Key West has a reputation of being a party destination. And don’t get me wrong, Key West can definitely be that. But it’s also so much more than just Duval Street.
Key West can be fun for the entire family. If you’re wondering about activities with kids, I’ve put together this list of all the best things to do in Key West with kids.
Get on the Water
Locals will tell you that you have to get out on the water to truly experience the Florida Keys. And there are so many opportunities to get out on the water!
Depending on the age and interests of your kids, here are some great ideas:
- Snorkeling (Key West has the only living coral reef in North America)
- Sandbar Excursions
- Dolphin Watching
- Jet Skiing
Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Animal Farm
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office (MSCO) is a little farm that is open to the public on the second and fourth Sunday of each month. Admission is free. It was founded in 1994 underneath the jail facility. The area wasn’t being used and so a farm was started!
They have a zebu, ostrich, lemur, fox, and more. The farm started as a rescue. Many of the animals come from homes that were abusive or neglectful. A crew of inmates from the detention center oversees the care of the animals after receiving formal training.
It is technically located in Stock Island, which is just across the bridge from Key West.
Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden
The Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden is kind of a hidden gem. It’s technically located on Stock Island, which is just across the bridge from Key West. You can explore the trails and just take time to be in nature here. It is also a great place to see birds, butterflies, and lizards. I also really like taking in the Cuban boats – they are always shocking to me.
Some people stay an hour, some stay all day. It just kind of depends on your interests. There is an optional audio tour as well if you’d like to learn more about the plants you’re seeing.
Key West Aquarium
The Key West Aquarium is pretty small but worth visiting, especially if your kids enjoy marine life. The aquarium has a large touch tank right when you walk in. Throughout the aquarium are plenty of tropical fish, sharks, sea turtles, and more. Definitely try to see one or more of their shows where they feed the animals.
Check out the Beaches
Fort Zachary Taylor State Park is probably my favorite beach. It’s huge, has the prettiest water, and you can snorkel right from the beach. Plus, there is a beach shack for food, picnic tables, grills, and trees for shade and hammock laying. But it does cost to get in since it’s a state park ($6 per car).
Higgs Beach is a great spot to watch the sun rise. There is a huge pier you can walk out on. There are also volleyball courts and a large park for the kids. If you want to eat nearby, Salute is located right in the middle of everything at Higgs Beach.
South Beach is right at the end of Duval Street. There are chairs you can rent, a bar, and a cafe so everything you need is within reach. There is also a small pier here (we saw a manatee here once a years ago!) It does get crowded since it’s right at the end of Duval St.
Smathers Beach is absolutely stunning. It’s completely lined with palm trees and feels so tropical. This does become a party beach during spring break. There are kayak rentals available here.
Simonton Beach is one of my favorites because it’s right next to Lagerheads Bar. It’s a great place to grab a drink and food while the kids play. I highly recommend their fish tacos. The views are incredible here, the water is bright turquoise and you’ll be looking at Sunset Key. Chairs can be rented for $10 a day. Food and drinks while the kids play in the water? Win-win.
The Dog Beach is at the south end of Vernon Avenue right next to Louie’s. This probably wouldn’t be my first choice with kids just because you never know about other people’s dogs and there are plenty of other beaches to choose from.
Kayaking / Night Kayak
Kayaking is a great activity for the whole family. There are several places to kayak in Key West – you can even grab a kayak at Smathers Beach and head out from the beach area. For a unique experience, I recommend kayaking the mangroves. The mangroves create calm waters, making it a good experience for all kayaking levels. Plus, you can’t go kayaking through mangroves in too many other places!
Another unique option to kayak in Key West is to go kayaking at night.
Flamingo Ice Cream
Ice cream is a family vacation tradition for a lot of families. If you have an ice cream tradition in your family (or if you don’t but want to start one), definitely check out Flamingo Ice Cream in Key West. They have tons of flavors to choose from so everyone will be happy.
Another great dessert place is Mattheessens – they have everything from enormous cookies, chocolate covered key lime pie on a stick, and ice cream.
East Martello Museum
The Martello Museum is home to Fort East Martello. The fort did not see any battle and it was abandoned after the Civil War. In 1950, volunteers from the Key West Art and Historical Society cleaned it up. It is now open as a museum. You can learn more about history of Key West, the Civil War, wrecking and cigar industries in the Florida Keys, and more.
