valuable mark on the island chain.
Filters
Key West
The Historic Armory
One of the few armories built in the South after the Civil War, and an unusual wood-frame one at that, this 1903 landmark on White Street has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1971. Twelve artist studios fill the second floor and Fringe Theater performs on the first.
Marathon
Marathon Air Museum
Join EAA Chapter 1241 in Marathon, FL—where aviation passion takes flight!
Key West
Audubon House & Tropical Gardens
In 1832 John James Audubon sat in this garden painting a white-crowned pigeon, perched it in a flowering tree, and named that tree after the man whose yard he was standing in. A Geiger tree still grows out front, and 28 first-edition Audubon works hang inside.
Weddings Max
250
Key West
Gallery on Greene
Gallery on Greene is a premier fine art gallery in Key West’s Historic Seaport, specializing in representational works by renowned Key West and Cuban artists, with offerings spanning paintings, sculptures, and reproductions.
Weddings Max
100
Meetings Max
50
Total Space
2000 sq ft
Largest Room
2000 sq ft
The Lower Keys
The Stockyard, Studios & Artists
Tucked into a working commercial yard on Stock Island, Stockyard Studios is where a dozen Keys artists weld, build boats, carve wood and fire stoneware. This is a place to watch things get made, not a gallery row.
Islamorada
Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park
Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park — a unique blend of geology, history and nature trails in Islamorada.
Key Largo
REEF Ocean Exploration Center for Marine Conservation
Explore the REEF Ocean Exploration Center: inspiring ocean discovery and conservation!
Meetings Max
136
Total Space
4000 sq ft
Largest Room
2000 sq ft
Key West
Alan S Maltz Gallery
Florida's Official Fine Art Photographer has kept his gallery on Duval Street since New Year's Day 1999. Sunsets, Everglades light, wildlife and a vanishing Old Florida, printed on canvas, aluminum and glass at sizes from modest to architectural.
Key West
Key West Sea Store - Antiques
A marine biologist who once curated the Key West Aquarium now builds picture frames out of retired lobster traps and sculpture out of old bottles. Bob Cerkleski's shop is on Fleming Street, and most of what is in it exists exactly once.
Key West
Effusion Gallery
Four thousand square feet over two floors, hung with hyperreal candy wrappers the size of a door and portraits set with Swarovski crystals. It is also open late, which makes it the one gallery on Duval you can walk into after dinner.
Islamorada
The Art Guild of the Purple Isles
An artists' guild founded in 1966, now more than a hundred members strong, running six shows a year at venues across the Upper Keys. Most of it happens November through April, so time your visit if you want to catch something.
USCGC Ingham Maritime Museum
USCGC Ingham Memorial Museum — historic Coast Guard cutter & floating maritime museum in Key West, where legends of service meet immersive history.
Islamorada
Maria Wagner Artworks
Maria Wagner paints sea turtles, manatees and mangroves onto mailboxes and license plates, which makes for a better souvenir than most things you can carry home. She works out of Islamorada and shows alongside the Upper Keys arts community.
Key Largo
The Key Players
The Key Players — community theater productions in the Upper Keys, where local talent and lively storytelling bring stages to life.
Islamorada
Jessica Ann Art Studio
Jessica Ann Art — original marine-life acrylic paintings in Florida Keys, where conservation meets Caribbean color.
