My wife was about to die of heatstroke upon walking in and kudos to the lady running the place - got her water immediately and probably saved us a trip to the ER. This is not a super tall lighthouse but you still get a great view from there.
My wife was about to die of heatstroke upon walking in and kudos to the lady running the place - got her water immediately and probably saved us a trip to the ER. This is not a super tall lighthouse but you still get a great view from there.
If you can handle the spiral staircase, you will get wonderful panoramic views of Key West. The keeper's house is interesting (self-guided) and we found the volunteers in the gift shop to be very friendly and helpful too.
I love lighthouses. This one is beautiful. 88 steps to the top (and I am afraid of heights!!). Once you get to the top, there are stunning views of KW. This Light Keepers house was a nice bonus. It appeared to have original furnishings, although they were sparce. I would definitely recommend this.
On such a hot day (in August) the hike was hot; but, worth it. We only had a little time in Key West; but, this was a great stop. The Hemingway House is just down the block; so, we got to see them both. Price wasn't bad to hike to the top either. Little gift shop was quaint and the lady at the desk full of all kinds of information!
There's much more than meets the eye to this little museum and especially the beautiful lighthouse. The climb to the top is not that difficult, but some people might have a little difficulty with the height issue. The view at the top is well worth it, as you get a 360 degree view of Key West and it is fantastic. The keeper's quarters are very interesting and well interpreted. Take time to watch the film, it is very informative and short. Does not take a great amount of time to go through the museum and light house, so should be easy for people (and children) of all ages and will fit within anyone's time schedule. Located right across the street from the Hemingway House, so you can plan accordingly.
We were staying at the Lighthouse Court Hotel and our room was right next door to the lighthouse so we had to take a look.
The climb up the spiral staircase is quite tight and hairy but it does not take long to climb the 80 odd steps. If you are out of shape like me just take your time to catch your breath a couple of times.
Views from teh top are stunning and it gives you a great perspectuve of the layout of Key West.
The museum is also very interesting and I would allow 2-3 hours for the visit so it will fill in a morning or afternoon quite easily.