There was not a large crowd the Tuesday afternoon we visited. Our guide was excellent and we enjoyed seeing the 6-toed cats and learning more about Hemingway. It was fascinating!
You pay the same with or without a "guided tour" through the house, so go ahead and take the guided tour, then walk around the grounds and check it all out yourself.
Our family of 4 chose to tour this home on our own since the guide wasn't available for 30 minutes. The property is lush and extensive. The grounds include the writer's cottage as well as a kitty-cat cemetery.
The home is lovely though clearly in need of some TLC. The walls, mouldings & flooring could all use a thorough cleaning & painting. Each room has a minimal amount of period furniture however, of more interest are the books and various letters that Hemingway
saved.
The grounds are home to the vast number of Hemingway cats which are loose and meandering about. Though interesting this tour could really benefit from some updating as well as modernization.
This was a pleasant surprise in Key West. Always something one should see was transformed into a truly pleasurable experience by a charming house, beautiful gardens, famous 6 toed cats and a great tour that brought the trials and tribulations of this famous man to life.
If I lived in Key West this is where I'd like to be. The house and gardens were beautiful. There are 45 polydactyl cats lounging around the property. It was a hidden paradise, although a bit crowded. We preferred a self tour, and avoided the big groups to get better views of the rooms and grounds.
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