Should Be Cruising

Visiting the Ernest Hemingway House in Key West

By: Author Carrie Ann Karstunen

Posted on Published: February 21, 2020  - Last updated: March 15, 2023

Visiting the Ernest Hemingway House in Key West

If you’re planning a visit to Key West, Florida, a stop at the Ernest Hemingway House should be at the top of your list. Whether or not you’re a fan of his writing, the lovely home and gardens are now a museum full of charming 1930’s details, memorabilia from Hemingway’s time on the island, and of course lots and lots of cats!

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Mr. SBC and I visited the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum on a cruise stop in Key West, and it was only a 20-minute walk from the pier. If you’re planning to also visit the famous Southernmost Point Buoy , it’s right down the road.

If you’d rather not walk that far, the Key West Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley Tour has a stop near the cruise port as well as near the Hemingway House.

Visiting the Hemingway House in Key West

The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum is located at 907 Whitehead Street, close to the Key West Lighthouse and Museum . Tickets are only available at the gate, so get there early. The line can be long, especially on days when cruise ships are in port.

Admission is $18 for adults, and $7 for children ages 6-12. Kids 5 and under are free. The museum offers discounted rates for groups of 12 or more. Make sure you bring cash because the museum doesn’t accept credit cards.

The Hemingway Home and Museum is open every day, including all holidays, from 9 AM until 5 PM.

Tickets include an optional 30-minute guided tour of the house and grounds, but you’re welcome to explore the property on your own.

We chose to take the tour, which I highly recommend. Our guide, JL, was quite a character! She used the perfect mix of humor and history to keep our group entertained and engaged while we learned about the house and Hemingway’s time in Key West.

History of the Ernest Hemingway Home

The Ernest Hemingway house in Key West is nearly 170 years old, but has been preserved to look much as it did when Hemingway lived there for nine years in the 1930s.

Electricity was added to the house around 1899, and plumbing was installed about 1944, when Key West began receiving piped-in water from Florida City. Prior to that date, the islanders collected rainwater in cisterns, two of which are still on the property today.

The house was the first in Key West to have an upstairs bath with running water (fed by the cistern on the roof), and one of the first with modern plumbing. It was also the first with a swimming pool, installed by Hemingway’s second wife Pauline in 1938.

The Tift family: 1851-1931

Hemingway’s home was originally built in 1851 by Asa Tift, a former naval architect and sea captain from Groton, Connecticut. Tift owned several stores in Key West, along with ships and a large salvaging operation, making him one of the wealthiest men in the area at the time.

To this day, the Hemingway House remains the largest residential property on Key West .

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The home’s location is on the second-highest point on Key West , about 16 feet (4.88 m) above sea level. Tift chose an elevated spot in order to excavate limestone from the property to construct the house. The excavation also allowed for a basement under the home, a rarity on Key West.

Asa Tift was a slave owner, and enslaved people likely were the primary labor source for the excavation, stone cutting, and construction of the home.

Tift owned the home until his death in 1889, living in it alone for much of his life after the death of his wife and two sons from yellow fever in the 1850s, and his daughter’s passing in 1869.

The Hemingways: 1931-1961

After Asa Tift’s death, the home was abandoned and boarded up. But its charm caught the eye of Ernest and Pauline Hemingway when they visited Key West in 1928, the year after their marriage. When Pauline saw that the property would be auctioned in 1931, her uncle Gus purchased the home for $8000 and gave it to the couple as a belated wedding gift.

Hemingway lived in the home with his wife and their two sons from 1931 until 1939. When Hemingway left for Cuba in 1939 to pursue another relationship, Pauline stayed in the home and lived there until her death in 1951. The home remained in Ernest Hemingway’s possession until he died in 1961.

The Dixon family: 1961-present

Bernice Dixon, a local jewelry store owner, bought the house at auction after Hemingway’s death for $80,000. She lived in the home until 1964 when she moved into the guest house and opened the main building as a museum.

Dixon left the property to her family, who continue to operate the Hemingway Home and Museum today.

