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
Marathon
Pigeon Key and Marine Science Center
Historic island tours, snorkeling & Bridge-tram ride at Pigeon Key
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.
Key West
Oldest House Museum & Gardens Key West
Old Island Restoration Foundation — preserving historic buildings & culture in Key West since 1960.
Key West
Holle Fine Art Gallery
Holle represents Tom Everhart, the only artist Charles Schulz ever taught and legally authorized to paint Peanuts as fine art. The gallery sits on Duval and stays open until ten every night, so it fits into an evening rather than competing with your beach day.
Key West
Sunset Pier
Ocean Key Legacy Resort & Bar — iconic Key West destination featuring the famed Sunset Pier with cocktails, live music & nightly views.
Key West
Mzoe Arts
Mzoe Arts is a Key West ceramics studio and artisan brand by South African-born potter Thabane Mpofu, crafting one-of-a-kind hand-built ceramic creations inspired by his late father's artistry and a mission to employ and mentor fellow artisans from his community.
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.
Islamorada
Elena Madden Studio Gallery
Elena Madden paints water and light from memory, never from a photograph, in Conté crayon and acrylic layered until the surface seems to move. Her studio gallery sits in Islamorada's Morada Way arts district, and her 22-foot tarpon hangs in the lobby at Cheeca Lodge.
Key West
Sails To Rails Museum at Flagler Station
Explore Key West history from tall ships to railroads at Sails to Rails Museum!
Key West
Key West Theater
The Key West Theater — performing arts & live events in Key West, where historic charm meets world-class entertainment.
Key West
Ocean Blue Galleries Key West
An authorized Dr. Seuss collection, Tom Everhart’s Peanuts work, Nano Lopez bronzes and lit glass animals by the Borowski brothers all share this gallery at the top of Duval. The mix leans toward pop art and nostalgia alongside Key West scenes.
Key West
Guild Hall Gallery
Twenty-seven local artists rent individual stalls across two floors here, and each one works the floor five hours a week, so the person selling you a painting is often the person who painted it. The gallery has occupied the same Duval Street building since 1976.
Key West
90 Miles to Cuba
A weather-beaten shell-cleaning shack in the Historic Seaport, now packed with ships' portholes, old anchors, antique postcards of Cuba and paintings of a Key West that mostly is not there anymore. It opens a few afternoons a week, so check before you walk over.
Marathon
Marathon Community Theatre & Cinema
Marathon Community Theatre & Cinema is a nonprofit cultural hub in the Florida Keys offering live theater, films, dance, art, and educational programming.
Key West
Shade Ceramics and Shutter Photography
Shade & Shutter Key West is a serene, artisan gallery where handcrafted ceramics meet evocative nature photography.
