Key West Museum of Art & History at the Custom House

Key West Museum of Art & History is a two-floor museum and cultural arts center inside the red-brick Custom House on the harbor beside Mallory Square. Its galleries cover about two centuries of the island's art, people and events. If you want an indoor stop that gives Old Town some context, this is a strong pick; the building is part of the visit, too.

Visitors describe quick visits of around 30 minutes to an hour, or about two hours if they read through the displays. Take the galleries at your own pace: the mix of art and local history works well as a primer for other historic stops in Key West. Some visitors find the exhibits text-heavy, so it may feel slow if you'd rather have a quick, mostly visual stop. The museum has air conditioning, an elevator and multiple restrooms.

The federal government bought harbor-side land in 1833 and put up an early wooden customs house. By 1882, customs revenue from Key West exceeded the total from every other Florida port combined. The Treasury authorized a larger building in 1885; the present Custom House opened in April 1891 with three jobs under one roof: customs offices, district court and post office.

The district court heard thousands of cases, including rum-running prosecutions and disputes over ship salvage. One of its best-known proceedings followed the 1898 sinking of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor, an episode tied to the Spanish-American War. The case gives the building's grand civic role a very local connection to Key West's waterfront economy.

Federal offices moved elsewhere in the 1930s, and the Navy later used the building for administration. After the Navy left, the Custom House was sealed and deteriorated. The Florida Land Acquisition Advisory Council bought it in 1991; a major restoration led by architect Bert Bender took nine years and nearly $9 million. It reopened as a museum in 1999.