Mallory Square

Mallory Square is a pedestrian waterfront plaza on the northwest edge of Old Town Key West, best known for its nightly Sunset Celebration. Street acts, local artists and food stalls turn the wait into the event; come for that shared, lively scene as much as the sunset itself. The celebration begins about two hours before sunset, and crowds gather at the water as sundown gets close. Arrive early if a waterfront view matters to you.

A municipal parking lot sits nearby at 460 Wall Street, but parking can be difficult when the sunset crowd builds, so leave extra time if you're driving. Food vendors set up for the celebration; the nearby marketplace is separate from the public square and lists juice and conch fritters. Performers vary from night to night, so think of the gathering as an open-air show rather than a fixed program.

From the waterfront edge, look west across the Gulf toward Sunset Key. The island can partly block the sun's final drop, so Mallory Square is better for the atmosphere and color on the water than for a guaranteed clear sun-on-horizon shot. If you want the classic scene, arrive early enough to find room at the rail and include the water and gathering in your frame.

This waterfront was once a base for the anti-piracy squadron Commodore David Porter established in 1823. After piracy was suppressed, Key West's wrecking industry took over the shore: buildings here stored and auctioned goods salvaged from shipwrecks.

The Waterfront Playhouse began as a Tift & Company warehouse around 1850; the Key West Players converted it to a theater in 1960 with Tennessee Williams' help. Two octagonal concrete cable huts also remain: built in 1921 and 1932, they stored communications cable linking Key West with Cuba, the mainland and South America.