Exploring the Hemingway House in Key West

Although the tour focused on the writer’s Key West years, our tour guide JL mixed in a bit of Hemingway’s life before and after this period for context. His multiple marriages and affairs, accident-prone nature, and family history of mental health issues certainly shaped his life.

You won’t get a full history of Hemingway’s life and body of work on this 30-minute tour. But even those completely unaware of his story or his impact on American literature will leave with a basic understanding of the legend of this complex man.

The ground floor of the Hemingway House

Our tour of the two-story, 3000-square-foot Spanish Colonial began downstairs in the parlor. This sun-filled room is full of Hemingway memorabilia from various periods along with furniture Pauline collected when she lived in Paris.

We continued past the kitchen with its vintage fixtures and appliances, including a period-appropriate icebox. Although a cordon blocks access to the kitchen and bathrooms, you can certainly peek in and get a glimpse of these spaces.

JL stopped us for a bit at what she called the “ Wall of Wives ” to talk about Hemingway’s four marriages. He certainly followed a rogueish pattern of meeting women, falling desperately in love, and marrying them soon after the last wife served him with divorce papers.

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Each new relationship seemed to lead to a change of location, explaining why Hemingway left Key West after less than a decade despite having several productive years there.

Upstairs at the Hemingway House

We made our way upstairs to Hemingway’s bedroom , which features his original bed with a vintage chenille spread. Compared to today’s King and Queen sizes, vintage beds are really small. His double bed looks so short, I wondered how the six-foot man managed to sleep there without his feet hanging off the edge!

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Be sure to check out the adjacent bathroom, with its fantastic yellow-and-black Art Deco tile.

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Note: Although the upstairs of the house is only accessible by staircase, museum staff do offer the tour on videotape for those who aren’t able to climb stairs. The property is ADA-compliant, and the first floor and grounds are accessible to those using mobility devices.

Next it was out onto the wide porch that wraps around the second story of the building. With a clear view of the lighthouse from the porch, we learned that this was where a scene in The James Bond film Licence to Kill was filmed. A particularly unskilled sniper managed to miss his shot at Bond from the lighthouse to the gallery!

Hemingway would sometimes joke that he chose the location of the house because of its proximity to the lighthouse. On drunken evenings returning from his favorite bar, Sloppy Joe’s , he’d never get lost making his way home.

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Around the property

Our short tour outside focused on just the highlights of the grounds, but our guide encouraged us to explore the property as much as we liked after the guided portion of our visit.

The swimming pool and Hemingway’s last red cent

A notable spot on the grounds is the swimming pool, which Pauline built when Hemingway was away covering the Spanish Civil War as a correspondent. Although it was his idea to build a pool, he left the oversight of the project to Pauline while he was away.

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Excavating the limestone for the pool was a massive undertaking, and the project cost $20,000 when construction finished in 1938 (that’s about $365,916 in today’s dollars). When Hemingway returned, he famously shouted, “Pauline, you’ve spent all but my last penny, so you might as well have that!”, throwing a penny down on the flagstone patio.

After their divorce, Pauline enjoyed hosting pool parties, pointing out to her guests Hemingway’s “last red cent” that she had embedded in the concrete near the pool.

The fountains

The Hemingway property has two notable fountains with interesting histories. You’ll notice the first fountain just past the entrance gate. Asa Tift constructed the fountain, and it’s in the form of an ironclad ship.

Tift, despite his Yankee origins, was a staunch Confederate. During the Civil War, he designed and financed an ironclad for the Confederate cause. After the Union victory at Vicksburg, Confederates blew up the ship so it couldn’t be captured by the North.

A view of the ship fountain at the Hemingway House

The second fountain is a Hemingway-era one, and comes with a humorous story. When Joe Russell, Hemingway’s buddy and the owner of Sloppy Joe’s moved his establishment, he enlisted the help of his patrons to transport the contents of the bar to its new location.

Likely fueled by alcohol, Hemingway ripped out the bar’s urinal and brought it home to use as a watering trough for his cats.

Pauline, outraged by the unsightly bathroom fixture prominently displayed in the garden, glued tiles around its edge and added an antique urn to create a fountain. The cats still like to drink from it.