If you take a ghost tour, you might hear about Robert the Doll. He has a long history but long story short, he is basically strange (and some bad) things have happened when he is around. Robert the Doll is now living at the East Martello Museum so if you’d like to visit him, you can do that here.
West Martello Museum
The West Martello Museum is home to the West Martello Tower, which was also a Civil War fort. This fort also fell into disrepair. In fact, most people wanted it to be torn down because it was such an eyesore. Luckily the Key West Garden Club took over.
Volunteers of the Key West Garden Club maintain the grounds and it is stunning. There are so many gorgeous plants. It’s one of the most beautiful places to walk around. Plus, it is all waterfront so you have gorgeous views!
Rent a Golf Cart
Renting a golf cart is so much fun and one of the best ways to see Key West. Most of Key West is walkable, but from Duval Street to the beaches is a couple of miles. A golf cart can get you back and forth. It’s also fun to just drive down all the tiny streets and take in all of the cute little conch houses.
Explore Duval Street
Duval Street runs north to south from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. There are tons of shops and restaurants throughout Duval Street. And, yes, Duval Street also has more bars than you could count. So you might not want to explore Duval Street with kids after dark.
But during the day, especially in the morning when it’s quiet, it is fun to explore.
Your kids will enjoy going in the shops, you can grab some good food, and I recommend Matthessens, which has some of my favorite dessert ever.
Mallory Square
At sunset, Mallory Square transforms into Key West’s Sunset Celebration. Everyone gathers here to watch the sun set behind Sunset Key – there are also vendors and street performers creating a fun, energetic atmosphere. Kids will enjoy the performers.
During the day, Mallory Square isn’t typically very busy. We like to come here during the day and let our toddler run around. It’s a wide-open area for him to run.
Splash Pad
At Harry Truman Park, you’ll find an amazing shaded playground and splash pad. The splash pad has a slide, tons of water spouts, and areas for younger kids to climb. It’s fun for all ages, from toddlers to teenagers. There is also a public restroom and parking.
Pro tip: Go on a Thursday and walk around the Truman Waterfront Market before or after. The market is every Thursday from 2pm – 7 pm.
USCGC Ingham Maritime Museum
The USCGC Ingham Maritime Museum is right next to the Splash Pad and playground at the Truman Waterfront. And you can’t miss it because it’s literally a huge ship! The kids will love walking through the ship. But it’s also a great learning experience. This ship is one of the most decorated ships from service and fully preserved inside. This boat saw conflict in WW2 and Vietnam so there was information on American History as well as the workings of the Coast Guard. The museum is closed Sundays and Mondays.
Dry Tortugas National Park
Dry Tortugas National Park is an incredible experience for everyone. It is approximately 70 miles off the coast of Key West and is only accessible by boat or seaplane and it’s worth the journey.
Dry Tortugas is most known for Fort Jefferson and the crystal clear waters. You can spend the day exploring the fort, snorkeling, relaxing at the beach, or bird watching.
Fort Jefferson is one of the largest 19th century forts in the United States.
Higgs Beach Playground
The Higgs Beach playground is an amazing place to let the kids play freely. The park is gated and parents will love it too because it’s right on the beach. That means you’ll enjoy incredible views while the kids play.
Florida Keys Eco Discovery Center
The Florida Keys Eco Discovery Center is a fun place to learn about marine sanctuaries. The center has educational and hands-on displays, interactive exhibits, and a short movie. You can learn about fish life, mangroves, and more. It was recently remodeled so it’s a very nice center. It is free to visit and is open Wednesday to Saturday.
Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory
The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory is probably my favorite thing to do with kids in Key West. There are literally hundreds of butterflies flying around but there are also two flamingoes, tropical birds, and gorgeous tropical foliage. The experience is truly euphoric. Just note that they keep the temp over 80 degrees and it’s pretty humid in there. So even though it is inside, it’s not exactly a nice break from the heat.
Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum
The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum is a must-visit! I highly recommend a tour where you’ll learn more about Hemingway and his life. His life was fascinating and learning about it helps you connect even more with the house. Depending on your kids’ interest/ages, they might not love the tour but it’s pretty short (around 15 minutes or so).
