Kids' Corner

kids snorkeling at Dry Tortugas

Check out All The Cool Things To Do In Key West With Kids

There are plenty of fun things to do in Key West with kids. From marine life to fun at the beach, you’re sure to find many activities for kids. Following is a list of recommended attractions for children.

Key West Aquarium

Key West Aquarium

Located in Mallory Square • 1 Whitehead Street

The Key West Aquarium has delighted visitors since 1934. Come join us and see for yourself the beautiful indigenous sea creatures of Key West and the Florida Keys. Enjoy guided show tours, petting & feeding, Touch Tank, friendly & knowledgeable guides and more. This is one of the best attractions in Key West for kids who love marine life and interactive exhibits. The welcoming Key West Aquarium is a popular attraction where nature and animal lovers of all ages can learn about the marine inhabitants and their biodiverse habitats.

Tour guide and guests and Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum

Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum

Located in Mallory Square • 1 Whitehead Street

Overlook Key West’s historic district and the barrier reef from on top of Tift’s Lookout tower … a faithful reproduction of the original and now Key West’s only remaining wrecker’s observatory. Join our CAST in another time as you enter the world in an 1856 Key West wrecker’s warehouse, hearing tales of dangerous wrecks on the treacherous reefs, daring rescues and amazing recoveries that were often performed without diving equipment. Learn all about the men who risked their lives for fame and fortune, as they battled the elements to save lives and a ship’s precious cargo.

Mel Fisher Maritime Museum

Mel Fisher’s Maritime Museum

Located at 200 Greene St.

Lift a bar of real gold and learn about Spanish galleons. Mel Fisher’s Maritime Museum displays millions of recovered Spanish treasures including gold and silver coins, navigational instruments and artifacts from the sunken Nuestra Señora de Atocha, a Spanish galleon sunk in the fifteenth century. Mel Fisher’s Maritime Museum is the only fully accredited museum in the Florida Keys, recognized as a research and archaeology institution.

Sails to Rails Museum

Sails to Rails Museum

Located at 901 Caroline St.

Journey through the age of sail, a time when tall ships plied the treacherous waters of the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico from the 1500s to early 1900s, and continues into the era of Henry Flagler’s Overseas Railway. Located in the historic Key West Bight at 901 Caroline Street, this state-of-the-art museum features hands-on exhibits, raw footage, unique artifacts, and the only scale model of Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas. Take part in a unique interactive timeline of Key West history!

Key West Lighthouse

Key West Lighthouse Museum

Located at 938 Whitehead St.

The Key West lighthouse was built in 1847 to help ships sailing the dangerous reefs of the Florida Keys. The tower is 86 feet tall and visitors are invited to climb the 88 steps to see panoramic views of Key West. Guests can also see the keepers’ quarters where they lived with their families. It is an excellent historical site with many artifacts of the era and stories of the keepers who lived there. The quarters, grounds, and lighthouse itself have all been faithfully restored.

Key West beach

Astro City Park & Higgs Beach

Located on Atlantic Ave.

Astro City Park has a well-equipped playground across the street from Higgs Beach.

Higgs Beach is a popular spot in Key West for kids. Beach chairs and umbrellas are available for rental. Tennis courts are free. There’s also a restaurant and bar as well as volleyball courts and grills.

Key West butterfly

Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory

Located at 1316 Duval Street

The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory immerses you in an environment filled with hundreds of beautiful butterflies, colorful birds, waterfalls, flowering plants and trees all under a climate-controlled, glass-enclosed habitat. In The Learning Center, explore the butterfly anatomy, physiology, life cycle, feeding, and migratory world of the Monarch. Also, get a rare close-up view of a variety of live caterpillars feeding and developing on their host plants. A breathtaking journey through nature!