Hemingway’s writing studio

During his time in Key West, Hemingway wrote many notable books and short stories, including Green Hills of Africa ,  Death in the Afternoon ,  To Have and Have Not,  and The Snows of Kilimanjaro . 

His writing studio at the home was on the second floor of the converted carriage house. The spacious studio looks much as it would have in the 1930s. The only typewriter on the property that Hemingway actually used sits on the desk.

A chaise longue in Ernest Hemingway's writing studio

You can access the studio only via a set of steep stairs, and a gate blocks the doorway, but it’s worth climbing up to view this peaceful sanctuary if you can.

The famous Hemingway House cats

In the 1930s, sea captain Stanley Dexter gave Ernest Hemingway a white six-toed cat named Snow White. Currently, the Hemingway House and property is home to between 40 and 50 polydactyl cats , some of which are descendant from the original white cat.

About half of the cats at the museum have six or even seven toes on each front paw, but all the cats carry the polydactyl gene and can pass on the trait to their offspring.

Hemingway loved polydactyl cats, especially because sailors believed they bring good luck. And he needed good luck! Hemingway suffered multiple serious injuries and survived numerous accidents during his life.

As a young man, he almost died from a mortar blast on an Italian battlefield during WWI. During his time on Key West, he accidentally shot himself in both legs while wrangling a shark. While on safari in Africa, Hemingway survived two plane crashes in two days.

Hemingway named all of his cats after famous people, and the tradition continues today. You might find Betty Grable up in a tree, or Joe DiMaggio asleep in the gutter. How often can you say that?

Are the Hemingway cats really lucky?

Did the cats actually bring him the wrong kind of luck, or did they share some of their nine lives with him? The jury’s still out on that one.

Whether or not you believe the Hemingway cats will give you good luck, the cats themselves are certainly lucky. They have the run of the property, and you’ll often find them napping in unexpected places in and around the house. The cats don’t seem to mind their human visitors and enjoy pets and scratches from their adoring fans.

Have you visited the Ernest Hemingway House in Key West? What was your favorite part of the tour? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

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CHELSEA MESSINA

Wednesday 4th of March 2020

We just visited Hemingway's house last year! I would take his office space in that upper flat room any day! Did you get to see the kitties with the weird toes?

Thursday 5th of March 2020

I loved his studio, too! Such a perfect spot for writing :D And yes, we saw the kitties - so cute!

Thanks for the tour of the Hemingway House! I had no idea it was in Key West. I haven't been to this part of Florida, but it's definitely on my list of places to go. This looks like a wonderful stop. I saved it to Pinterest for future reference.

Thanks, Nancy! Hope you get to visit Key West and the Hemingway House!

Tuesday 3rd of March 2020

We are planning a trip to Key West so this is going on our list of places to visit. Good to know what to expect and all the photos etc. Thanks for the inspo.

Slavka, I'm glad you enjoyed my post! Have an amazing time in Key West :D

Thursday 27th of February 2020

If only the walls could talk! Imagine the stories that they would tell about the previous occupants. I’m a big fan of Hemingway, I’d love to visit here. Imagine the parties on those porches and then around the pool once built. The story about the urinal truly made me smile - classic Hemingway.

Saturday 29th of February 2020

I would so love to go back in time to see those parties - I bet there were some wild times there!

Wednesday 26th of February 2020

My boyfriend would love to visit his home. He’s a huge Hemingway fan. We always seem to end up at some Hemingway bar on our trips. I must tell him about this and I’ve always wanted to visit Key West, so a double bonus :)

It sounds like a trip to Key West would be perfect for the two of you! A couple of Hemingway's favorite bars are just a short walk away, too ;)

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Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Museum

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Top ways to experience Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Museum and nearby attractions

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Home » T-key-wests » Ernest Hemingway House & Museum

Ernest Hemingway House & Museum

Take a tour of the Ernest Hemingway House and Museum in Key West, Florida. This was Hemingway’s residence from 1931 to 1939. The author wrote many of his best novels here, including “A Farewell to Arms,” “Death in the Afternoon,” “To Have and Have Not,” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” The house is now a privately owned landmark and is open to the public.