The Hemingway Home is arguably most known for its cats, though. Hemingway had a polydactyl cat, meaning it had six toes. The cats on the grounds today are descendants from his cat, so most of them have at least one paw with 6 toes.
Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum
This Key West Shipwreck Museum is a great way to learn about Key West history. You’ll learn about wreckers – they were people that made a living out of collecting goods and wreckage from shipwrecks. Back in the day, shipwrecks were very common due to the shallow waters surrounding Key West.
The museum is small and it won’t take too much of your time to get through but you might never want to leave the lookout tower.
My absolute favorite part of this museum is the lookout tower. It’s 65 feet high and has 360 degree views of the island. I really think it has the best views of Key West on the entire island. Do note that they have to close the lookout tower in adverse weather.
The museum isn’t very stroller-friendly because there are a lot of stairs. If your kids are old enough to walk around, you can leave the stroller outside if you’re comfortable doing so. But if you have kids that are too little to walk around without their stroller, you might want to skip this one.
Ghost Tour
Key West has a lot of history and with that comes some not-so-happy stories as well. Some of those stories make people believe that some of the spirits have not left and are still around haunting Key West.
The Ghost Tour is a fun way to learn about Key West history whether you believe in ghosts or not. The tour is around 90 minutes and takes you through town to a handful of different haunted locations. You’ll hear the story about what happened at each place and spooky encounters that have happened ever since.
Key West Lighthouse
Speaking of haunted places, the Key West Lighthouse is said to be haunted by its former keeper, Barbara Mabrity. She was the keeper from 1832-1864; she took over after her husband’s sudden death. It was almost unheard of for a woman to be a keeper back then and she stayed the lighthouse keeper until she was 88. She stayed through a horrible hurricane that took the lives of her children and continued as the keeper of the new reconstructed lighthouse that was rebuilt over the decimated one.
Today, you can learn more about the history of the lighthouse, visit the keeper’s quarters, and climb to the top.
Southernmost Point Marker
If you don’t get an early start, you’ll need to wait in line to take a picture at the Southernmost Point. Is it worth standing in line? That depends on your priorities but it’s fun to see at least once. It’s an iconic Key West landmark.
Harry Truman’s Little White House
This was once the winter home of Harry Truman. He visited Key West once for health reasons, fell in love, then spent several working and non-working vacations there after.
The house has even more history, having been built for living quarters for the Navy originally. It was also visited by President Taft. You can learn about the 1940s and 1800s as well if you visit.
Conch Train Tours
The Conch Tour Train is a fun way of getting around Key West. You’ll ride in an open-air train-like caboose throughout some of the most popular Key West stops. You’ll learn about some of Key West’s history along the way – every time we take the Conch Train Tour, I learn something new.
One of the cool things about this tour is that it’s a hop-on, hop-off tour so you have the option of getting off at each stop. You can also get on at any of the Conch Train’s stops. This makes it pretty easy to get around Key West and cuts down on the walking.
The Conch Train Tour does accommodate strollers. You’ll need to collapse it (pro tip – put a large bag in the bottom of your stroller that you can shove all of your stuff into so that you can grab it easily). The stroller will be stored up front with the conductor because they can’t be blocking the aisles.
Fort Zachary Taylor
Fort Zachary Taylor is a gem and I highly recommend visiting. You can wander around Fort Zach, which is older than the Civil War. It’s fun to explore such a unique part of history. There are tour guides available as well, but just wandering the fort is a really cool experience.
Fort Zachary Taylor also has the best beach in Key West. The water there is unreal – it doesn’t feel like you are in the US. It’s the perfect spot for a beach day. There are plenty of picnic spots if you want to bring your own food or you can also grab a snack at the concession stand. This can also be a good spot for snorkeling, if you don’t have your own snorkel equipment, you can purchase or rent it at the concession stand.
Waterfront Brewery
The Waterfront Brewery is in the historic seaport. They have a full arcade where the kids love to play. It’s a full restaurant, so you can try one of their drinks and order food while the kids play.
As you can see, there is plenty to do with kids in Key West! From historic sites to water adventures, I hope this list was helpful to you in coming up with some fun ideas. Or maybe it makes you excited about your trip to family trip to Key West – you’re all going to love it!
