Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum Admission

It really doesn’t take that long to go through. The exhibits are nice. I really liked the film was the best.

Clara was amazing! She answered all our questions.

Great Maritime Museum Great value Cool exhibit

The Shipwreck Museum was such a fun stop! Captain Joe absolutely made the experience. His enthusiasm, personality, and knowledge brought the history to life and made it feel less like a museum tour and more like an entertaining conversation with someone who genuinely loves what he does. You could tell he knew his stuff—and he kept the interaction fun the entire time! And don’t skip the observation point at the top! 🏴‍☠️🌴 The climb will definitely have you questioning your vacation choices for a minute 😂, especially in that Key West heat, but the views from the top are 100% worth the sweat. Once you get up there and see the island from above, you’ll be glad you made the climb. If you’re visiting Key West, definitely add the Shipwreck Museum to your list—and if you get Captain Joe, you’re in for an especially entertaining experience! ⚓️☀️

We got in right away and watched the 14 minute video of the history and then headed through the museum. The items and artifacts on display were very cool. The man inside was very knowledgeable and helpful with answering our questions. When you proceed through the museum there is a tower you can climb up and take photos. Worth a visit here for the history

Interesting museum with tons of artifacts related to various well known Key West shipwrecks. Also tells the history of shipwreck salvaging. Pet friendly. Big tower to climb with beautiful overlook of Key West.

Captain Joe was very knowledgeable and friendly and made the experience come to life! Was fun and entertaining!

Not worth the cost. No bathrooms on-site. Very small place so limited history and artifacts. Also very dark and damp.

This was full of real artifacts. Coins, pieces of pottery and too much to mention. Saw this on Expedition Unknown and had to go. Much better and real than the nassau musuem with replicas.

It was very informative, interesting and smelly! We didn't climb the tower as it was way to hot when we visited.

Lots of content but unorganized. Would recommend Mel Fisher Museum first. Docent over the top! Didn’t attempt to climb the shipwreck tower.

Stinks as I bad it made me nauseous. It's dark and no ventation , supposed to feel old ship like, it is that. Some cool old items, but we pretty much ran through it. When I got tickets thought it was for the modern one.

This tour was personal for me. Our family is descendants of wreckers with surnames of Baker, Albury, & Roberts. I wish I could remember the name of the lady that did our tour. She was very informative. I recommend checking this out if you like history.

We really enjoyed this museum. The film at the very beginning was very interesting, and we learned a lot about the time before Key West was Key West and how shipwrecks were handled "back in the day". The museum was full of artifacts pulled from wrecks which I really liked. It's just so interesting to see how things survive. There are coins and the evolution of coins is explained. We did climb all the way up the watch tower and the view was amazing. We spent about an hour and a half, but you could spend more time if you wanted to read everything.

If you go through this museum you will exit with a good appreciation of the practice of shipwreck salvage which made Key West a rich island in the 18th and 19th century. It is worth climbing the view tower for the modern-day view over the town as well as your own imagined view of the surrounding waters spotting wrecks as they occur.

Was easy walk through at own pace with several short videos. Walked to top of tower. Great view

Great history and property has a nice collection of artifacts. Staff is very informative. NOT handicapped accessible.

Pretty meh! A few pretty neat items in here but mostly gimmicky. Waste of $60pp.

Very interesting little museum. Well worth visiting. See lots of treasure discovered in the area, some as recent as last year!

This museum needs an update. All the videos were 35 years old. There is about 30 minutes of content to view unless you are reading every single sign. This felt very overpriced.

The museum has so many artifacts, all curated beautifully. Tour guide was fun. Historical films are well-produced. Feels haunted in a good way!

Stopped to check the Museum out not knowing what to expect. We really found it to be quite an interesting and educational experience. Would say it was worth the price of admission for sure.

An interesting museum about the maritime past of Key West through many shipwrecks. Interesting material culture, which you experience on a self-guided tour of the three story museum. Surprisingly, there is no gift shop or docents to answer questions. It is affordable, and is still worth an hour or so.

The tower was pretty awesome and the museum was a unique experience. We enjoyed the professionals insight on the recovered treasures.

The ship was a bit dark when entering to see the movie and steps were a bit steep for seniors or others with handicap issues.

Lots of artifacts in an immersive space. The best part was the enthusiastic and well-informed staff who was intimately familiar with both historical and contemporary shipwreck salvage. It's not a large museum, but it's packed full of information and exhibits. The tower overlooking the water was cool too.

For $19 it was lame. I was expecting a bigger experience but it’s a 10 min museum but at the end you have the stairs you can climb 6 stories up for the best key west view.

Wonderful museum to give you insights on Key West's extensive shipwreck history, and it showcases many artifacts from shipwrecks! Had some questions as well and a worker there clarified some of the misconceptions about wrecking that I may have had. The views of Key West from the tower were amazing!

If you’re in Key West and looking for something unique beyond the beach and bars, the Shipwreck Museum is absolutely worth a visit. Tucked in the heart of Old Town, it offers a fascinating dive (pun intended) into the wrecking industry that helped build Key West into a thriving 1800s boomtown. The museum is a mix of interactive exhibits, historical artifacts, and live storytelling. The actors in period costumes really brought the stories to life and kept things fun and engaging. You’ll learn about the treacherous waters around the Keys and how shipwrecks were both a tragedy and an opportunity for early settlers. Climbing the lookout tower was a highlight—great views of Key West and a nice breeze up top. It’s not a huge museum, so you can go through it in about an hour, which makes it perfect for a mid-morning or afternoon stop. Only reason it’s not 5 stars is the ticket price felt just a little steep for the size of the museum. Still, we walked away with a much deeper appreciation for the area’s history. Perfect for families, history buffs, or anyone who enjoys a good story!