Address: 907 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040 Phone: (305) 294-1136 Website: http://www.hemingwayhome.com Adult tickets: $13.00 Child tickets: $6.00 (ages 6-12) Hours: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, every day Directions: From Mallory Square, walk south on Whitehead Street for 7 blocks.

The Ernest Hemingway House & Museum highlights:

  • A 30-minute guided tour is included with admission.
  • The house is a National Historic Landmark, Literary Landmark and recorded at the Library of Congress as a Historic American Building.
  • The house features a swimming pool — the only one within 100 miles in the 1930s.
  • Hemingway’s wife removed the ceiling fans and had them replaced by elaborate wood and glass chandeliers.
  • 50 polydactyl (six-toed) cats live on the grounds.
  • Hemingway converted a urinal from Sloppy Joe’s bar into a water fountain, where it now serves as a water source for the cats.
  • When the visitor bureau included the house in a tourist brochure in 1935, Hemingway hired a friend to build the high brick wall that surrounds it today.
  • The house was featured in the James Bond movie “Licence To Kill”.

The Hemingway House & Museum is discussed in our audio tour .

HEMINGWAY IN KEY WEST TOURS

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Virtual Roadtrip: Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum

May 16, 2020 | South , Museums & Attractions

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One of America’s Most Honored Authors and the Famous Six-Toed Cats

Stop #12 on our Virtual Road Trip is the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West, Florida! Ernest and Pauline Hemingway lived in the home with their two sons, Patrick and Gregory, for almost 10 years. The limestone house was originally built between 1859 – 1861 for Asa and Anna Tift. By 1931 when the Hemingway’s discovered it, the home was vacant, boarded up, and in need of repair. They spent a significant amount of time and money rebuilding, refurbishing, and improving the house and grounds.

Today, guided tours of the Hemingway Home are provided by a knowledgeable team of docents. The tours cover a wide range of topics, from the construction of the home and stories about the family to descriptions of the original furniture, art, and personal items. Once you leave the main building, the tour continues outside and includes stops at the first swimming pool in Key West and the loft studio used by Hemingway to write many of his classics. The famous six-toe cats have free roam of the property, so expect to see many of the descendants of “Papa” Hemingway’s beloved feline friends.

Tour Tip: The Hemingway Home is one of the most popular attractions in Key West. Purchase your tickets in advance, as the tour groups are kept small to allow everyone to enjoy the house without being cramped in the smallish rooms. Have your camera ready to take pictures of the famous cats and don’t forget to snap a quick photo of the Nobel Prize-winning author’s studio.

Following the Connection

While living in Key West, Hemingway spent summers in Idaho and Wyoming. In 1939 he was invited by the owner of the recently completed Sun Valley Resort to celebrate and promote the grand opening of the first destination ski resort in the United States. In the Fall of 1939, Hemingway completed For Whom the Bell Tolls while staying in Suite 206 of the Sun Valley Lodge.

Next Stop: The Sun Valley Resort , Sun Valley, Idaho

Detour: Hemingway was in Europe during both World War l and World War ll. In 1917 (WWI) Hemingway answered a recruitment ad by the Red Cross and was dispatched as an ambulance driver to Italy. He was also in Europe in 1944 -1945 (WWII), working as a journalist and was present during the Invasion of Normandy, Battle of the Bulge, and the Liberation of Paris. The National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri, and The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, are the most comprehensive military museums in the United States associated with the World Wars.

  • Plan Your Trip

Key West is one of the most popular destinations in the United States. The peak tourism season begins in late December and continues through April. Our advice it to plan your trip well in advance for the best reservations and deals. Also consider late March through May when the crowds have thinned a little and the temperatures are still pleasant. Here are some recommendations from the travel desk at Check-it-Off Travel to consider while planning a trip to the museum.

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About the Hemingway Museum in Key West: A Cultural Heritage Spotlight

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Nestled in the heart of Key West, Florida , the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum stands as a tribute to the literary giant’s profound legacy. Ernest Hemingway, one of the most acclaimed American authors of the 20th century, made this Spanish colonial-style house his residence through the 1930s, a period marked by prolific writing and the creation of some of his most notable works. The home, now a museum, provides visitors a window into Hemingway’s life and writings, the very walls echoing with the history of his storied career.

