A cozy dimly-lit nest that is chock-full of dusty historical nautical treasures. Fascinating aspects of how Key West got its start as a pack of shipwreck scavengers. These dueling scavenger families would greedily strip a wreck lickety-split. Take the cargo and probably knock-in a few heads. These rapacious ghouls were the precursors before the mob-connected rum runners arrived for the Havana circuit. Nice multi-level compact museum with a high density of excellent displays and thoughtful narratives.

This museum was well done with videos, history, artifacts, etc. The walk to the top of the tower is well worth it. There was a good combination of videos, stories, history, and artifacts.

The bad reviews are people expecting shiny cleaned up things and chests of treasure. If you have a true and realistic interest in Florida shipwrecks and artifacts then you will enjoy this museum.

This was really a great place. They do a great job at making you feel like you are in an old ship. It’s awesome to see all the artifacts they have. Capt John was very educational and fun. The look out tower has a great view of key west.

Very small museum, interesting but limited in scope, tower climb was the highlight but due to weather, couldn't make it to the top

Visiting Key West, I decided to do some touristy stuff, so I decided to go to the shipwreck museum. It was very interesting, it will keep your interest. It’s not too long either, so it never gets boring. Also wasn’t expensive at all. I give it a thumbs up for sure. You should definitely take the time to go through this museum.

It’s a small museum that is packed with artifacts. Captain Joe is another hidden gem on this island. He’s very entertaining and knowledgeable.

Fairly informative. Really enjoyed the tower. A nice man named Joe was providing corny jokes and information to everyone which was cute. Not a bad little museum if you take the time to read the exhibits there is some good information.

Small museum, explains/shows the history of what drove the treasure hunting in the keys. There was an actor dressed in period clothes telling /answering questions about the turmoils of the time. It has a great birds eye view of Key West from the lookout tower, 6 stories high! Good value, I recommend this for teens & older.

Small but interesting museum with short films about shipwreck and salvage, which is integral to Key West's history. The guide was with us for the first part of our visit and let us explore on our own after a presentation.

Many interesting exhibits that paint the picture of bygone days in Key West. Be sure to check out the bar of silver!

Overall, very little display items like gold or treasures. Mainly just nautical stuff. Even had videos on large monitors with seats for you to sit and watch boring stuff.

What a great museum. It's small but chock full of displays, artifacts and treasures. The introductory video was informative and enjoyable. Our tour guide, Charlotte, was fantastic. She played a character from the past and had a fascinating perspective of the lives of the men and women from the 19th century. Her thorough knowledge of the history of shipping and shipwrecks was happily shared. She is a huge asset to the museum and spent a lot of time talking with us and answering our questions. Her knowledge and passion for sharing the shipwreck history were apparent and appreciated. We would highly recommend a stop at this gem of a museum to anyone wanting to learn about life in the keys during the 19th century.

There is so much history to be found in the Key's and it can be a little over-whelming, but go here! There is a short video at the start, and then as you go thru there are live actors in period costumes explaining what is was like in the early days. At the end, don't forget to climb up the tower for 1 of the most spectacular views of Key West you will ever see!

We didn't know what to expect, but really enjoyed learning about the history of Key West. We had no idea it famous for "wrecking". The tour starts with a short video and is self-guided from there. Definitely check out the view from the lookout tower. Only complaint is that it was a bit overpriced.