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.
Select Your Interest
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 Largo
Key Largo Volunteer Fire Museum
Key Largo’s new fire rescue museum honors 70 years of local service & sacrifice.
Islamorada
Gyotaku by Lisa Lee
Gyotaku is the Japanese art of printing a fish directly onto paper, and Lisa Lee learned it in Japan from the master who developed the method she uses. The ink is non-toxic, which means the fish can still be filleted for dinner once the print is made.
Islamorada
The Hale Gallery
An Islamorada fine art gallery featuring rotating exhibitions from local and visiting artists.
Key West
Randy Roberts LIVE!
Randy Roberts — performance magic & illusion shows in Key West, where spectacle meets island enchantment.
Key West
Red Barn Theatre
Red Barn Theatre — professional live theater in Key West, where big stories come alive in an intimate, historic space.
Key West
Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden
Discover the only frost-free tropical garden in the continental US—serene, native, and full of life!
Key West
Cocco & Salem Gallery
A gallery of Key West painters on Upper Duval, open since 2009 and anchored by Jim Salem, who is half the name over the door. Tuesday through Sunday, closed Mondays, and by appointment if that suits you better.
Key West
Key West International Dance Company
Experience vibrant cultural dance and bold artistry with Key West International Dance Company!
Key West
Zero Mile Art
The green Mile 0 sign at Whitehead and Fleming is the photograph people drive the whole Overseas Highway to take, and this shop sits on the corner. Art prints and local gifts inside, plus cold drinks and key lime pie, open until eight.
Taylor Hale Studio & Gallery
Taylor Hale is a Keys native who trained at Ringling and RISD, painted portraits in New England, then came home and started painting the sunset clouds he watched from his shifts at Morada Bay. His studio is tucked behind the Florida Keys Brewing Co. beer garden in the Morada Way Arts & Cultural District.
Key West
Key West Sunsets
Isaac Valdes sets up at the Sunset Celebration every night, with giclée prints, digital work and hand-carved pieces framed by his wife Danay in salvaged lobster trap wood. Find him at Mallory Square from about 6:15pm.
Key West
Whimsy Key West
Barb Sage paints roller skates, lamps, vintage mannequins and wooden signs in colors you can spot from across the room. Whimsy Key West works out of Sacred Space on Stock Island, a collective of nine local women artists.
Key West
Derubeis Fine Art of Metal Key West
Chris DeRubeis, acclaimed as the “Father of Conceptual Movement,” pioneers the signature style of Abstract Sensualism®, transforming metal into luminous, emotionally charged fine art that blends sculpture and painting in celestial abstraction.
Islamorada
Islamorada's Art on a Whim Gallery
Judith Chesher stocks her shop with work from around thirty Keys artists, and as she puts it, the Keys are full of artists doing all kinds of weird things. It sits in Rain Barrel Village, a few steps from a forty-foot lobster.
Key West
Art@ 830 Gallery
Hand blown glass, turned wood, ceramics and paintings on Caroline Street in the Historic Seaport, run by two artists who have been working in Key West for decades. Ask about Tony Gregory's Key West alphabet.