This house-turned-museum at 907 Whitehead Street, which once brimmed with Hemingway’s creative spirit, now opens its doors daily to the public, offering guided tours and a glimpse into the author’s Key West lifestyle. Within these walls, Hemingway penned literary classics such as “A Farewell to Arms” and “To Have and Have Not,” the latter inspired by the surroundings of the Depression-era Florida Keys. The lush grounds, the preserved living quarters, and the intimate access to Hemingway’s personal artifacts all combine to celebrate the author’s enduring influence on literature and American culture.

The Hemingway Home & Museum is also known for its sizeable population of polydactyl cats, descendants of Hemingway’s own feline companions, that roam the property freely, adding a living continuity to the legacy left behind. As a designated U.S. National Historic Landmark, the museum not only showcases the life and times of Hemingway but also stands as an emblem of Key West’s rich cultural tapestry, attracting visitors from around the globe keen on capturing a piece of literary history.

Ernest Hemingway’s Legacy

Ernest Hemingway’s influence extends far beyond his published works, with his former home in Key West, Florida, serving as a museum that immortalizes his contribution to literature and provides insight into his personal life.

Life of Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway was a Nobel Prize-winning author known for his concise writing style and profound influence on 20th-century fiction. His adventurous and robust lifestyle was a source of inspiration for his novels.

Hemingway’s Influence on Literature

Hemingway’s literary contributions included a distinctive style characterized by understated dialogue and a focus on stoic, masculine characters. His contributions to literature include classics like  A Farewell to Arms ,  For Whom the Bell Tolls , and  The Snows of Kilimanjaro .

The Hemingway Home as a Museum

The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum located at 907 Whitehead Street allows visitors to explore Hemingway’s residence from 1931 to 1939. This home-turned-museum displays Hemingway’s personal belongings and the environment where he wrote several notable works.

Pauline Pfeiffer and Hemingway’s Life in Key West

Pauline Pfeiffer, Hemingway’s second wife, played a significant role in his life during their time in Key West. Their marriage marked a period of prolific writing which included works like  To Have and Have Not  set in Key West.

Hemingway in Key West

Key West, Florida, offered Hemingway a retreat where he penned notable manuscripts. His time here included frequent visits to  Sloppy Joe’s , a local bar, and his experiences in the Florida Keys and Cuba influenced many of his novels.

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Visiting the Hemingway Home

The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West is a national historic landmark where one can explore the life and work of the famous author. This section guides you through tours, operating hours, ticket details, shopping options, and events including weddings.

Tours and Sightseeing

  • Guided Tour : The museum offers guided tours every fifteen minutes starting at 9:20am, with the last tour at 4:40pm.
  • Self-Exploration : Guests have the freedom to walk the grounds once occupied by Hemingway himself.

Operating Hours and Accessibility

  • Hours : Open daily from  9:00am  to  5:00pm , including weekends and holidays to accommodate visitors.
  • Accessibility : The site is easily accessible for all due to its central location at  907 Whitehead Street , next to the Key West Lighthouse.

Ticket Information

  • Adults:  $16
  • Children ages 6-12:  $6
  • Children 5 and under:  Free

Payments : The museum accepts both  cash and credit cards  and recommends purchasing tickets at the gate.

Museum Shops and Souvenirs

  • Gift Shop : A variety of Hemingway-themed souvenirs are available for purchase on-site.
  • Book Store : The museum features a bookstore where visitors can purchase Hemingway’s works and other related literature.

Events and Weddings

  • Events : The museum grounds serve as a venue for various cultural events and can be rented for private functions.
  • Weddings : Offering a historic and picturesque setting, weddings regularly take place here, complemented by the property’s lush gardens.

The Hemingway Home Grounds and Architecture

The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, a treasured National Historic Landmark located on Whitehead Street in Key West, Florida , offers visitors a rich architectural and horticultural experience. This section elaborates on the distinctive Spanish Colonial style of the residence, the meticulously tended gardens, the notable in-ground pool, and the layout of the outbuildings that complement the property.

