8 Reasons To Love Whitehead Street
Experience the Wonders of Whitehead Steet
We all know that Duval Street in Key West gets all the fame, and deservedly so. But neighboring Whitehead Street makes a solid case for one of the best streets on the island. Here are eight reasons to take a stroll down this captivating lane:
1. Southernmost Point Buoy
Start here, at the must-see marker. No trip to Key West is complete without a photo at this famous monument! Stop and snap a selfie to prove to your friends you were most definitely here in the Southernmost city.
2. The Lighthouse Museum
Continue northwest to the Lighthouse Museum at 938 Whitehead Street and climb the 88 steps up, up, UP! Get a pelican’s eye view of historic Old Town, plus learn all about this fascinating landmark, that opened with a woman Light Keeper in 1848 (unheard of at the time.)
3. Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum
Directly across the street from the lighthouse is the home and museum of Key West’s most famous former resident. The story goes that Mr. Hemingway intentionally bought a home close to the lighthouse so that no matter how much rum he drank at Sloppy Joe’s, he could always find his way home!
4. Green Parrot Bar & The Courthouse Deli
Time for a break after those museum tours! Duck into this famous Key West dive bar for a root beer barrel and outstanding live music, then head across the street for a thick Cuban Mix sandwich from the Courthouse Deli.
5. The Kapok and Banyan trees
Stop at the Monroe County Courthouse and gaze in wonder at the majestic Kapok tree. The Mayans believed that spirits climbed these trees to heaven. It’s enormous root system and trunk make for a great photo.
Not to be outdone, just down the street from the impressive Kapok tree are some of the most stunning Banyan trees you will ever see. Known for their aerial prop roots that grow into thick trunks, these Banyan trees are located (fittingly) just in front of the Banyan Resort.
6. Mile Marker Zero
Starting right here and stretching to upper Maine, US 1, known locally as the Overseas Highway, is a 2,369-mile interstate that connects most major cities in the eastern U.S.
A photograph here is proof that you have made it to the “end of the road” and escaped normal life on the mainland!
7. Audubon House & Gardens
Built in 1840 by Captain John Huling Geiger for his family, this stately home now is a museum dedicated to the work of John James Audubon, a famous painter of birds.
Mr. Audubon spent time at the home and painted some of the birds of Key West while there.
8. Mel Fisher Museum
End your time on Whitehead Street at the museum of Mel Fisher, a famous treasure hunter known for finding the 1622 wreck of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha, worth approximately $450 million dollars, just off the coast of Key West on July 12, 1985.
“Today’s the day!”
