Oldest House & Garden Museum, Key West

Having borne witness to pirates, warfare, hurricanes, fire, and a fluctuating economy, Oldest House & Garden Museum is a testament to the history and development of the Key West area. The house was first built in 1829 in the style of a classic revival five-bay center hall, or more affectionately called a New England Bahama house. The house also features many unique maritime notes, such as horizontal pine wall boards and a ship's hatch carved into the master bedroom roof. Today the house serves as a museum and is open to the public, preserving the personal effects and furniture of its most important resident, sea captain Francis Watlington. You may wander the house at your leisure and tour the period furnishings, and then retreat to the shade of the garden. Plan trip to Key West with our itinerary maker to find out where to go and what to do.