The Spanish Colonial Style Home

The Hemingway Home embodies the Spanish Colonial architectural style, distinguished by its stucco walls and red-tiled roof. Built in 1851, the structure showcases the traditional features of this style, such as thick walls and large central rooms for natural cooling.

Gardens and Landscaping

Surrounding the home are lush gardens, providing both aesthetic pleasure and privacy. Native plants and tropical foliage align with the pathways, creating a serene environment for reflection.

The Famous Hemingway Pool

A highlight of the property is the in-ground swimming pool, an extraordinary feature for a residential home in the 1930s. Hemingway’s pool was an extravagant addition, costing, at that time, an astonishing $20,000 to construct.

The Outbuildings and Property Layout

The property layout includes several outbuildings that serve as functional extensions of the main house. These structures adhere to the home’s Spanish Colonial style and are strategically placed to maintain the integrity of the overall design.

Ernest Hemingway’s Six-Toed Cats

Ernest Hemingway’s home in Key West, Florida is as much a sanctuary for literary history as it is for the famous six-toed cats that roam its gardens. The Hemingway Home & Museum is home to approximately 50 polydactyl, or six-toed, cats, which are descendants of Hemingway’s original cat, Snow White.

History of the Hemingway Cats

Ernest Hemingway was gifted a white six-toed cat named Snow White in the 1930s by a ship’s captain. This breed, known for its polydactylism, was thought to bring good luck by sailors.  Polydactyl cats  are not a specific breed, rather they are defined by their multiple toes; most cats have five front toes and four back toes, while polydactyl cats may have as many as eight.

Cat Care and Conservation

The  Hemingway Home and Museum  is dedicated to the care and conservation of these unique animals. They ensure that each cat receives:

  • Regular veterinary care , including vaccinations and health check-ups.
  • A  high-quality diet  to maintain their health and well-being.

The staff employs  best practices  to maintain the genetic lineage of the polydactyl cats while also ensuring the population remains at a sustainable number through a spay and neuter program.

The Cat Cemetery and Its Significance

The museum grounds also feature a  cat cemetery , where many of the property’s former feline residents rest. This area serves as a testament to the close-knit nature of the home’s community of cats and the care afforded to them over the years. It also acts as a historical record, with many of the  tombstones  dating back decades, inscribed with the names of these beloved pets, marking their place in the legacy of the  Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum .

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Collection and Exhibits

The Hemingway Home & Museum in Key West houses an extensive array of Ernest Hemingway’s personal items, each providing insight into the life and work of one of America’s most celebrated writers.

Personal Artifacts & Photographs

The museum displays a remarkable collection of Hemingway’s personal artifacts and photographs. These items offer visitors an intimate glimpse into Hemingway’s life in Key West, including his family life with his second wife, Pauline, and their children. Photographic displays capture moments from their domestic lives, travels, and Hemingway’s social circles.

Typewriters and Manuscripts

On exhibit are several typewriters that Hemingway used throughout his career, tangible tools of his trade that produced some of his most famous works. Original manuscripts and early drafts showcase Hemingway’s writing process, his revisions, and his thoughts as he created stories that would captivate readers for generations.

Hemingway’s Personal Library

The personal library collection of Ernest Hemingway contains books that influenced and reflected his interests, both as a reader and a writer. The volumes range from classic literature to contemporary works during Hemingway’s time, many containing annotations and marginalia that give unique insight into Hemingway’s mind and reading habits.

Memorabilia and Ephemera

A variety of memorabilia and ephemera related to Hemingway are on display, such as personal letters, fishing gear, and awards. This collection not only highlights Hemingway’s achievements and hobbies but also helps contextualize his place within the literary world and the broader historical events of his time.

ernest hemingway house tour tickets

Educational Opportunities and Resources

The Hemingway Home & Museum offers a diverse range of educational opportunities designed for learners of all ages, focusing on the life and works of Ernest Hemingway. From in-person tours to workshops and a variety of online resources, the museum serves as a critical point of learning and engagement for students, writers, and enthusiasts.

