West Martello Tower
West Martello Tower
4.5
Historic SitesGardensScenic Walking Areas
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
About
West Martello Tower is a tropical garden paradise by the sea on the site of the remains of a civil war fort. Maintained by Key West Garden Club, it has garden rooms to delight you, the beach and sea to inspire you and history to intrigue you. This oceanside garden has free admission, free parking and is open to the public. West Martello Tower that houses the gardens has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior. The garden is maintained by many dedicated volunteers.
Duration: < 1 hour
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  • YotaPower
    Guilford, Maine828 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A two for one since it is a garden club.
    This fort is great to tour although the garden club is the main attraction unless you love forts like we do. The garden was an added bonus. The entry is by donation and we spent some quality time here.
    Visited May 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 29 May 2023
  • Carla Q
    Warsaw, Indiana1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Recreated landscaped masterpiece
    I can't express how beautiful this Garden Club is. WMT is a piece of history recreated into a masterpiece of beautifully landscaped nature at its best. We visited on a Monday while the volunteers were cleaning and nurturing the plants. The volunteers were incredibly nice, helpful, and knowledgeable. Thank you for keeping this work of art alive and thriving.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 4 September 2023
  • LouAnn S
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A hidden gem in Key West
    This is truly a hidden gem here in Key West, and one of my favorite places to go. The gardens are well tended, the fort makes an interesting backdrop, and there are amazing views of the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of only a few places in Key West that are free! Take your lunch and a book, and go hide away for awhile!
    Visited February 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 13 September 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles629 reviews
Excellent
404
Very good
181
Average
38
Poor
4
Terrible
2

LouAnn S
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023 • Friends
This is truly a hidden gem here in Key West, and one of my favorite places to go. The gardens are well tended, the fort makes an interesting backdrop, and there are amazing views of the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of only a few places in Key West that are free! Take your lunch and a book, and go hide away for awhile!
Written 13 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Carla Q
Warsaw, IN1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Family
I can't express how beautiful this Garden Club is. WMT is a piece of history recreated into a masterpiece of beautifully landscaped nature at its best. We visited on a Monday while the volunteers were cleaning and nurturing the plants. The volunteers were incredibly nice, helpful, and knowledgeable. Thank you for keeping this work of art alive and thriving.
Written 4 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

YotaPower
Guilford, ME828 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Couples
This fort is great to tour although the garden club is the main attraction unless you love forts like we do. The garden was an added bonus. The entry is by donation and we spent some quality time here.
Written 29 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

rleth
Carlton, MN3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023
It was a beautiful, free will offering spot to find peace and visit. I wish I would have had more time to sit and relax. I would have spent more than one hour here but we had lots of visiting to do in 1 day.
Written 27 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Carrie H
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States156 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023
Friends recommended this lovely spot that's free. Go for the gardens with lovely planting and lots of seating to enjoy the air and the view. Mondays it is full of volunteers, but still easy to walk around and stay seated. I'd have loved a bit more history of the place, but you'll have to look that up online.
Written 8 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Michael R
7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023
If you are a lover of plants and gardens, do not miss this place. So many cool plants, such great ruins architecture, just an amazing place on the beach!
Written 25 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Triprz
Wimauma, FL13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022
Home of the Key West Garden Club (see their reviews). Great place to visit, get married, have an event or just meditate.
Written 20 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

C V
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
A beautiful shady spot to take a break from the heat of the beautiful nearby Higgs Beach. There is parking right in front. The gardens are well maintained by volunteers (you might see them around on Monday mornings, which we did, and they were happy to answer my many questions). It is free to get in and wander around on your own, but they do take donations. The history of this place makes it quite the unusual garden, as it was a fort during the time of the Civil War, and the remains of the fort can be seen as a beautiful backdrop to the tropical plants. A peaceful place not to be missed.
Written 6 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for this glowing review. The gardens are open now after hurricane Ian (September 27th) came a little too close to Key West. The gardens are quickly recovering, but some plants need a little more time to flush out green and healthy. You can now see the civil war era fort a little better. The annual Key West Garden Club Plant Sale and Artisan Market will be November 18 & 19, 10:00 to 3:00. Come for plants and gifts and have lunch with us.
Written 15 October 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Dan C
13 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022
Should keep the place closed on Mondays when maintenance is taking place. Alternatively, the volunteers and paid contractors doing maintenance should be schooled in not being rude to visitors. The friendliest volunteer greeted us and gave us a quick orientation, then it went downhill from there. Volunteers and paid landscape maintenance personnel were doing maintenance around the property and could not have been more grouchy, rude or disagreeable about us trying to navigate the property. We were there with Lloyd's bike tour and he gave us a delightful tour and insight to the property, yet we were constantly met with blocked paths and sorry people who couldn't even offer an alternative or suggestion, let alone being polite or even the least bit cordial. Very disappointing as we have visited before and did not have this type of horrible experience, To top things off the director intervened in our tour to admonish Lloyd about where we parked our bikes (the usual spot apparently on any other day) and when we went to move the bikes the supervisor of the work crew glared at us while we moved the bikes as he was in a hurry to put down the palm fronds he was carrying. He proceeded to curse at Lloyd in front of my teenage daughters when Lloyd made a good natured comment about relaxing while we unlocked and moved out bikes. This contractor guy was totally unhinged and had no business being around guests or visitors of any type. Serious anger management problem, and one of his crew members was equally disrespectful to us. This historical site and the garden club that maintains it should really vet their contractors and volunteers better, or simply keep the place closed when work is going on. Unbelievable how angry these people are doing work in such a beautiful place on such a beautiful key. They need to get a grip and relax a little.
Written 9 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We value your opinion and are sorry you had an unpleasant experience. This was an isolated and unfortunate incident, as you can see from years of excellent reviews. We will look into your comments and take appropriate action.
Written 11 June 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

walker roamer
new orleans218 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022
Right next to Salute's Restaurant and Higgs Beach. The garden is quite large, shaded with a wonderful view of the ocean in one part. Filled with different species of palms, cacti, trees and bushes with nice paths that wander around them. The first area you come to is an impressive display of orchids. If you have any interest in botanical gardens this place is not to be missed. It opens at 9:30 am and is free, although a small donation for the Key West Flower Club is appreciated.
Written 29 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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WEST MARTELLO TOWER: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about West Martello Tower