Southernmost Point

Southernmost Point

Located at the corner of Whitehead and South streets

The Southernmost Point is an anchored, concrete buoy in Key West, Florida. Located 18 feet above sea level, this popular photo opportunity depicts that Cuba is only 90 miles away. It also marks the southernmost point in the continental United States and the lowest latitude land of contiguous North American States.

Aerial view of Fort Jefferson at Dry Tortugas

Yankee Freedom, Dry Tortugas National Park Ferry

Made up of seven small islands, Dry Tortugas National Park is one of the world’s most unique eco-attractions. Take a ride on the official Dry Tortugas National Park Ferry – The Yankee Freedom, a spacious high-speed catamaran, transporting guests 70 miles from Key West to the park. The historic Fort Jefferson, located within the national park, was once used as a prison during the Civil War. Today, it’s a popular destination to learn about the past from one of our knowledgeable guides. Snorkel the colorful reefs, observe the park’s unique birds and wildlife, explore Fort Jefferson and the moat surrounding it, or even become a Dry Tortugas Junior Ranger – the list of fun activities on the island is endless.

Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center

Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center

Located at 35 East Quay Road

Kids will enjoy a visit to the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center where they’ll see native plants and animals of the Keys, both on land and underwater. The center has interactive exhibits including a mock-up of the world’s largest underwater ocean laboratory. There’s also a gift shop offering books, games, DVDs and more. Leave with an increased awareness and appreciation of the need to protect and conserve the ecosystem of South Florida. Admission to the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center is free.

Sunset at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park

Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park

Located in Key West at the end of Southard Street on Truman Annex

Fort Zachary Taylor is Florida’s southernmost state park. Completed in 1866, Fort Zachary Taylor played important roles in the Civil War and Spanish-American War. Kids can enjoy the beach, picnic areas, swimming, snorkeling, fishing, a short nature trail and bicycling. A stand at the beach offers snacks, beverages and souvenirs. A true one-of-a-kind experience, visiting Fort Zachary Taylor not only provides a magnificent natural setting to birdwatch or swim, but also to immerse yourself in U.S. history. Guided tours of the fort are available daily.

Conch Tour Train at Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum

Ride The Conch Tour Train

Experience the train tour that’s been entertaining visitors to the Island City of Key West, Florida, since 1958. The Conch Tour Train is one of Florida’s most popular attractions and for good reason. Their expert ‘engineers’ and friendly staff have delighted over 15 million guests. Get to know Old Town Key West, from the Front Street Depot to Mallory Square and everything in between, including live onboard commentary from a professional tour conductor. See where Ernest Hemingway used to relax and find out why Harry Truman used to spend so much time on the island. Your children will delight riding the Conch Tour Train and getting a conch’s eye view of all the wonderful Key West attractions.

Fury Glass Bottom Boat

Fury’s Glass Bottom Boat

0 Duval St.

Stay cool and dry as you view a stunning array of tropical marine life, in air-conditioned comfort, aboard Fury’s Glass Bottom Boat. Discover a window to the sea and marvel at the wonder of North America’s only living coral reef. Observe sea turtles, rays and fish of all kinds gliding through the crystal-warm waters they call home. Let your child marvel at the world below sea level and get a glimpse of the extraordinary marine life surrounding Key West, as expert tour guides provide insight into this world.

Truman Little White House

Truman Little White House

111 Front St.

A place where an array of leaders, legendary inventors, dignitaries, visionaries, and many prestigious visitors were drawn throughout its history, Key West’s Harry S. Truman Little White House holds a special place in the history of America. Constructed in 1890 to serve as the naval station’s command headquarters during the Spanish-American War, World War I and World War II, this historic site later became the second White House. Today, a visit to the Truman Little White House treats guests to a journey back to the era of President Harry Truman and a view of many of his personal belongings. Explore where Truman met with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, worked on the Marshall Plan and wrote the Truman Doctrine. See where he dined and discover original furnishings, personal effects, and much more. Visit Florida’s only presidential museum and give your child an unforgettable historic experience.

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