Guided Educational Tours

The museum provides  guided educational tours  that cater to both school groups and individuals seeking to learn about Hemingway’s life, his literature, and his influence. Tour guides offer detailed insights into Hemingway’s years spent in Key West, with a particular emphasis on how the location impacted his writing.

  • Hours of Operation:  Daily, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
  • Pricing:  General admission $18; Students (age 7-12) $7; Children (under 5) Free

Workshops and Learning Events

Throughout the year, the museum hosts various  workshops and learning events  to delve into specific aspects of Hemingway’s works. Scholars and literary experts lead these sessions, fostering a deeper understanding of literary techniques and historical contexts.

  • Annual Events:  Hemingway Days Festival in July, featuring literary events and readings

Online Resources and Contact Information

For those unable to visit the museum in person, a wealth of  online resources  is available. The museum’s official website provides educational materials, including articles, photographs, and a biography of Ernest Hemingway.

Jerry Joyce

Jerry Joyce has been a Florida resident since 1988 and has lived in a variety of places in the South Florida area. Jerry is an avid boater & water sports enthusiast, beach aficionado, a lover of great food, muscle car fan and a theme park annual passholder for many years. Some of his favorite places in Florida include the Florida Keys, Walt Disney World, Cedar Key, the Loxahatchee River, St. Augustine and Ten Thousand islands.

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  1. Rates/Info

    Hemingway His Life The Pilar His Works The Estate Our Cats ... Tours. Our Tour Rates include a 20-30 minute guided tour ... 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are only available at our main gate. No Reservations are required. Admission Rates. Adult Rates. General Admission - $18 Call Us for our Group Rate (12 + Guests) Office 305.294.1136 .

  2. The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum

    Closed now. 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Write a review. About. Ernest Hemingway lived and wrote in this for ten years. During that time he wrote seventy percent of his life-time works. Today we operate as a museum providing guided tours every fifteen minutes from nine to five. The Museum is available for weddings and corporate events.

  3. Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum Tours and Tickets

    The Hemingway Home is a National Historic Landmark and Literary Landmark, and recorded at the Library of Congress as an Historic American Building. Learn more. Open daily year-round from 9am - 5pm. 907 Whitehead St., Key West, Florida, 33040.

  4. Hemingway Foundation

    Ernest Hemingway's Birthplace Museum just outside Chicago in Oak Park, Illinois ... Back Individual Public Tours Reserved Tour Admission Tickets Group Tour Reservations School Group Tours Hours and Location Tour Information Foreign language tours ... The restoration, which began in 1992, authentically returned the house to its 1890s ...

  5. Key West Ernest Hemingway House: Tours, Museum, and Bookstore

    The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum. 907 Whitehead Street, Key West, Florida, 33040-7473. 305-294-1136. Distance from hotel: 0.50 mile. Visit Website. Category: Family / Kids. Write A Review.

  6. Visiting the Ernest Hemingway House in Key West

    Visiting the Hemingway House in Key West. The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum is located at 907 Whitehead Street, close to the Key West Lighthouse and Museum. Tickets are only available at the gate, so get there early. The line can be long, especially on days when cruise ships are in port. Admission is $18 for adults, and $7 for children ages ...

  7. Hemingway Home And Museum Key West, Florida

    The Hemingway Home and Museum. Located at 907 Whitehead Street, the Hemingway Key West residence still stands and welcomes thousands of fans from all over. Their tour guides can tell you all about the history of the home and Hemingway's many adventures in Key West while you roam his house and gardens, among the more than forty cats who now ...

  8. Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum

    1. From Miami: Key West Bus Tour. Embark on a full-day tour of Key West from Miami. Feel the Caribbean atmosphere of the Florida Keys and explore at your own pace. See important sites, including Hemingway's House, or opt to swim in the sea. Start with a 4-hour drive across 43 bridges and 31 islands to America's "Caribbean Islands," the ...

  9. Tour Information

    Hemingway's birthplace is a good place to begin to explore the roots of the author's life and work. Here Ernest was born in a second floor bedroom on July 21, 1899. This Queen Anne house, built by his maternal grandparents in 1890 and restored in the 1990s, looks as it did when Ernest and his family lived there.