We’ve been to Key West many times but have never taken the time to visit the Shipwreck Museum. I’m so glad we did. We enjoyed the artifacts, learning about the history of Key West and the many shipwrecks of the past and climbing to the top of the 65-foot observation tower. The views at the top were spectacular. It really was worth the admission and all the steps. There are landing platforms along the way and benches to rest if needed. Take the climb, you won’t be disappointed.

Nice little pirate museum. Definitely take some time to chat with Captain Joe. Such a warm and friendly man. Very knowledgeable and happy to answer any questions we had. We also climbed the tower. Beautiful views from up above. Enjoyed our visit.

Admission was only $17 but was expecting more from a ship wreck museum. Overall it was very informative and had some very interesting ship wreck treasures that were brought up from the depths of the ocean.

We really enjoyed the Key West Shipwreck Museum! The film at the beginning was really informative and helped the rest of the museum make more sense and feel more real. The "ship captain" guide who awaited us upstairs was excellent, lots of entertaining and interesting stories, a few jokes, and even a magic trick or two! The displays in the museum were extremely informative (and a bit surprising!) and the grand finale was the view at the top of the lookout tower which gave a gorgeous panoramic view of the island. Definitely recommend, especially if you're into history!

Nice museum. We hadn’t been there in all our trips to Key West . We enjoyed reading all the signs! We climbed all the way to the top of the tower and it was wonderful view! Well worth the climb! Beware if you are afraid of heights!

We spent about an hour or so visiting this Museum. It was very informative and had a lot of original artifacts from the area. If you are able to take the time to walk up to the lookout tower the views are great there.

The eye catching building close to Mallory Square in the midst of all the action beckons the average tourist to come inside. Of course we did. Pirates, shipwrecks and treasure are fascinating subjects, and given that Key West is in proximity to many wrecks, I would have been very disappointed if this place did not exist. They did a good job at assembling artifacts and presenting historical accounts and stories. The mood of the place is perfect and the variety of “treasures “is impressive. My only suggestion would be to have appropriately costumed docents along the way to regale visitors with actual stories and colorful facts—there are staff along the way to answer questions. The climb to the observation tower may be prohibitive to those requiring assistance, but once you’re up there, there is a beautiful view of Key West! Of note, your admission ticket is good at another sailing museum on the other side of Old Town.

This museum surprised us - the history of wrecking in Key West is really interesting. They had exhibits, videos, and tidbits that appealed to all age groups. It is not a large museum but they use the space really well to pack in tons of information. Plus it is great to climb the tower and get a view of the town from above and imagine the wreckers looking for stranded ships on the water.

Best part was at the beginning of the tour — a costumed guide is there and gives you some interesting history. Views from the viewing platform are nice.

Not a good experience. We bought tickets for the express reason of climbing the tower. The person did not mention the tower was closed. She told us we could “try again tomorrow”. She had no concern for our issue. I do NOT recommend this tour. Stay away. There are many better attractions, such as the Truman White House

Nice museum, lots of artifacts. a short movie, and its curated nicely. I learned a lot about the history of the square and the various shipwrecks in the area, as well as information about the life on board and the men who scavenged the wrecks. Worth getting a combination ticket for some other museums if you are into that kind of thing, they should offer it when you purchase your ticket.

So cool the travel agent said this one’s better than Mel’s as Mel’s is just tryin to get you to buy expensive stuff

Had a amazing visit. So much history to learn. Awesome staff. Definitely would visit again. ELIJAH MISHOE was the highlight. Had so much to teach and such a fun person to talk to! He can answer any question! Thank y’all for a get experience

Very interesting museum. Tells the story of how the Wreckers made early Key West a very profitable and important city. Lots of relics and great stories. Recommend it.

We really enjoyed hearing the stories from the guide. He was very knowledgeable and friendly. Climbing the tower was fun and the view is breathtaking!!

Good place to visit to understand the history of Key West. No other entertainment for kids as advertised.

It was a hot an muggy day (like most) and we were lured in by the sign that said AC (plus we got a discount due to having been to the aquarium). You enter and go down some steps and end up below sea level. You watch video, go up and get a talk from Captain Joe (probably the best part), get to touch some cursed silver. From there you get to walk around some found treasure (nothing super eye poping) and read a bit about the wreckers. You also can climb a lookout tower for some more great views. Overall, if you took Captain Joe out of the equation I am not sure it would have been that great of an experience.

Really, really interesting. Very cool artifacts. Ishmael did an amazing job. Great for history buffs. Definitely a must do in Key West.

Be ready for stairs up and down and lots of great shipwreck treasures to see. Enjoyed lifting the silver bar. So many pirates and wreckers to hear about. Tower offers great views of the area with if you’re bold enough to climb all the stairs to get up there.

Very interesting place. Enjoyed the trip to the top of the "Ship a Shore" tower. Brief movie was very informational. Lots of recovered treasure!