  10. Reserved Tour Admission Tickets

    Reserved Tour Admission Tickets — Hemingway Foundation. Location: 339 N. Oak Park Avenue. Oak Park, Illinois 60302. Birthplace Museum Phone. (708) 445-3071. (during admission hours): Mailing List Subcribe. In-Person Tour Regular Hours:

  11. Hemingway House Tour

    The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum. 20,995 Reviews. #2 of 170 things to do in Key West. Museums, Specialty Museums. 907 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040-7473. Open today: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.

  12. Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum

    Tours & Tickets; The Basics. The Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum, in the building where Hemingway lived from 1931 to 1939, offers an intimate glimpse into the Nobel Prize winner's life. Walk along the narrow pathway through the luscious gardens overflowing with tropical plants, or check out the round wooden desk where one of Key West's most ...

  13. Everything You Need to Know about Visiting Hemingway's House on Key

    The first tour starts at 9:20am, and tours run every twenty minutes with the last tour beginning at 4:40pm. Admission: $16 per adult. Children ages 6-12 are $6, children 5 and under are FREE. Cash and credit card are both accepted, and you can purchase tickets online. Hemingway's Key West Home has stayed exactly as he left it. Buying Tickets

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  15. Ernest Hemingway House & Museum

    Take a tour of the Ernest Hemingway House and Museum in Key West, Florida. This was Hemingway's residence from 1931 to 1939. The author wrote many of his best novels here, including "A Farewell to Arms," "Death in the Afternoon," "To Have and Have Not," and "For Whom the Bell Tolls." ... Adult tickets: $13.00 Child tickets: $6 ...

  16. Quirky Attraction: Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum: House Cats, Hours

    The Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum Location: Key West, FL (908 Whitehead St.) When to visit: Open 9am - 5pm, 365 days a year Cost: Adults $18, kids $7 Time needed: 30-60 minutes Website: www.hemingwayhome.com. Famed American author Ernest Hemingway (he's the dude responsible for For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea) spent a good part of his life living in Key West in this house.

  17. Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum Tours

    Book lovers might like to visit Ernest Hemingway's House to see the former home of the famous author. Or, if you prefer, you can go to the southernmost point of the continental United States at the famous "90 miles to Cuba" Monument. Explore museums, such as the Mel Fisher Museum, the Light House Museum, or Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum ...

  18. Hemingway in Key West Tours

    Start Time: 10:00 am. BOOK NOW. Hemingway. Tour. $68. Start Time: 7:00 pm. BOOK NOW. Book directly online with live availability, whether you're at a computer or on the go.

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    Find and book tours and tickets to Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum. Experience Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum by buying tickets with Viator. Free cancellation, payment options and millions of reviews. ... Enjoy a 3-hour self-guided tour in Key West with an optional visit to the Ernest Hemingway House. Avoid traveling in a different bus? If ...

  20. Virtual Roadtrip: Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum

    Stop #12 on our Virtual Road Trip is the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West, Florida! Ernest and Pauline Hemingway lived in the home with their two sons, Patrick and Gregory, for almost 10 years. The limestone house was originally built between 1859 - 1861 for Asa and Anna Tift. By 1931 when the Hemingway's discovered it, the home ...

  21. About the Hemingway Museum in Key West: A Cultural Heritage Spotlight

    Nestled in the heart of Key West, Florida, the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum stands as a tribute to the literary giant's profound legacy.Ernest Hemingway, one of the most acclaimed American authors of the 20th century, made this Spanish colonial-style house his residence through the 1930s, a period marked by prolific writing and the creation of some of his most notable works.

  22. The Ernest Hemingway House and Museum in Key West

    The Ernest Hemingway House, located in Key West, Florida, is a National Historic Landmark and museum dedicated to the life and works of famed American author and Nobel Prize-winning novelist Ernest Hemingway.It was his private residence from 1931 to 1939 and provides an insight into the literary genius who lived there with his second wife Pauline Pfeiffer, during some of the most productive ...